Elegant interiors
Art Deco details, greenery, chandeliers, marble tables and warm lighting create a polished setting that still feels comfortable.
ZEA - DIFC | Restaurant lounge and cafe
DIFC
ZEA is a restaurant lounge and cafe in DIFC, combining Mediterranean dishes with a stylish evening setting. Reviews highlight beautifully presented food, attentive service, cocktails and mocktails, plus a terrace glimpse of the Burj Khalifa and music that gradually gives the dinner a livelier lounge feel.
Reputation Score
5.0
★★★★★
116 ratings
Source: Google Maps
The Good Stuff
Fresh cooking
Reviews repeatedly call out fresh ingredients, including creamy burrata, vibrant guacamole, quinoa and carefully cooked seafood.
Strong service
Staff are described as attentive and professional, with one review noting careful handling of no-alcohol, no-spice and allergy requests.
Burj view
The terrace gives diners a glimpse of the Burj Khalifa among the DIFC skyline and city lights.
Lively music
DJ sets, dancers and drums add energy later in the evening while some reviewers still found conversation manageable.
Good mocktails
The cucumber mocktail was singled out as refreshing, unusual and memorable, making the drinks appealing beyond cocktails.
Shisha lounge
The shisha complements the meal and drinks, with one review praising its smooth flavours and attentive service.
What to Eat at ZEA - DIFC | Restaurant lounge and cafe How we choose these items We use AI to find praise and criticism of specific foods and drinks in a selection of Google reviews. For ZEA - DIFC | Restaurant lounge and cafe, this list is based on 50 reviews, not every review of the restaurant. The score is positive reviews minus negative reviews. For example, two positive reviews and one negative review give +1. Each review counts once per item; neutral comments do not change the score. A zero score is not a positive recommendation. “Only neutral feedback” means there are no positive or negative votes. “Mixed feedback” means equal numbers of positive and negative votes. The quotes are examples of what people said, not every comment we counted. We use different reviews where we can. We normally show up to 10 foods and 5 drinks with non-negative scores. Items with the same score stay together. If a tied group would go past the limit, that group and the lower non-negative scores go into Honorable mentions. If an overflowing positive top tie would leave the list empty, we show up to 10 items from that tie and keep the rest in Honorable mentions. Foods and drinks with a negative score are under What to Avoid. Use this as a guide to what reviewers liked, not a guarantee that you will like it too.
These items at ZEA - DIFC | Restaurant lounge and cafe got the most positive mentions in user reviews. Check them out!
Food 5
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Guacamole Net +4
“We kicked things off with a phenomenally fresh guacamole served in a traditional stone mortar, paired alongside ultra-crispy, perfectly salted plantain chips.”
Positive 4Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We kicked things off with a phenomenally fresh guacamole served in a traditional stone mortar, paired alongside ultra-crispy, perfectly salted plantain chips.”June 2026
“The guacamole tasted incredibly fresh, vibrant, and made with quality produce you can actually taste.”May 2026
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Burrata Net +3
“I started with a burrata appetizer, served with fresh tomatoes, and it was equally impressive. The ingredients were high quality and complemented each other perfectly, creating a light yet rich and satisfying dish.”
Positive 3Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I started with a burrata appetizer, served with fresh tomatoes, and it was equally impressive. The ingredients were high quality and complemented each other perfectly, creating a light yet rich and satisfying dish.”April 2026
“The food was outstanding. The burrata was incredibly fresh and creamy, the truffle pasta was absolutely delicious, and the dessert was the perfect ending to the meal.”July 2026
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Chicken Net +2
“The quinoa was fresh, vibrant, and perfectly seasoned, while the chicken was tender, juicy, and full of flavor.”
Positive 2Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The quinoa was fresh, vibrant, and perfectly seasoned, while the chicken was tender, juicy, and full of flavor.”July 2026
“The steak arrived exactly at the right temperature, tender and full of flavour, while the chicken was juicy, perfectly seasoned, and far from ordinary.”May 2026
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Salmon Net +2
“The salmon was cooked to absolute perfection — delicate, moist, and beautifully balanced.”
Positive 2Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The salmon was cooked to absolute perfection — delicate, moist, and beautifully balanced.”May 2026
“For my main course, I chose the salmon, and it was outstanding. Cooked to perfection, it was tender, flavorful, and beautifully presented, easily one of the best I’ve had in a long time.”April 2026
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Steak Net +2
“The steak was absolutely perfect and so delicious.”
Positive 2Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The steak was absolutely perfect and so delicious.”April 2026
“The steak arrived exactly at the right temperature, tender and full of flavour, while the chicken was juicy, perfectly seasoned, and far from ordinary.”May 2026
Honorable mentions (16)
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Avocado purée starter Net +1
“The food was amazing, the ambiance was elegant, and the avocado purée starter was absolutely delicious 😍”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The food was amazing, the ambiance was elegant, and the avocado purée starter was absolutely delicious 😍”July 2026
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Baby chicken Net +1
“The pasta was rich, creamy, and full of flavor, while the baby chicken was cooked perfectly and beautifully presented.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The pasta was rich, creamy, and full of flavor, while the baby chicken was cooked perfectly and beautifully presented.”May 2026
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Burrata salad Net +1
“Food was very delicious, I ordered burrata salad and fish💔”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Food was very delicious, I ordered burrata salad and fish💔”May 2026
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Chocolate mousse with ice cream and fresh berries Net +1
“The chocolate mousse with ice cream and fresh berries was beautifully balanced, not overly sweet, just the right amount.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The chocolate mousse with ice cream and fresh berries was beautifully balanced, not overly sweet, just the right amount.”July 2026
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Chocolate soufflé Net +1
“For food, we had burrata as an appetizer, followed by white sauce 0asta with shaved truffles for the main dish. To finish, we had a chocolate soufflé with vanilla ice cream & fresh strawberries, which was the perfect dessert. Everything was so delicious😍”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“For food, we had burrata as an appetizer, followed by white sauce 0asta with shaved truffles for the main dish. To finish, we had a chocolate soufflé with vanilla ice cream & fresh strawberries, which was the perfect dessert. Everything was so delicious😍”June 2026
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Citrus avocado with humus Net +1
“We started with the Citrus Avocado with humus and Crispy Kale Quinoa , both fresh, vibrant, and light, a great way to begin the meal without feeling too heavy.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We started with the Citrus Avocado with humus and Crispy Kale Quinoa , both fresh, vibrant, and light, a great way to begin the meal without feeling too heavy.”April 2026
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Crispy kale quinoa Net +1
“We started with the Citrus Avocado with humus and Crispy Kale Quinoa , both fresh, vibrant, and light, a great way to begin the meal without feeling too heavy.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We started with the Citrus Avocado with humus and Crispy Kale Quinoa , both fresh, vibrant, and light, a great way to begin the meal without feeling too heavy.”April 2026
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Cucumber one Net +1
“The mocktails were delicious and refreshing, especially the cucumber one - very unusual and memorable.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The mocktails were delicious and refreshing, especially the cucumber one - very unusual and memorable.”May 2026
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Guacamole with plantain Net +1
“My favorite was guacamole with plantain!”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“My favorite was guacamole with plantain!”May 2026
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Mocktails Net +1
“The mocktails were delicious and refreshing, especially the cucumber one - very unusual and memorable.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The mocktails were delicious and refreshing, especially the cucumber one - very unusual and memorable.”May 2026
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Rigatoni Net +1
“For the main course, the pasta was an absolute dream—perfectly al dente rigatoni swimming in a rich, velvety white cream sauce speckled with fresh herbs and cracked pepper.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“For the main course, the pasta was an absolute dream—perfectly al dente rigatoni swimming in a rich, velvety white cream sauce speckled with fresh herbs and cracked pepper.”June 2026
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Salmon miso Net +1
“For the mains, the Salmon Miso was perfectly cooked , tender, flavorful, and well-balanced.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“For the mains, the Salmon Miso was perfectly cooked , tender, flavorful, and well-balanced.”April 2026
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Truffle paccheri pasta Net +1
“Paired it with the truffle paccheri pasta, which was rich, aromatic, and honestly one of the highlights of the night. Perfecto Amigo!”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Paired it with the truffle paccheri pasta, which was rich, aromatic, and honestly one of the highlights of the night. Perfecto Amigo!”April 2026
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Truffle pasta Net +1
“The food was outstanding. The burrata was incredibly fresh and creamy, the truffle pasta was absolutely delicious, and the dessert was the perfect ending to the meal.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The food was outstanding. The burrata was incredibly fresh and creamy, the truffle pasta was absolutely delicious, and the dessert was the perfect ending to the meal.”July 2026
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Vanilla ice cream with pineapple Net +1
“Dessert was stunningly presented , delightfully delicious and refreshing , vanilla ice cream with pineapple, a nice tropical finish that didn’t overpower the palate.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Dessert was stunningly presented , delightfully delicious and refreshing , vanilla ice cream with pineapple, a nice tropical finish that didn’t overpower the palate.”April 2026
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White sauce 0asta with shaved truffles Net +1
“For food, we had burrata as an appetizer, followed by white sauce 0asta with shaved truffles for the main dish. To finish, we had a chocolate soufflé with vanilla ice cream & fresh strawberries, which was the perfect dessert. Everything was so delicious😍”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“For food, we had burrata as an appetizer, followed by white sauce 0asta with shaved truffles for the main dish. To finish, we had a chocolate soufflé with vanilla ice cream & fresh strawberries, which was the perfect dessert. Everything was so delicious😍”June 2026
Drinks 1
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Pear cocktail Net +1
“We started with nice pear cocktail, that we both enjoyed.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We started with nice pear cocktail, that we both enjoyed.”June 2026
Tips for a Better Visit
Try Thursdays. For a more energetic night, consider Thursday or Saturday, when one reviewer noticed the atmosphere becomes especially vibrant.
Ask terrace. Request terrace seating if the Burj Khalifa view matters to you; reviews specifically mention the glimpse from there.
Try cucumber. If you prefer a non-alcoholic drink, try the cucumber mocktail, described as refreshing, unusual and memorable.
Order guacamole. The guacamole is a useful starter choice, served with plantain chips and, in one review, prepared tableside as a small performance.
Use valet. If you are driving, the restaurant has valet parking, which one reviewer appreciated during their visit.
Share portions. One reviewer found the food portion suitable for two, so sharing may work well when ordering several dishes.
Plan the visit
Practical details
C Floor, Emirates Financial Towers
Zaa'beel Second - DIFC, Dubai
| Mon | Closed |
| Tue | 5:00 PM – 2:00 AM |
| Wed | 5:00 PM – 2:00 AM |
| Thu | 5:00 PM – 2:00 AM |
| Fri | 5:00 PM – 3:00 AM |
| Sat | 5:00 PM – 3:00 AM |
| Sun | 5:00 PM – 2:00 AM |
Common Concerns
No concerns reported yet.
DXB
LOCAL
LOCAL
The Bottom Line
ZEA is a DIFC restaurant lounge and cafe suited to stylish dinners, celebrations and evenings that continue beyond the meal. You can order Mediterranean-leaning dishes such as burrata, guacamole with plantain, truffle pasta, salmon and steak, then move on to cocktails, mocktails or shisha as the atmosphere becomes more lounge-like. The setting is a major part of the appeal.
Reviews describe chandeliers, greenery, marble tables, Art Deco-inspired ceiling details and warm, dim lighting. The terrace adds a glimpse of the Burj Khalifa, city lights and the DIFC skyline. It is polished enough for a date or important meeting, but reviewers also found it comfortable for dinner with friends.
Food is generally praised for freshness, flavour and presentation. Specific standouts include creamy burrata, perfectly cooked salmon, al dente pasta, fresh guacamole and a cucumber mocktail that was considered unusually memorable. Service is consistently described as warm and attentive; notably, one guest said the team accommodated no alcohol, no spice and allergy questions.
Expect music and, on some evenings, DJ-led energy; one review especially enjoyed Thursdays and Saturdays. If you are driving, valet parking is mentioned. Ask about terrace seating if the Burj view is important, and consider sharing if ordering several dishes.
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