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 here go from AED 4.20 to AED 6.30 between 08:00 and 10:00 and again from 16:00 to 20:00, while it is the cheap C, CP, D and DP zones that triple. 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 DIFC menus we hold carry a footnote that is common here without being universal anywhere: 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. It is not a city-wide rule and we do not present it as one — several venues on this site state VAT only, and several state nothing at all. The version that governs your bill is the one printed on that restaurant’s own menu, which is why each venue page quotes its own. 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
10 venues on this site sit in DIFC and Sheikh Zayed Road: 5 restaurants · 3 attractions · 1 park · 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 (3)
- Dubai FrameZabeel Park, Gate 4 · adult AED 50
- Dubai Garden GlowZabeel Park Gate 3 · closed Tuesdays
- Dubai World Trade CentreEvents venue · 800 DWTC (3982)
Museums (1)
Parks and outdoors (1)
Getting there
The stations these venues name for themselves are Emirates Towers, 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 55 at Kinoya to AED 168 at Sexy Fish Dubai. Every figure is the restaurant’s own, and the median is our arithmetic on its published main courses.
| Restaurant | Median main | Menu range | Items |
|---|---|---|---|
| KinoyaJapanese | AED 55 | AED 5–135 | 66 |
| Al SafadiLebanese | AED 66 | AED 1–400 | 186 |
| Il Gattopardo DubaiItalian | AED 125 | AED 18–1,480 | 60 |
| Bombay BoroughIndian | AED 145 | AED 22–195 | 45 |
| Sexy Fish DubaiJapanese-inspired / Asian seafood | AED 168 | AED 40–1,950 | 63 |
Compared against the whole city on the full price ladder.
What a ticket costs here
| Attraction | What it buys | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Al Safa Park | Adult entry | AED 3 |
| Dubai Frame | Adult ticket | AED 50 |
| Dubai Garden Glow | Entry ticket | AED 73.5 — access to both the Dinosaur Park and the Fantasy Park |
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 rises from AED 4.20 to AED 6.30 at peak. The zones that triple at peak are the cheap ones, C, CP, D and DP, not these.
What is added to a restaurant bill in DIFC?
It varies by restaurant, and the only reliable version is the one on that venue's own menu. The DIFC menus we hold state 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.