The Lion

Downtown Dubai


Nick and Scott of Folly fame have taken over the (former) Black Lion and updated the name, the decor (a bit) and, most importantly, the grub. The classics are here, like fish and chips, rib eye steak and chicken curry, all treated to a dab of culinary masterfulness. The late-night menu of toasties (Dhs42) is a weekend life saver for some.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Downtown Dubai attractions

1. World Trade Centre

0.22 MILES

Compared to its cloud-touching cousins, the 149m-high World Trade Centre seems small today, but when completed in 1979 was actually Dubai's first…

2. Zabeel Park

0.58 MILES

This sprawling park, where lots of palms and other greenery provide plenty of shade, is a weekend family favourite. It brims with activity zones,…

3. Dubai Street Museum

0.65 MILES

In 2016, 16 local and international street artists, including Hua Tunan, Ashwaq Abdulla and Inkman, mounted their cherry-pickers to turn the rather drab…

4. 2nd December St

0.75 MILES

Quiet by day, 2nd December St turns into one of Dubai’s liveliest walking strips after dark with plenty of fine pickings for street-food aficionados…

5. Dubai Frame

0.91 MILES

Opened in January 2018, this 150m rectangular 'picture frame' sits in Zabeel Park, right between historic and modern Dubai, and provides grand views of…

6. Emirates Towers

0.92 MILES

Although neither the tallest nor the newest skyscrapers in Dubai, the twin, triangular towers coated with silver-coated aluminium panels and topped with…

7. Gate Village

1.15 MILES

Two wooden bridges link the massive Dubai International Finance Centre to Gate Village, a modernist cluster of 10 midrise stone-clad towers built around…

8. Opera Gallery

1.15 MILES

More an art showroom than a classically curated gallery, Opera caters to collectors of artistic heavyweights in genres as varied as pop art, calligraphy…