Introduction: Well-differentiated papillary mesothelioma is a rare condition that can cause diagnostic uncertainty. Its appearance resembles metastatic deposits and in the presence of a known primary can often be confused for such. Case presentation: In this case, we present a patient who had WDPM in the presence of gastric cancer and emphasise the difficulties in making the diagnosis. Conclusion: We highlight the need for a high index of suspicion, biopsies at staging laparoscopy and undertake a review of the literature regarding this uncommon condition.