FISH

Project Description

Situated in the heart of Dubai, the FISH restaurant concept is a dynamic celebration of coastal vibrancy, delivering an immersive seafood dining experience envisioned by Nakheel Properties. The design narrative fuses traditional market aesthetics with bold contemporary artistry, capturing the soul of a Mediterranean fish bazaar within a curated, indoor destination. The interiors were conceptualized and supervised by SBD International, combining tactile materials, reclaimed wood finishes, and a riot of playful colors, layered against a backdrop of textural contrast and architectural rhythm.

The ceiling installation features upcycled wooden pallets, suspended in asymmetrical patterns with hanging filament bulbs and color-washed finishes, evoking the visual language of floating fishing crates. This dramatic overhead treatment introduces a sense of movement and depth to the space, guiding guests through the journey of discovery that defines FISH. Accents such as hanging baskets, nautical ropes, and cascading greenery contribute to the organic narrative while introducing softness and intimacy.

The flooring choice of grey-toned concrete tiles provides an understated industrial balance, allowing the interplay of colors and textures from furnishings and wall treatments to command visual attention. Warm timber furniture, custom-designed with mixed seating typologies—rattan-backed chairs, bamboo sofas, and communal tables—encourages versatility for family-style sharing or intimate dining experiences. Strategic lighting design creates cozy, vignette-like atmospheres within the larger spatial framework.

The restaurant’s walls are adorned with vertical timber slats, textured exposed brickwork, and hand-painted murals that reflect seafood market culture from Southeast Asia to the Mediterranean. Cultural storytelling is further layered through vintage-style shopfront installations, faux market stalls, and nostalgic wall graphics that pay homage to the historic fish markets of Istanbul, Hanoi, and Mykonos.

The layout is organized as a fluid and theatrical space where the kitchen is partially open, framed behind dark-framed glass windows to reinforce transparency and authenticity. Neon signage, such as the playful “drinks” feature, injects a modern pop into the scheme, blending the nostalgic with the contemporary in a seamless harmony of global influences.

From an architectural standpoint, FISH is a hybrid space—part immersive marketplace, part destination restaurant—designed to transport visitors into a multisensory culinary world. Through a masterful orchestration of design language, materiality, and spatial choreography, SBD created a dining venue that reflects Dubai’s cosmopolitan essence while anchoring it in coastal tradition.