Le Piaf, Paris Society’s Iconic Piano-Bar, Debuts at Emirates Towers | News
Paris Society, the hospitality group behind some of the most iconic dining and nightlife addresses globally, is bringing Le Piaf, its most celebrated piano-bar concept to Dubai for the first time. Opening May 20th at Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Le Piaf marks the concept’s first address outside of Europe.
Previously operated in Paris, Megève, and Val-d’Isère, Le Piaf is an intimate restaurant and cocktail bar steeped in red velvet, gilded mirrors, crystal chandeliers, and the sound of a live pianist coaxing tables into song. Since opening in Paris’s 8th arrondissement in 2017, the concept has earned a devoted following for its French kitchen, its signature red velvet interiors, and an atmosphere rooted in spontaneity, live music and the warmth of an evening shared among friends. The Dubai edition marks the next chapter for Paris Society, a group whose addresses are known for creating experiences that stay with guests long after the evening ends.
“Le Piaf has moved people across Paris and the French Alps for years, and we are proud to bring that spirit here for the first time,” says Rizwan Kassim, CEO of Paris Society. “It’s friends gathered around the piano and strangers who find themselves singing the same songs. And then the music takes over. Someone starts singing, another joins in, and the room just starts singing together. We try to create a space where it happens naturally, with the right elements in place. A room full of people united in song. That’s what people remember. That’s Le Piaf,” he ends.
A LEGEND FROM PARIS
Piaf (n.m.): Parisian slang from the 19th century for a little bird. Le Piaf is a charming sparrow that sings and rejoices. Le Piaf is elegance, indulgence, songs, and friendship. Le Piaf is dinner, raising your glass, dancing, singing. Smooth your feathers, spread your wings: Paris, as in a dream.
Le Piaf opened in September 2017 at 38 rue Jean Mermoz in the heart of Paris’s 8th arrondissement, just steps from the Champs-Élysées.The format was deceptively simple: A pianist plays from the first course onwards, beginning softly and building through the evening until tables are singing along in full voice to French classics, English rock, and American pop. Later, the DJ takes over and the night extends into the early hours.
Its success led to outposts across France’s most sought-after addresses: Le Piaf Megève and Le Piaf Val-d’Isère, which opened in December 2022 in partnership with Airelles at one of the Alps’ great ski resorts. Each stays true to the original soul while adapting its scenography to its setting. Dubai is the next evolution of that story.
THE SETTING: JUMEIRAH EMIRATES TOWERS
Le Piaf takes up residence at Jumeirah Emirates Towers, one of Dubai’s most storied addresses, sitting at the heart of the city where Emirates Towers, DIFC, and the World Trade Centre converge. It is a location that has long drawn the world to one postcode, and a natural home for a concept built on bringing people together.
The interiors carry the brand’s unmistakable visual identity: walls draped in deep crimson velvet, crystal-pendant chandeliers, gilded frames holding old paintings, and banquettes upholstered in the brand’s signature red. Materials are those of French architecture taken to their most celebratory extreme: red velvet, gold leaf, black lacquer, and mirror. The room is intimate. It is designed to make strangers feel like old friends by the second glass.
THE MENU
The cuisine stays true to Le Piaf’s founding promise: generous, French, and unapologetically indulgent. For Dubai, the carte has been composed for a city that takes its eating seriously, drawing from classic French technique while embracing the produce and tastes that resonate here.
The evening begins in the spirit of celebration. Gillardeau oysters arrive with finger lime, Wagyu carpaccio is shaved with aged balsamic and truffle, and foie gras torchon is paired with peach chutney and toasted brioche. The raw bar runs from bluefin tuna crudo to Imperial caviar, while the Truffle Croque Monsieur at the bar sets the tone for the night ahead.
Among the starters, the Escargots de Bourgogne in parsley garlic butter with brioche are a signature, as is the black truffle pizzetta with stracciatella and the kitchen’s standout sharing dish: chicken and caviar, one of the dishes that defines what Le Piaf does best. Mains include sole meunière with capers and lemon, miso black cod with pickled daikon, roasted lobster in a lemongrass bisque, and a duo of Australian Wagyu served with two sides. The lemon roasted yellow chicken, a nod to the great French bistro tradition, is among the most ordered dishes at every Le Piaf address.
Dessert is the sticky Madeleine with salted butter caramel, the Fraisier with almond paste and vanilla cream, and the Saint Honoré and Baba des Bobos offered for the table to share. Chocolate mousse with hazelnut praline and caramelised hazelnut is the dessert Le Piaf Paris has served since opening night.
THE EXPERIENCE
Le Piaf is not a restaurant in the conventional sense. It is a living space. Guests arrive for dinner and find that the evening has a momentum of its own. The pianist is there from the very beginning, setting a tone that is warm and unhurried. As the night moves forward and glasses are refilled, the music grows. By the time dessert arrives, the room is singing. It is the kind of evening that cannot be planned, only surrendered to.
The dress code is the room: elegant and uninhibited. The service team, in their signature white shirts, bow ties, and braces, move through the crowd with the ease of people who know that the best hospitality is invisible. When the pianist finally steps back, the DJ steps in and Le Piaf becomes a club. The night ends when the last guests decide it should.
Stay tuned to book: https://www.jumeirah.com/en/stay/dubai/jumeirah-emirates-towers/dining
