Sexy Fish Dubai — The Honest Review Nobody Else Will Give You
By the DubaiSpots Editorial Team
The London Import That Divided Dubai's Dining Scene in Half
Let us address the fish in the room — or rather, the Damien Hirst fish in the room. When Sexy Fish announced its Dubai outpost in DIFC's Innovation Hub, the reaction split this city's food community down the middle. Half celebrated the arrival of one of London's most iconic restaurant-bars, a place where Mayfair's elite had been eating Japanese-influenced seafood beneath Frank Gehry fish sculptures since 2015. The other half rolled their eyes at yet another London export banking on brand recognition rather than culinary substance.
The DubaiSpots editorial team has eaten at Sexy Fish Dubai four times since its opening. We have been to the London original twice for comparison. And here is the verdict that neither the enthusiasts nor the skeptics want to hear: both sides are partially right.
Sexy Fish Dubai is not a serious Japanese restaurant. It is not trying to be. What it is — and what it does better than almost any competitor in DIFC — is deliver a maximalist dining-meets-nightlife experience where the art installation costs more than the entire fit-out of most Dubai restaurants, where the cocktails are genuinely world-class, and where the seafood, while not exceptional, is consistent enough to justify the three-hour evening you are about to spend here.
Is that worth AED 600-900 per person? Let us break it down.
Location & Getting There
Sexy Fish occupies a prominent position in DIFC's Innovation Hub — the newer, more design-forward extension of the Dubai International Financial Centre that has rapidly become the epicenter of the city's upscale nightlife and dining scene. The entrance is dramatic and intentional: a Damien Hirst bronze mermaid greets you before you even reach the hostess stand.
From Downtown Dubai, the drive is 8-10 minutes. From Dubai Marina, expect 20 minutes via Sheikh Zayed Road. The DIFC Metro station is a 5-minute walk, making this one of the most accessible high-end restaurants in the city by public transport.
Valet parking in DIFC costs AED 50, but self-parking in the Innovation Hub garage is free for the first two hours and AED 20/hour thereafter. On Thursday and Friday evenings, the Innovation Hub becomes a nightlife destination and parking fills by 9 PM — arrive early or use a taxi.
Insider tip: The best entrance strategy on a weekend night is to arrive at 8 PM for dinner. This gives you a seated table before the walk-in bar crowd floods the space after 10 PM, and you can transition from dining to cocktails without competing for the bartender's attention.
The Menu: What to Order (And What Actually Happens)
Sexy Fish's menu is anchored by Japanese-influenced seafood with a robata grill component. If you have been to the London original, the Dubai menu is approximately 80% identical — the same sashimi selections, the same signature rolls, the same robata proteins — with a few Gulf-specific additions.
Our ordering strategy after four visits:
The raw fish is the strongest section. The yellowtail sashimi with jalapeño (AED 95) is the menu's anchor dish for good reason — clean, fresh, with the right amount of heat. The tuna tataki (AED 105) is properly seared with good internal temperature control. The signature Sexy Fish roll (AED 85) — spicy tuna, avocado, crispy rice — is crowd-pleasing without being innovative.
The robata grill is hit-or-miss. The black cod miso (AED 210) is competent but directly comparable to versions at Zuma, Nobu, and Amelia — you are paying for the Sexy Fish ambiance, not a superior preparation. The wagyu skewers (AED 180) are properly charred and well-seasoned. The whole sea bass (AED 350) is the item that most clearly justifies the grill — crispy skin, moist flesh, and a yuzu butter that actually adds something rather than masking the fish.
The tempura is inconsistent. Some visits delivered light, crispy batter with audible crunch. Other visits produced tempura that was oil-heavy and slightly soggy — a kitchen consistency issue that a restaurant at this price point should have solved. Order it, but manage expectations.
The cocktail program is where Sexy Fish earns its reputation. The bar team — inherited from the London DNA — creates drinks that are theatrical, photogenic, and genuinely delicious. The Sexy Fish Spritz (AED 85) is the gateway drink — refreshing, balanced, and served in glassware designed to make your Instagram story look effortless. The Smoky Negroni (AED 95) with Japanese whisky is the serious drinker's choice. The mocktail program is also surprisingly good, which is noteworthy in a city where non-drinkers are a significant portion of the clientele.
Atmosphere & Design
This is Sexy Fish's nuclear weapon, and they deploy it without subtlety. The interior is a museum-grade art installation that happens to serve food. Two Damien Hirst bronze mermaids flank the entrance. Frank Gehry's signature crumpled-fish ceiling lamps hover above the dining room. Michael Roberts murals cover feature walls. The combined art budget reportedly exceeds USD 25 million — more than most Dubai restaurants spend on their entire operation including a decade of rent.
The effect is deliberately overwhelming. Your first visit produces genuine awe: the scale, the craftsmanship, the sheer ambition of putting this much art into a restaurant. By your second visit, you notice the operational details — the lighting calibrated to make every table photogenic, the mirror placements that create infinite depth, the acoustic engineering that keeps noise at "energetic" rather than "unbearable."
The outdoor terrace in DIFC's Innovation Hub courtyard is the preferred seating from November through March. The indoor dining room transitions to a lounge-bar atmosphere after 10 PM on weekends, with DJ sets that escalate progressively until the venue closes at 2 AM.
Dress code is smart casual with a strong nightlife lean. DIFC's crowd dresses to impress, and Sexy Fish's clientele takes it up another notch. Think Mayfair-in-the-desert: cocktail dresses, tailored blazers, statement pieces.
Service Quality
Service at Sexy Fish operates in two distinct modes. During the dining hours (7-10 PM), the front-of-house team is polished, knowledgeable, and attentive. Servers understand the menu, can articulate the difference between sashimi grades, and do not push unnecessary upsells. The sommelier is particularly strong, with genuine expertise in sake pairings that go beyond the obvious choices.
After 10 PM, when the venue transitions to its lounge phase, service quality drops predictably. Bar staff become overwhelmed, food orders slow, and the focus shifts from hospitality to crowd management. This is not a criticism unique to Sexy Fish — it is the fundamental tension of the restaurant-bar hybrid model. But it means your dining experience quality depends heavily on your timing.
One operational detail that consistently impresses: the hostess and reservation team manage the Thursday-Friday crush with remarkable composure. Table turn times are respected, reservation holders are not kept waiting beyond 10-15 minutes, and the transition between dinner seatings is smooth.
Who This Restaurant Is Best For
Perfect for: Groups of 4-8 who want an evening that combines good food, world-class cocktails, and art-gallery aesthetics. Visitors who want to experience DIFC's nightlife scene from within a restaurant rather than a standalone bar. Date nights where energy and spectacle matter. Anyone who appreciates genuinely significant contemporary art and wants to dine surrounded by it.
Not ideal for: Serious Japanese food purists — go to Zuma or Nobu for that. Quiet, intimate dinners — the energy level is too high, especially on weekends. Budget-conscious diners — the combination of food, drinks, and DIFC pricing creates bills north of AED 1,500 for two without effort. Families with children — this is an adult-oriented nightlife-dining venue.
The DubaiSpots Verdict
Sexy Fish Dubai is the best restaurant-bar hybrid in DIFC — a venue where the USD 25 million art collection, the genuinely excellent cocktail program, and the competent (if not exceptional) Japanese-seafood kitchen combine into an evening that is greater than the sum of its parts. It is not the best Japanese restaurant in Dubai. It is not the best seafood restaurant in Dubai. But it might be the most entertaining restaurant in Dubai, and for a significant portion of this city's dining population, that matters more than technique.
Our editorial rating of 4.2/5 reflects strong cocktails and spectacular design offset by inconsistent tempura, a black cod that does not distinguish itself from five competitors, and the inevitable service decline during the post-10-PM lounge transition. Come here for the full experience — dinner at 8 PM, cocktails at the bar after, and an evening you will remember for the art as much as the food.
Nearby Attractions
Sexy Fish's DIFC location places you in the heart of Dubai's business and cultural district:
- Museum of the Future — Dubai's most iconic modern building is a 5-minute drive from DIFC, directly visible from the district.
- Dubai Frame — The 150-meter golden frame in Zabeel Park is 8 minutes away, offering panoramic views of old and new Dubai.
- Burj Khalifa — The world's tallest building and At The Top observation deck is a 10-minute drive from DIFC.
- Dubai Fountain — The spectacular choreographed fountain at Burj Khalifa · Book direct on GetYourGuide Lake performs every 30 minutes from 6 PM, a 10-minute drive.
