KIRA Dubai — Restaurant in Dubai

Beautiful restaurant with a nice view of Burj Al Arab. The valet guys are nice and efficient. That’s pretty much where the good experience stops. The lady at front desk doesn’t provide instructions. She asks you for your name and then prints out your table reference and puts it in the menu. Then you have no idea what to do, who will bring you in, what is the next step. There are 2 big security guards at the entrance which is totally not required. The lady in front of me waiting thought that security were going to escort her to her table, and then the lady at the front desk finally said “wait for the hostess to take you”.

They took me to the table where my friends were which was fine. Had a view of the Burj Al Arab which made it a bit special but that has nothing to do with the people running the restaurant but the people who picked the location, architects, and designers.

The staff served the drinks quite fast which was nice. Glad they understand that’s how they make a lot of their money so they focus on the cocktails.

We ordered and that’s when the disaster started. Food came very late. We were 14 on the table and the staff kept bringing dishes to the wrong the side of the table. It was ridiculous that they didn’t keep tabs on who was ordering what. Versus serving the wrong dishes across the large table, they could have been better off yelling the names of the dishes across the entire restaurant and we raised our hands if it was ours 😂😂😂

They did this a bunch of time and unfortunately, food I ordered which I told the waitress was served to other people and naturally they ate it.

Also, I ordered additional nigiri from what I had already ordered and explained that it had a bit of caramel on the top and she replied “all of them have caramel on the top” I said that “not all of them” and she pushed. So she brought whatever she wanted and it was wrong. I ate it, what to do.

For dessert we wanted to order the brioche and she told us multiple times to reconsider because it take 25 minutes to make. We told her we don’t mind waiting and we’ll get more drinks while we wait and she pushed a couple of times saying it would take a while. Unsure what was her agenda, she wanted to go home probably.

When the bill came, I told her that I never received the patata brava, she said she served it on the other side and it is what it is. Extremely rude waitress.

Very importantly, the food was below average. I paid AED 1,300 and there was no value from any perspective. It’s just another restaurant in Dubai which the same menu as others and nothing special. The menu lacks any type of imagination. I don’t think I would ever go back on my own and I definitely not recommend it. Only way I’d go back is if my friends are having a dinner there booked, but otherwise, I’d avoid it.

They focused on making the restaurant Instagrammable and totally forgot about the food and service....

I recently dined at KIRA Dubai — a chic new venue boasting an exciting Japanese-Mediterranean fusion menu. The stunning view of the Burj Al Arab certainly added to the appeal. I was genuinely excited to try the venue expecting a memorable evening to celebrate my birthday.

Unfortunately, what followed was a series of disappointing missteps that completely overshadowed the occasion and it didn’t live up to my expectations.

While the restaurant’s décor and ambiance are undeniably stylish, the service left much to be desired. Hospitality felt almost nonexistent, especially considering the premium positioning of the venue.

I arrived promptly for my reservation. However my friend was running late, when I informed the hostess, she suggested I wait at the bar. I politely declined and asked to be seated at our table, only to be met with a rude reminder that the table was only available for two hours — something I was fully aware of at the time of booking. To note, the restaurant was far from full, with plenty of open tables available.

After being seated, I was asked whether I preferred still or sparkling water, which I appreciated. But once I made that choice, I was completely ignored. It took considerable effort to get a waiter’s attention again. When I finally did, and politely asked if I could place an order while waiting for my friend, his blunt reply — “Yes, what would you like?” — left me stunned. No greeting, no introduction, no menu guidance or recommendations — just a transactional, dismissive attitude. For a restaurant with upscale aspirations, the lack of warmth or professionalism was deeply disappointing.

The most disappointing moment was a mix-up with a surprise birthday cake my husband had thoughtfully arranged — it was mistakenly presented to my friend instead. A moment that should’ve been special was handled carelessly and without thought. It turned into an awkward moment.

That all said, the avocado and edamame salad was fresh, flavorful, and well balanced. But overall, for a place that positions itself as a high-end dining destination, I expected more care, attention to detail, and genuine hospitality. Even a simple smile makes a huge difference. It is true when said first impressions make lasting ones!

Also, the ambiance of the venue, with its sleek design and iconic view, was a highlight. But sadly, these small positives didn’t make up for the lack of basic hospitality and attention to detail. This was meant to be a celebratory night, but I left feeling unvalued and unimpressed. Sadly, I will not be recommending KIRA to any...

I visited Kira on Wednesday 3rd September 2025 and I felt the need to share my dining experience as it wasn’t as positive as I’d have hoped.

The service unfortunately wasn’t attentive enough and felt very rushed. There are a few points I’d like to mention in regards to my overall experience dining at Kira.

My guest and I are non alcoholic drinkers and ordered non alcoholic cocktails, another server for the table next to us positioned their order of alcohol and ice bucket stand right next to our table and not next to theirs. I feel with Dubai being an Islamic city these things should be taken very seriously and communicated between staff members to be more attentive and sensitive and made aware about what’s appropriate and not in a situation like this. Luckily my guest wasn’t too offended by this, but this still should not have happened as this doesn’t reflect everyone’s views.

After finishing our meal both myself and my guest visited the restroom together before finalising our bill and our server followed us into the toilets to see where we were and once she saw us she left. She did not visit the bathroom herself so there was no need for her to be there. This felt very unprofessional and I’m not sure what she was implying by doing this but it felt very inappropriate and intrusive.

Also after our meal we decided to see if we wanted to visit the Litt Bar as it was our first time dining at Kira and we enjoyed our non alcoholic cocktails and so wanted the full experience to continue on our evening, but before even entering the doorman asked me directly if I was wearing flip flops. This was a very odd question as I was clearly dressed up and wearing heels. This felt quite insulting and I felt very offended if I’m honest, which left a very negative impression and so after looking in the bar area we promptly left.

I did not appreciate how I was treated and my guest overall. Our dining experience at Kira left a very negative impact. This is such a shame as all of these things could have been avoided with more attention to detail and thorough training. I also stayed at Marsa Al Arab for the week and that was absolutely amazing, but this unfortunately has left a negative...