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HH Sheikh Mohammed Was Spotted Dining At This Dubai Restaurant’s London Outpost!

The homegrown Pan-Asian concept started in DIFC before taking its Dubai flavour abroad.

by Deeplata Garde
HH Sheikh Mohammed Was Spotted Dining At This Dubai Restaurant’s London Outpost!
Cover Image Courtesy: Supplied, Shanghai Me/Website

Dubai’s royals travel a lot. They also eat out a lot. And every so often, those two facts collide most deliciously. This time, Dubai’s Ruler, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, was spotted in London.

Where Was HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid, Ruler Of Dubai, Spotted In London?

HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai, was seen dining at Shanghai Me’s Mayfair outpost during a recent trip to London. The restaurant shared a video of him walking in, posted straight to its official Instagram, with a caption that read something like, ‘ From Dubai to the world, it was an honour to host him for lunch,’ followed by a UAE flag emoji. Simple, warm, exactly the kind of thing a homegrown brand would post when royalty walks through the door.

The Dubai Connection Of Shanghai Me

Here’s the bit that makes this more than just a spotting: Shanghai Me isn’t a London-based restaurant wearing a Dubai badge. The Pan-Asian concept started life in DIFC before expanding to Mayfair, so watching Sheikh Mohammed walk into the London branch is really a homecoming of sorts. Dubai showing up for Dubai, just a few thousand miles from where it began. He’d actually visited the original DIFC outpost back in 2019, days after it opened.

Also Read: HH Sheikh Mohammed Turns 77! Here’s How Dubai’s Ruler Built A Global City From A Desert

Not Exactly A Rare Sighting

If you follow Dubai’s dining scene even loosely, you’ll know Sheikh Mohammed turning up somewhere isn’t exactly breaking news in the “shocking” sense. Now, it’s more “of course he did.” 

He’s been spotted at Zuma DIFC, Nobu at Atlantis The Palm, Cipriani Dolci in Jumeirah, and, more recently, at Cherry House during its soft opening, a coffee spot in Al Safa. His son, Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan, keeps just as busy a dining calendar, most recently making headlines for a visit to a small, under-the-radar restaurant that turned heads for being so far from his usual big-name haunts. If you want the fuller picture, there’s a running list of restaurants Sheikh Hamdan has actually eaten at worth bookmarking.

Cover Image Courtesy: Supplied, Shanghai Me/Website

FAQs

Has Sheikh Mohammed visited Shanghai Me before?

He visited the original DIFC location back in 2019, shortly after it opened.

Where did Sheikh Mohammed dine in London?

At Shanghai Me's Mayfair outpost, the London branch of the Dubai-born Pan-Asian dining concept.

Is Shanghai Me a Dubai restaurant?

Yes, it originally opened in DIFC before expanding internationally, including to Mayfair in London.

Deeplata Garde

Powered by black coffee, dark chocolate & a concerning number of open tabs, Deeplata lives her life chasing stories, sunsets & soul-satisfying food. When she's not writing, you'll find her recommending restaurants, romanticising everyday life or reading her book in a corner.

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First Published: August 04, 2026 1:07 PM