A Restaurant at Dubai Opera With Down Under Vibes

A transient spirit pervades Sean Connolly at Dubai Opera. Designed by Sydney-based firms Alexander & Co. and Tribe Studio, the 350-seat bistro’s interior takes its cues from the seafood-heavy menu and the coast of Australia, where its namesake chef has lived for almost 30 years. “We wanted to incorporate the oceanic influences of Sean’s cooking,” says Alexander & Co. founder Jeremy Bull. “So each element of the venue’s interior explores ideas of the sea.” The Dubai Opera’s curvaceous architecture extends to the Pearl Bar’s polished marble and sleek lines, the dining area’s arched leather banquettes, and Serge Mouille floor lamps. Materials evoke the color palette of a vibrant reef, with upholstery in oyster-like hues of gray and cream, furnishings cast in oceanic blue and olive green, and coral-inspired pink accents. Everything comes together under a tiled vaulted ceiling, a nod to Sydney’s own Opera House, but the Down Under patina ends on the rooftop deck, where the desert surroundings and dead-on view of the Burj Khalifa are a stark reintroduction to the U.A.E.

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(Photo: courtesy Dubai Opera)