Service · Hospitality

Restaurant fit-out in Dubai — from concept to opening night

Concept to operating restaurant — the F&B work of the studio.

F&B interior design and fit-out for Dubai restaurateurs and hospitality operators. Concept, operations brief, design, build, opening.

This is one of twelve services held in-house by Montaigne Design. We do not subcontract the parts of the room that matter most — drawings are produced by our designers, joinery by our workshop, lighting by our team, and procurement is held by us. The contractor builds. We design and supervise.

Engagements typically begin with a private conversation in Dubai or Shanghai. Our minimum project fee is AED 400,000, and we respond within one business day.

Projects Delivered

Cities

2011

Established

12-Mo

Aftercare

Concept to operating restaurant — the F&B work of the studio.

Montaigne Design

What This Includes

Four pillars of the engagement

Operator's Brief

We design from the service plan outward — sightlines, acoustics, table spacing, kitchen pass.

Brand Identity

If you are a new concept, our Singapore studio can develop the brand alongside the interior.

Material Resilience

Finishes specified for daily wear — not for the opening photograph. Surfaces that age in, not out.

Opening Night

We stay through the soft opening. Snagging, lighting programming, and final adjustment happen on site.

The process

How we work

Listening

A first meeting, in person where possible. We listen for what the client says and what the household actually needs. No drawings, no proposal — just attention.

Site & Brief

We visit the site. We measure, we read the building, we check authority approvals, structural constraints, MEP, wet-area and approvals risk. The written brief comes out of this.

Concept

A direction proposed in materials, light, and reference imagery — not in renders. The concept is signed off before drawings begin.

Schematic & Design Development

Drawings developed in dialogue with the client. Sample boards, joinery prototypes, lighting mock-ups. The room is resolved on paper before it is resolved on site.

Tender & Procurement

Tender package issued. Procurement begins for long-lead stone, joinery, lighting and FF&E. We hold the supplier list.

On-Site Delivery

Weekly site presence. Joinery installed, finishes applied, snags caught early. The principal designer stays involved through completion.

Handover & Aftercare

A complete handover folder — care manual, supplier contacts, warranty documents. Aftercare visits at +3 months and +12 months. The relationship continues past the project.

Restaurant Fit-Out across Dubai's communities

Palm Jumeirah Emirates Hills Dubai Hills Estate Downtown Dubai Business Bay Abu Dhabi Shanghai

Common questions

Frequently asked

Do you design restaurants in Dubai?

We do. Fine dining, casual dining, cafés, bars, and lounges. Our hospitality background means we design from the operator's service plan outward.

Can you help with restaurant concept and branding?

If you are a new concept, our Singapore studio (XY Branding) can develop the brand identity, naming, and graphic system alongside the interior.

How long does a restaurant fit-out take?

Six to twelve months from concept to opening, depending on scale and authority approvals. We stay through the soft opening for final adjustment.