For years, chefs in the UAE and foodies have lamented the lack of a Michelin Guide in Dubai. Until now.
In a ceremony at Dubai Opera on Tuesday, it was announced that 11 restaurants had been awarded stars; nine with one each and two with two stars.
Here's an introduction to each of these world-renowned hot spots.
11 Woodfire
Number of stars: one
The swanky spot is led by chef Akmal Anuar, of 3 Fils and Goldfish Sushi & Yakitori fame. Located in a villa on Jumeirah Beach Road, it "celebrates earth's natural bounty and community" with a theme that centres on a warming fire.
It's why the menu is brimming with dishes prepared using various techniques of grill cooking and an array of wood types. Some examples being the Wagyu kebabs with fresh bread and truffle, Australian T-bone steak, king crab with lemon butter, and sea bass with a salted crust and tamarind.
In January, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, the Crown Prince of Dubai, also gave his stamp of approval. After he stopped by, the restaurant put up a post documenting the visit: "Thank you for visiting us HH @faz3 it was our honour and pleasure to serve you."
Open Monday-Friday noon-midnight, Saturday-Sunday 10am-midnight; Villa 11, 75B Street, Jumeirah 1; 04 491 9000; www.11woodfire.com
Al Muntaha
Number of stars: one
Located in one of the world's most famous hotels, Burj Al Arab, Al Muntaha offers fine dining in an inimitable spot. French and Italian cuisine by chef Saverio Sbaragli, who trained under chef Alain Ducasse, is served on the 27th floor of the sail-shaped property, with spectacular views and a romantic setting.
On the menu is everything from carpaccio to langoustine royale, and bluefin tuna tataki to Australian Angus.
Open daily 12.30pm-2.30pm and 7pm-10pm; Burj Al Arab, Umm Suqeim 3; 04 301 7600; www.jumeirah.com
Armani/Ristorante
Number of stars: one
The world's tallest building is where you'll find Armani/Ristorante, which is in Burj Khalifa's Armani Hotel. The contemporary Italian spot boasts chic decor, with a choice between a la carte or a signature tasting menu.
Burrata, foie gras, oysters and caviar are some of the finest ingredients on the menu, alongside dishes such as linguine pasta with clams and Sardinian mullet roe emulsion, butter-poached blue lobster and braised lamb shank with crispy polenta, to name a few.
An exclusive chef's table experience is also on offer.
Open Saturday-Thursday 6.30pm-11.30pm, Friday 6pm-11pm; Armani Hotel Dubai, Burj Khalifa, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard; 04 888 3666; www.armanihoteldubai.com
Hakkasan
Number of stars: one
The world-famous Cantonese restaurant moved locations in 2018 and has thrived in its new home at Atlantis, The Palm. Its familiar decor — the dark woodenpanelling and intimately arranged seating — is still around, as are many of its signature dishes.
It focuses on authentic Chinese food using modern cooking techniques and top-quality ingredients. Some of its most famous plates include the crispy duck salad, grilled Chilean sea bass, dim sum and Wagyu short rib, to name a few.
Its Abu Dhabi outpost, which is located in Emirates Palace, was listed as No 25 on the Mena's 50 Best Restaurants list.
Open Tuesday-Sunday 6pm-11pm, closed Monday; Atlantis, The Palm, Palm Jumeirah; 04 426 2626; www.hakkasan.com
Hoseki
Number of stars: one
Despite its minimalist setting, the nine-seater Japanese restaurant Hoseki is all luxury. It offers a traditional omakase set-up, where the customer lets the chef decide what dishes to serve, and uses quality seafood, which is sourced directly from Tokyo’s well-known Tsukiji fish market.
During dining, chef Masahiro Sugiyama — whose family history in sushi-crafting goes back more than 150 years — bases his courses on the preferences of the guests at the counter. Aside from the unique dining experience, there’s also the view, with the intimate dining room looking out over the Dubai skyline.
It recently came in No 44 on the Mena's 50 Best Restaurants list.
Open Thursday-Sunday from 1pm, Wednesday-Sunday from 6pm; Hoseki, Bulgari Resort Dubai; 04 777 5433; www.bulgarihotels.com
Ossiano
Number of stars: one
Ossiano is known around the globe as Dubai's "underwater restaurant". Located in Atlantis, The Palm and seating 50 guests, it takes diners 10 metres down to the bottom of one of the world’s largest aquariums.
Chef Gregoire Berger has launched a nine-step menu guided by his respect for seasonality, terroir and sea foraging. All ingredients are sustainably sourced from the oceans or within 50 kilometres of a coastline. From a delicate whelk shell served on a bed of sand and filled with umami dashi, to Brittany brown crab, fragrant kari gosse and bouillabaisse essence, dishes also highlight Berger’s love of telling stories through food.
Open daily 6pm-10pm; Atlantis, The Palm, Palm Jumeirah; 04 426 2626; www.atlantis.com
Tasca by Jose Avillez
Number of stars: one
Situated on the sixth floor of Mandarin Oriental Jumeira, Tasca by Jose Avillez is a relaxed Portuguese spot that fuses the best of what Dubai has to offer: gleaming Burj Khalifa views through the floor-to-ceiling windows to one side, and a glimpse of the glittering Arabian Gulf across a pool-speckled terrace from the other.
The menu is contemporary with small, sharing plates on offer, and the cuisine predominately takes inspiration from the chef's native Portugal, where his portfolio of restaurants — spread across Lisbon and Porto — includes Cafe Lisboa and Cantina Do Avillez.
Such influences can be found in the chef's chicken peri-peri, named after the chilli pepper found across Africa and adopted by the Portuguese in the signature dish's spice blend. Tasca is also swimming in fresh seafood, from cod and octopus to red shrimp and lobster, which is brought to the city from Portugal and cooked in the restaurant's open kitchen. Carnivores and vegetarians are catered for, too.
Open Sunday-Friday 12.30pm-3pm and 6.30pm-11pm, Saturday 12.30pm-4pm and 6.30pm-11pm; Mandarin Oriental Jumeira, Jumeirah Beach Road; 04 777 2231; www.mandarinoriental.com
Torno Subito
Number of stars: one
From the bold monochromatic stripes at the entrance, to the sunshine yellow tiles, glossy teal counters and pink-washed ceilings, the entire place is a fusion of perky hues that shouldn't work together, but somehow do.
Massimo Bottura's first restaurant outside his native Italy, based in W Dubai — The Palm, evokes 1960s charm fused with beachside allure and chic diner-style vibes. Candy-coloured booths and glowing neon signs are paired with nostalgia-dipped Hollywood-esque graphics.
Complementing this lighthearted sense of fun, the menu is decidedly playful. Dishes such as Oops! I Dropped the Lemon Tart, Snails in the Vineyard or the Crunchy Part of the Lasagne, reflect Bottura’s sense of joyous creativity.
Open Sunday-Thursday 12.30pm-3pm and 6.30pm-11.30pm, Friday-Saturday 12.30pm-11.30pm; W Dubai on The Palm, Palm Jumeirah; 04 245 5555; www.tornosubitodubai.com
Tresind Studio
Number of stars: one
Tresind Studio is a chef’s table experience from sister restaurant Tresind. Having started out by serving just 20 guests in a room tucked behind the main restaurant in the voco Dubai hotel, it has now branched out on its own, with a 8,000 square foot space, with indoor and outdoor seating, at Nakheel Mall.
The brainchild of chef Himanshu Saini has been winning rave reviews for serving modern Indian molecular gastronomy.
Saini’s elevated take on the cuisine includes a 16-course set menu which changes its theme every couple of months and is a dining experience like no other.
Most recently, it came in fourth place on the Mena's 50 Best Restaurants list, and won the Art of Hospitality Award.
Open Tuesday-Sunday 6pm-midnight, Monday closed; Nakheel Mall, Palm Jumeirah; 058 895 1272; www.tresindstudio.com
Il Ristorante — Niko Romito
Number of stars: two
Il Ristorante — Niko Romito is a celebration of Italian culture in the heart of upscale Dubai. Located at Bulgari Resort, the elegant restaurant infuses Italy's heritage, cuisine and sense of hospitality. Fabulous views across the Arabian Gulf are on offer, as well as sophisticated interiors and fine ingredients.
Niko Romito, a chef already lauded by Michelin, merges modern and classical Italian dishes on a menu that's renowned for its simplicity and consistency.
Dishes include King crab with Oscietra caviar and potatoes, Italian milk-fed veal with tuna sauce, linguine pasta with lobster and red prawns, and roasted squid with carrot sauce, vinegar and taggiasca olives, to name a few highlights.
Open daily 6pm-11pm, brunch Saturday 1pm-4pm; Bulgari Resort Dubai, Jumeirah 2; 04 777 5433; www.bulgarihotels.com
Stay by Yannick Alleno
Number of stars: two
Yannick Alleno is a world-renowned chef with three Michelin-starred restaurants under his belt, including three for Alleno Paris — now he can add Stay by Yannick Alleno to the list.
The moody yet elegant French restaurant, which is located at One&Only The Palm, describes its offering as an "epicurean experience of menus curated especially for you".
This is more of a silver service experience, where white tablecloths, vaulted ceilings and dramatic chandeliers set the tone for a meal to remember.
Classic techniques meet contemporary ideas here, and an a la carte menu is served, alongside seasonal tasting menus. There's a focus on seafood and meaty mains, with ingredients from lamb to turbot and foie gras, but also vegetarian and vegan options.
Open Tuesday-Sunday 7pm-11pm, closed on Mondays; One&Only The Palm, Palm Jumeirah; 04 440 1010; www.oneandonlyresorts.com
Michelin's Green Star
Lowe
A home-grown dining concept, Lowe offers a contemporary, experimental menu featuring seasonal produce all cooked naturally on fire. It has been given the first and only Green Award by Michelin in Dubai, which is for its efforts in sustainability.
An open kitchen concept centres around a charcoal grill, rotisserie and wood-fired oven. Part of the Nasab creative community and co-working space, Lowe specialises in rustic, accessible, relaxed dining, offering dishes such as burnt aubergine dip with seaweed zaatar, torched Hokkaido scallop and bottarga toast, and spiced lamb dumplings with sour cream, pine nuts, chickpeas and smoked chilli butter.
It was also listed No 23 on the Mena's 50 Best Restaurant list, as well as receiving the Sustainable Restaurant Award.
Open Wednesday and Thursday 6pm-11pm; Friday-Saturday 8am-4pm and 6pm-11pm; Sunday 8am-4pm; Koa Canvas, Al Barari, Wadi Al Safa 3; 04 320 1890, www.lowe-dubai.com
Scroll through the gallery below to see more from the Michelin Guide Dubai event:
