Themed Dubai restaurants where the design is as much the draw as the food

Dubai: Dubai has never been shy about theming a restaurant. What separates the ones worth your evening from the ones that are just a wall of fake flowers is whether the concept goes past the entrance.

These do. Some are genuinely elaborate pieces of design work by internationally known studios. Others are gleefully silly. One of them is kept at minus six degrees. Here's what each is actually like inside, and what to order once you've finished photographing it.

Zenon, Downtown Dubai

Greek mythology filtered through a very expensive AV budget. Zenon's interiors nod to deities including Heracles, Apollo and Dionysus, with sculptural elements, pink mirrors and miniature Greek statues creating pockets of intimacy across two levels seating around 340.

The technology is the highlight. Working with Ouchhh Studio, the venue runs AI-generated artwork across curved overhead LED screens, with holographic Greek figures appearing over your seats during service. The terrace has a vast waterfall screen visible from the nearby highway. Seating is bright orange, yellow, teal and blue against patterned tiled floors, which stops the whole thing tipping into solemnity.

While you wait for your food, the digital installation around you keeps the conversation going as it changes scenes and themes while you wait for your food to arrive.

The food is Mediterranean meeting Asian, and the venue shifts into club territory later, with DJs running until 3am.

Where: Kempinski Central Avenue, Downtown Dubai

Amelia, Downtown Dubai

Named after Amelia Earhart, and built around the golden age of aviation. The design is retro-futuristic steampunk crossed with 1930s Art Deco: high ceilings, gears and vintage lighting, ornate staircases, deep reds and emerald greens, and a great deal of flickering gold.

Founder Rayan Nicolas has said the concept began with the story rather than the aesthetic, and it shows in the detailing, including abstract underwater references in the mezzanine.

There is a steampunk themed plane (yes an actual plane) over the bar, which has moving wings and flaps along with steam and rows of the map on the ceiling swaying with the wind.

Cuisine is Nikkei, the Japanese-Peruvian hybrid, with Mediterranean accents. Ceviche and tiradito are the anchors, alongside Robata and Josper grilled dishes and Wagyu cuts. There's a private room called Voyage by Amelia for those who want the concept dialled up further.

Where: Address Sky View, Downtown Dubai

Hitchki

Unapologetically Bollywood, and the only venue on this list where the dish names are the puns. Chairman Gaurav Goenka built the concept around Mumbai nostalgia, with menus naming dishes after film titles and famous dialogue.

Interiors run to vibrant colour, antique pieces and retro references, with Bollywood soundtracks and live singing performances that pull diners into the show. The Barsha Heights branch was known for teal, purple and orange throughout.

The food is contemporary Indian with global influences. Older menus included a "back in time" section built around childhood favourites like Maggi noodles. The current lineup leans on small plates including Calcutta pani puri, Delhi wali aloo tikki and dosa poppers. A new mocktail menu launched in August, priced at Dh35, with drinks named after Bollywood lines.

Where: Novotel Dubai Gold District, Deira, plus City Centre Mirdif

Amazónico, DIFC

Three floors of Amazon rainforest, designed by Lázaro Rosa-Violán. Greenery cascades from ceilings, animal-print upholstery covers the seating, and hand-painted 3D installations of Amazonian butterflies appear framed on walls and suspended mid-flight across the room.

There's a bar on the first level, a formal dining floor with an open grill kitchen and an expanded sushi counter, and a rooftop called Paraíso that turns into a nightlife venue after dark.

The menu reflects the mix of cultures along the Amazon, Latin American cooking sitting comfortably next to sushi. Pan de queso, ceviches, robata-grilled meats and moqueca. Business lunch runs at Dh155 for two starters and a main.

Where: DIFC Pavilion

Babylon, DIFC

Also Rosa-Violán, and a complete tonal shift. Babylon takes the ancient Mesopotamian city as licence for full hedonism: dark velvet drapes, hanging lanterns, heavy materials and ornamentation, with spotlights washing the room in a permanent dramatic pink.

Tables surround a central stage with red velvet curtains. The show, a mix of singers, dancers and acrobats, runs through dinner. Servers are costumed in black leather harnesses and corsets, so the theatricality doesn't stop at the stage edge.

The menu is cosmopolitan luxury dining: scallop carpaccio, tuna tiradito, Wagyu tataki, Chilean sea bass, smoked lobster, plus sushi and Neapolitan pizzas. The drinks list is built around earth, air, fire and water.

Where: Gate Village 5, DIFC

Chillout Ice Lounge, Sheikh Zayed Road

The oldest concept here, and reminds me of Ski Dubai. Opened by Sharaf Group in 2007 as the Middle East's first ice lounge, Chillout is held at minus six degrees Celsius year-round.

Everything inside is carved from ice: walls, seating, tables, the bar, the glassware, and sculptures depicting Dubai landmarks. Diffused lighting shifts colour through the ice blocks at intervals. You enter through a buffer zone kept at five degrees so your body can adjust, and thermal parkas, gloves and boots are provided.

The claim to fame is serving hot food in a sub-zero room: soups, sandwiches, BBQ skewers, hot chocolate and coffee, plus desserts and mocktails. Recent listings put admission at Dh70 for adults and Dh35 for children.

Where: Ground floor, Times Square Center

Trove, The Dubai Mall

Trove's theme is art itself. Founded by Orkan Doganci and Ahmet Oytun Cakir under Gastronaut Hospitality, the venue was built around collaborations with contemporary artists including Mr Flower Fantastic and the urban mythology duo Pichiavo.

The space splits into distinct rooms, each decorated differently, with sleek modern lines and strong colour. Outdoor seating faces the fountain. At its 2022 opening, Trove became the first food and beverage brand projected onto the Burj Khalifa, which tells you something about the ambition level.

The kitchen runs international: North and South American, pan-Asian, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern. Presentation leans artistic, in keeping with the premise.

Where: Ground floor, Fashion Avenue, The Dubai Mall

Masha and the Bear Fan Cafe, The Dubai Mall

Strictly for families, and thoroughly committed. Animaccord's second fully branded venue in Dubai recreates the world of the animated series, with a Magical Train Journey, Masha's house, a Wolves car experience, a Panda dance stage and the Bear's house to explore, plus AR and VR elements.

Masha and Bear appear in person. The menu is character-themed dishes and desserts rather than serious cooking, and workshops run alongside for children, generally aged four and up.

This is an attraction that serves lunch rather than a restaurant with a mascot.

Where: Ground floor, The Dubai Mall, behind the ice rink

Saya Brasserie, Palm Jumeirah Mall

Maximalist pink, and no apology for it. Faux roses cover walls and ceilings, potted plants shift from green to pink, velvet chairs match, and terrazzo tables sit under gold accents. Some branches add dried pampas and a neon sign.

The Palm Jumeirah branch sits on the first floor. Saya has grown to several Dubai locations, and the look is consistent across them.

Breakfast covers shakshouka, the Saya Benedict and a morning slider. Lunch and dinner bring beef tenderloin, grilled Norwegian salmon and lamb shank. The drinks do the heavy lifting on presentation: rose gold lemonade topped with candyfloss and gold powder, pistachio Spanish latte, flower tea.

Where: First floor, Palm Jumeirah Mall