Lion in the Sun: Open-Fire Mediterranean on the 62nd Floor

Lion in the Sun takes its name and spirit from Flavio Briatore’s retreat in Malindi, Kenya, long a gathering place for figures from fashion, music and the arts. Majestas, the group behind Billionaire, made Dubai the concept’s global debut, setting it on the 62nd floor of Mandarin Oriental Downtown.

The idea is a home above the city: the warmth of being welcomed into someone’s house, with a favourite table ready and a familiar order remembered. The service matches that spirit, personable and attentive without ever crowding the table.

The interiors, designed by Richard Saunders, feel more private residence than high-rise restaurant. Warm wood, woven rattan, amber lighting, ceiling fans and shuttered windows are layered with subtle African motifs. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame the Burj Khalifa and the Downtown skyline. The dining rooms and bar spaces flow into one another, so there are several beautiful places to settle across one evening.

An open kitchen sits at the centre, and fire shapes both the cooking and the mood of the room. The menu follows the Mediterranean coastline, from handmade pasta and paella to fresh seafood and seasonal vegetables. Grilled lobster and king crab sit alongside aged cuts, all built for sharing.

The open-air terrace on the 62nd floor is the evening’s showpiece. Downtown lies lit up below, with city views stretching out in every direction. The terrace carries both the restaurant and the bar into the open air, and on cooler nights it’s the seat to ask for.

LION Bar sets the pace, as a place to begin the night and a reason to stay after dinner. Its cocktails draw on the link between flavour and memory, inspired by remembered places and personal moments. The soundtrack is pitched just right: present enough to lift the room from aperitivo into the late evening, never so loud that the conversation has to compete.