99 SUSHI

Is there room for another high-end Japanese restaurant in Dubai?

99 Sushi lands in Dubai with strong pedigree, six Spanish venues, and a popular outpost in Abu Dhabi. For its Dubai foray, 99 Sushi has settled into a sleek space at the Address Downtown, overlooking Burj Khalifa Lake.

With its seductive colour palette of red, black and gold, a backlit marble bar, and a sushi counter backdropped by greenery, it gives good aesthetics, but on our visit the dining room is empty, having been shunned in favour of the terrace.

We can soon see why. Alfresco tables have Burj front-row seats, and a thicket of greenery providing seclusion from the promenade. This may be Japan by way of Spain, but the scent of shisha, balmy weather and those postcard views place us firmly in Dubai.