DIFC has a new spot for destination dining.
Siena arrives in Dubai with a backstory that could easily overshadow the meal. In Paris, it built a reputation as a fashionable dining room with serious celebrity pull, becoming one of the city’s most in-demand tables and attracting a crowd that has included Rihanna, LeBron James, Pharrell Williams, Gigi Hadid, and, most recently, Jay-Z. The Dubai outpost, now open in DIFC, is the concept’s first move beyond France, bringing that Parisian appeal into one of the city’s most competitive dining districts.
Thankfully, Siena Dubai is more than a transplant trading on a famous guest list. The room has been conceived to suit the rhythm of DIFC, moving comfortably between business lunch territory, dinner, and late-evening cocktails. Designed by Laleh Amir Assefi, the interiors have been reimagined for Dubai, retaining the burnt-orange colour palette and DNA of the Paris original while giving them a more contemporary regional expression. The space channels the feel of a glamorous Italian palazzo, with rich colours that bring Mediterranean warmth, cleverly balanced with fresco-style walls, sculpted mouldings, and marble tabletops. Crystal chandeliers shaped like birds glint overhead, while curved banquettes wind through the room like garden paths leading towards a central Roman-style statue.
Still, it is the food that matters most, and Siena’s kitchen is led by Neapolitan chef Pasquale Costagliola. His marvellous menu spans the Italian canon, from antipasti, pizza, pasta, carne e pesce to sections dedicated to caviar, salami and carpaccio, all unified by a clear affection for comfort cooking sharpened by quality ingredients.
The Burrata Pugliese (AED 95) is a good place to begin. A bulbous ball of creamy burrata served amid seasonal tomatoes and Siena’s homemade caramelised balsamic vinegar. The creamy cheese has the right lactic softness, the tomatoes bring sweetness and acidity, and the balsamic adds depth without flattening the plate into syrupy overkill.
More surprising are the Arancini (AED 125), which are among the most memorable opening bites of the meal. Here, the usual heft of fried rice is lifted by lemon, then topped with salmon, caviar and lime zest. Citrus runs through several of Siena’s signature dishes, and here it works beautifully, cutting through the richness. They are indulgent, certainly, but not heavy.
The Carpaccio di Manzo (AED 105) is a more traditional plate, with Fassona beef, grana padano and rocket leaves, with enough peppery lift to sharpen the meat. The Carpaccio Gambero Rosso (AED 160), by contrast, is all about delicacy. The red Sicilian prawns are dressed with lemon and a touch of Espelette pepper, and the result is elegant, sweet, buttery and light.
Pasta is where Siena truly settles into its stride. The Siena Rigatoni (AED 95), tossed in a spicy signature sauce with parmesan and basil, is the dish most likely to become the restaurant’s calling card. It takes the now-ubiquitous spicy rigatoni made famous by Gigi Hadid on TikTok and lends it more poise than many versions currently doing the rounds in Dubai. The sauce has heat, but it also has body and real savoury depth and may even surpass the version served at CARBONE.
Among the mains, the Piccata al Limone (AED 160) is a strong example of Siena’s ability to make old-school Italian flavours feel current. The veal escalope may not be the prettiest plate on the table, especially in a room where many dishes arrive looking camera-ready on Siena-branded floral crockery, but it is deeply satisfying. Lemon threads through the sauce, and though the veal is perhaps a touch salty, it’s not enough to undo the pleasure of the plate.
Dessert closes things out on a reassuringly classic note. The Tiramisù (AED 65) is lavishly layered, allowing coffee, mascarpone and cocoa to speak in equal measure. Better still is the Gelato al Pistacchio (AED 90), a towering construction of pistachio gelato finished with olive oil, caramelised pistachio and sea salt.
Siena has taken up residence in one of Dubai’s most food-obsessed neighbourhoods, surrounded by the likes of GAIA, La Petite Maison and Zuma. Service is a strong point, genial without becoming stiff, but given the popularity of the place, tables are turned quickly. And then there is the plate wall, a detail that could have felt gimmicky but instead gives Siena a sense of continuity with its Paris predecessor. Rihanna, notably, has already sent her contribution ahead of time: a plate destined for the Dubai outpost, inscribed in gold pen with the words “Sending to Dubai. See you soon. Rihanna,” finished with a heart.
Siena may have arrived with celebrity cachet and Parisian credentials, but what makes it worth your time is its focus on Italian cooking that knows when to show off and when to stop.
Where: Siena Dubai, Gate Village 7, DIFC, Dubai
When: Open Tuesday to Sunday from 7pm
Contact: https://siena-restaurants.com