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Group François is to open Café François in Dubai International Financial Centre in early 2027, marking the restaurant concept’s first international expansion.
The new restaurant is being developed as a joint venture with Keybourne Group following three years of planning between the partners.
Open seven days a week, Café François Dubai will operate as an all-day restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The menu will combine French classics with international influences, while trolley service inspired by sister restaurant Maison François will form part of the dining experience.
Group François was established with the opening of Maison François in St James’s, London, in 2020.
The group subsequently launched Café François at Borough Yards in 2024, developing an all-day concept influenced by Parisian cafés and Montreal bistros.
The Dubai restaurant will draw design inspiration from the London Café François while introducing the concept to DIFC.
Studio Shayne Brady is responsible for the interiors, which will feature bespoke lighting, oak-panelled banquettes, mosaic tiling and neon signage.
The restaurant will also incorporate the brand’s internal and external timepieces.
Founder François O’Neill said: “Café François is a love letter to the café culture we have enjoyed on our travels, and we couldn’t think of a better home for its next chapter than DIFC, with its mix of people who live, work and visit Dubai. We want it to be everything a grand café should be: welcoming, fun and hospitable, somewhere to drop in for breakfast or settle in for a long dinner, with a little theatre from the trolleys. We have spent three years shaping this with our partners at Keybourne and cannot wait to welcome our first guests.”
Café François Dubai is expected to open in early 2027.
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