What kind of evening: after a long day at work, with the girls.
LPM sits in the middle of DIFC, so it seems only right to report on it the DIFC way.
Date: a weekday, after a very long day
Venue: LPM Restaurant & Bar, Gate Village, DIFC
Attendees: me and the girls
Apologies: none. Nobody ever skips this meeting.
Item 1: Arrival
Past the olive trees and lavender onto a terrace lined with bougainvillea, and the glass towers of DIFC simply disappear. Inside, the bar runs along almost an entire wall, and it is always busy. That buzz is half the reason we come.
Item 2: The Tomatini
Approved unanimously, as always. It is my favourite drink in Dubai, and it was born right here at LPM in 2010, the year the restaurant opened: vodka, muddled ripe tomato, balsamic, a pinch of salt and pepper. Savoury, fresh and dangerously moreish. Nobody does it better.
Item 3: Starters to share
We never order mains first. Plates go in the middle and everyone reaches. The escargots in garlic butter are non-negotiable, with bread to mop up every drop.
Then the burrata with tomatoes and basil, and the warm prawns in olive oil, simple and perfect.
Item 4: Wine
A bottle of excellent wine. LPM’s list has a good run of rosés from Provence, so ask for something you haven’t tried. If tomato isn’t your thing, a glass of crisp Provence rosé is the classic alternative to the Tomatini.
Item 5: Any other business
The atmosphere: glamorous, lively, never stuffy. The service is quick and charming even when every table is full, and the team always seems to know exactly when the next round is needed. There is a reason LPM has been one of the most popular addresses in DIFC for years, and one of the region’s most celebrated restaurants: it was listed in the MICHELIN Guide in 2024, and placed No. 23 on MENA’s 50 Best Restaurants list the same year. I love it here.
Action points
Book again next week. Order the Tomatini before sitting down.
The verdict
The best after-work drink in DIFC, and starters worth staying for.
Dubai Edited Score: 9/10
Food 9, Drinks 9.5, Service 8.5, Atmosphere 9. Price: $$$. Best for: after-work drinks with friends.
Natalie paid the bill herself. This was not a hosted visit.
How we score: out of 10, in half points, across food, drinks, service and atmosphere. Price is shown separately, from $ to $$$$, so that an expensive place is never marked down simply for being expensive.
LPM Dubai: Details
- Where: Gate Village 08, DIFC
- Cuisine: French Riviera, made for sharing
- Open: Monday to Thursday 12pm to 3:30pm and 6pm to 11:30pm, Friday 12pm to 4pm and 6pm to 11:30pm, Saturday and Sunday 12:30pm to 4pm and 6pm to 11:30pm. The bar is open daily from 12pm to 1am
- Order: Tomatini, escargots, burrata with tomatoes, warm prawns in olive oil
- Atmosphere: Busy bar, lively terrace, smart casual
- Tip: Cinq à Sept runs at the bar Monday to Friday, 5pm to 7pm, with cocktails and wine by the glass at AED 38. Tomatini Week runs from 9 to 15 November, with World Tomatini Day on 12 November
- Price: Tomatini AED 66, escargots de Bourgogne AED 105, burrata et tomates AED 102 and warm prawns with olive oil and lemon juice AED 85, from the menus published on LPM’s website
- Book: Recommended, especially for evenings: lpmrestaurants.com, +971 4 439 0505 or info@lpmdubai.ae
See also: LPM’s weekend lunch menu and wine pairing, Dubai happy hours: the after-work drink deals.
Image: courtesy of LPM Dubai.