Sexy Fish Dubai sent ripples through the city’s already vibrant culinary scene when it opened its doors in late 2024. Having established itself as a celebrity magnet in London’s Mayfair since 2015, before expanding to Miami and Manchester, the Richard Caring-backed restaurant has brought its signature blend of theatrical dining and Japanese cuisine to the heart of DIFC. With its strategic location and interiors designed by Martin Brudnizki featuring Damien Hirst artworks, this latest outpost of the Caprice Holdings empire has rapidly established itself as one of Dubai’s most sought-after reservations.
As a dedicated connoisseur of Dubai’s business lunch scene, Sexy Fish Dubai has been firmly on my radar since its opening. Their weekday Kanso business lunch, named after the Japanese aesthetic principle emphasising simplicity, promised a curated selection of their signature dishes at the accessible price point of AED 158. But would the experience match the considerable hype surrounding this opening?
First impressions: Art, design and atmosphere
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Walking into Sexy Fish Dubai during daylight hours offers a different perspective from its evening ambiance, allowing full appreciation of the extraordinary attention to detail in the design. The restaurant presents as a mid-century modern fantasy with maximalist tendencies, think curved banquettes in rich textures, gleaming metallic fish-scale surfaces, and those famous Damien Hirst mermaid sculptures commanding attention from strategic positions throughout the space.
The restaurant was impressively busy for a weekday afternoon, creating a vibrant atmosphere that nonetheless allowed for comfortable conversation. We opted for terrace seating to enjoy the views, though Dubai’s climbing April temperatures would eventually drive us indoors.
One curious element was the live music, a singer performing contemporary background covers that seemed somewhat superfluous for the lunchtime atmosphere. I later learned this is merely a prelude to the much more energetic evening entertainment, when the volume and tempo increase considerably as Sexy Fish Dubai transforms into one of DIFC’s premier nightspots.
The Kanso business lunch experience
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The Kanso menu format, two starters and one main course, strikes an ideal balance for business dining, substantial enough to satisfy without inducing a post-lunch productivity slump. Before our selected items arrived, we were presented with thoughtful amuse-bouches: a palate-awakening watermelon and ginger shot alongside edamame hummus drizzled with mint oil, served with crisp flatbread. This contemporary take on traditional Japanese flavours immediately signalled the kitchen’s creative intentions.
From the starter selection, the prawn gyoza with ginger dressing delivered expertly pleated dumplings with a satisfyingly crisp base and delicate filling, though the odd number (three per portion) seemed a curious choice for a shared dining concept as couples are likely to fight over the last piece. The beef skewer with ancho chili showcased perfect execution, tender, juicy, and enhanced by the gentle warmth of the chili glaze.
My dining companion selected the black cod croquettes, which proved almost too delicate for their form, practically melting at the touch but delivering an intense umami payoff. Our fourth starter, the spicy tuna maki, offered a competent if familiar rendition with a notably bolder spice profile than typically found in Dubai’s Japanese restaurants, a welcome deviation from the often cautious approach to heat in the city’s dining scene.
For main courses, the chicken katsu sando with tonkatsu sauce and cabbage salad looked impressive but ultimately underwhelmed slightly. While the accompanying cabbage salad demonstrated proper seasoning and acid balance, the chicken itself was somewhat thin and lacked the juiciness that defines truly exceptional versions of this Japanese comfort food classic.
The grilled sirloin steak with yuzu truffle dressing, however, was flawlessly executed, perfectly medium-rare with a precise balance between the citrus brightness of yuzu and the earthy luxury of truffle. Served with steamed Japanese rice, this dish exemplified the kitchen’s ability to honour traditional Japanese flavour principles while incorporating contemporary luxury touches.
Beyond the business lunch menu
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One particularly noteworthy aspect of Sexy Fish Dubai’s offering is their impressive selection of wines available by the glass, a thoughtful touch that allows for more sophisticated pairing without committing to a full bottle during a business meeting. This flexibility reflects an understanding of their clientele’s needs that many other high-end establishments in Dubai could learn from.
As the afternoon heat intensified, we relocated to the bar area for dessert. While the Kanso business lunch doesn’t include dessert by default, Sexy Fish Dubai offers a selection from their business lunch dessert menu at the reasonable price of AED 35 each, a welcome alternative to the significantly higher-priced options on their à la carte menu. We selected the chocolate caramel delice, which struck the perfect balance between richness and restraint, with a silky chocolate-caramel mousse complemented by refreshing mango sorbet that cleansed the palate without overwhelming with sweetness.
The verdict: Style with substance
Sexy Fish Dubai successfully delivers on its considerable promise, balancing theatrical design elements and buzzy atmosphere with genuinely accomplished cuisine. While the business lunch format necessarily offers a more limited glimpse of the kitchen’s capabilities than the full dinner experience, it provides an accessible entry point to one of Dubai’s most talked-about new openings.
The restaurant’s ability to maintain energy and near-capacity even during weekday afternoons speaks to its immediate success in the competitive DIFC dining landscape. While certain elements, like the lunchtime live singer and occasional execution issues with simpler dishes, suggest some fine-tuning might still be beneficial, these are minor considerations in what is overall an impressive operation.
For those seeking the full Sexy Fish Dubai experience, an evening visit would undoubtedly deliver the high-energy, see-and-be-seen atmosphere the brand is renowned for globally. However, the KANSO business lunch represents excellent value for experiencing the essence of Sexy Fish Dubai’s cuisine and design vision without the evening price point or volume levels.
Sexy Fish Dubai Business Lunch Details:
- Price: AED 158 per person (desserts available for AED 35 each)
- Available: Monday to Friday, 12pm to 3:30pm (last booking at 3pm)
- Location: DIFC
- Reservations: Highly recommended, especially for indoor seating
