Café François will open in DIFC in early 2027, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week.
The menu will combine French classics with global influences, supported by signature trolley service.
Studio Shayne Brady’s interiors will reference the London restaurant, with oak banquettes, mosaic tiling, neon signage and clocks.
The French brasserie will debut in early 2027, with dining throughout the day and signature trolley service.
London’s Café François is heading to Dubai. Scheduled to open in DIFC in early 2027, the French brasserie will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week.
French classics will form the backbone of the Dubai menu, with influences from further afield also finding a place. In London, Café François’s menu spans coffee and pâtisserie made in-house, rotisserie chicken and steak frites, with French brasserie staples at its core such as snail croquettes, lamb brochettes, flatbreads and fried courgettes with aioli. Taking inspiration from sister restaurant Maison François, trolleys will play a prominent role in the dining room, adding tableside theatre to the experience.
The interiors of Café François Dubai will reference the London original in Borough Yards. Studio Shayne Brady is designing the DIFC space, pairing oak-panelled banquettes and mosaic tiling with bespoke lighting and neon signage. The brand’s signature clocks will feature inside and outside, lending the restaurant a recognisable visual identity.
Behind the Dubai plans is a London story that began in September 2020, when Maison François opened in St James’s. Founded by François O’Neill alongside operations partner Ed Wyand and executive chef Matthew Ryle, the group took inspiration from the dining traditions of Paris, Alsace and Lyon. An open kitchen, an in-house bakery and downstairs deli and wine bar helped establish the restaurant’s character. Café François followed in 2024 at Borough Yards, drawing on Parisian café culture and Montreal’s bistros. T
Founder François O’Neill said: “Café François is a love letter to the café culture we have enjoyed on our travels, and we couldn’t think of a better home for its next chapter than DIFC, with its mix of people who live, work and visit Dubai. We want it to be everything a grand café should be: welcoming, fun and hospitable, somewhere to drop in for breakfast or settle in for a long dinner, with a little theatre from the trolleys. We have spent three years shaping this with our partners at Keybourne and cannot wait to welcome our first guests.”
The opening is a joint venture between Group François and Keybourne Group, following three years of planning.
Where: Café François, DIFC, Dubai
When: Opening in early 2027
Contact: @cafefrancoisdubai