DIFC and Sheikh Zayed Road: what is here and what it costs
This is where the numbers on this site reach their highest. The corridor running from the World Trade Centre through DIFC carries the restaurants at the top of our price ladder, and it is also where street parking costs the most at peak — the premium zones triple between 08:00 and 10:00 and again from 16:00 to 20:00. It is well served by the metro, which is the one thing here that stays cheap.
Eating here, and the small print under every bill
DIFC restaurants sit at the expensive end of the city-wide price ladder, and the menus here carry the same footnote as everywhere else in Dubai: prices inclusive of service charge and VAT, subject to a 7% municipality fee. That last phrase means the fee is added on top of the figure you read. What each of those three charges actually is, and which of them is not a tax at all, is quoted from the law here.
Parking is the other avoidable cost. Zone GP covers Burj Khalifa, Business Bay and Dubai Healthcare City at AED 4.20 off-peak and AED 6.30 at peak, and there is no single daily maximum — the caps are per zone. The full zone grid, the free windows two official sources disagree about, and both fine schedules.
What is in DIFC and Sheikh Zayed Road
7 venues on this site sit in DIFC and Sheikh Zayed Road: 5 restaurants · 1 attraction · 1 museum. Every one carries the date its details were last checked against the operator’s own source.
Eat and drink (5)
- Al SafadiLebanese · Sheikh Zayed Road, DIFC
- Bombay BoroughIndian bar and eatery · DIFC, Gate Village 3, below Capital Club
- Il Gattopardo DubaiItalian · DIFC, 51st floor · lunch and dinner
- KinoyaJapanese izakaya and ramen · The Onyx Tower 2, Sheikh Zayed Road
- Sexy Fish DubaiJapanese-inspired · DIFC · smart-elegant dress code
Attractions (1)
Museums (1)
Getting there
The stations these venues name for themselves are Financial Centre. A single journey is AED 3 to 7.50 on a Silver nol card, and this is what the metro reaches across the whole city.
What a main course costs here
5 venues in DIFC and Sheikh Zayed Road publish a priced menu on this site, ranging from a median main course of AED 33 at Al Safadi to AED 145 at Bombay Borough. Every figure is the restaurant’s own, and the median is our arithmetic on its published main courses.
| Restaurant | Median main | Menu range | Items |
|---|---|---|---|
| Al SafadiLebanese | AED 33 | AED 1–400 | 186 |
| KinoyaJapanese | AED 55 | AED 5–135 | 66 |
| Il Gattopardo DubaiItalian | AED 82 | AED 18–770 | 54 |
| Sexy Fish DubaiJapanese-inspired / Asian seafood | AED 108 | AED 42–2,200 | 48 |
| Bombay BoroughIndian | AED 145 | AED 22–195 | 45 |
Compared against the whole city on the full price ladder.
What a ticket costs here
| Attraction | What it buys | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Dubai Frame | Adult ticket | AED 50 |
Not fully open
- Museum of the Future — Temporarily closed while it prepares its next chapter; the online store and event spaces remain open
Each quotes the operator’s own notice, re-read monthly. Every closure on the site.
More in Areas
Common questions
Is DIFC expensive?
It is where the numbers on this site reach their highest. The restaurants here sit at the top of our city-wide price ladder, and street parking in the surrounding premium zones triples at peak.
What is added to a restaurant bill in DIFC?
The same small print as everywhere in Dubai: prices inclusive of service charge and VAT, subject to a 7% municipality fee — which means that fee is added on top of the figure you read on the menu.
How much is parking on Sheikh Zayed Road?
Zone GP, which covers Burj Khalifa, Business Bay and Dubai Healthcare City, is AED 4.20 off-peak and AED 6.30 at peak. Peak is 08:00–10:00 and 16:00–20:00. There is no single daily maximum — caps are per zone.
Is DIFC on the metro?
Yes. The Red Line runs the length of Sheikh Zayed Road, which makes this the one expensive district where getting there stays cheap: AED 3 to 7.50 on a Silver nol card.
What is there to see on Sheikh Zayed Road?
Dubai Frame sits just off it in Zabeel Park at AED 50 adult and AED 20 for ages 3–12 — and it publishes the most complete accessibility policy of any Dubai attraction, with two companions admitted free.