Dubai is a melting pot of nationalities and cultures and with it come all the different cuisines of the world, that people can try out around the city.
Be it Middle Eastern, Italian to Indian cuisines, there are a variety of restaurants to choose from to enjoy a wonderful dining experience with loved ones.
The MICHELIN Guide was launched in 1920 in Paris, before making its way around the globe to 41 cities, with the first Dubai MICHELIN Guide launched in 2022. Being included in the MICHELIN Guide and awarded a prestigious star is one of the highest distinctions given to any restaurant.
With three MICHELIN star ratings, one star is given to restaurants that serve high-quality cooking worth a stop, two stars for excellent cooking that is worth the detour and three stars for restaurants that have exceptional cooking worth a dedicated trip to the restaurant.
The 2022 Dubai MICHELIN Guide saw 11 restaurants awarded with either one or two stars, and three new restaurants added to the 2023 Dubai MICHELIN Guide, giving Dubai a total of 14 MICHELIN-starred restaurants.
With so many to choose from, deciding which to try out and why could be a challenge. To help, Connector rounds up all 14 amazing MICHELIN-starred restaurants.
Two Stars:
Trèsind Studio
The two-starred fine dining restaurant, Trèsind Studio at Nakheel Mall serves diners a unique experience highlighting Indian flavours. The restaurant was awarded a one star rating during the 2022 Dubai MICHELIN Guide and due to their exceptional service, received a two star rating, as part of the 2023 Dubai MICHELIN Guide. The restaurant is centred around the phrase 'Atithi Devo Bhava', meaning 'Guest Is God', which emphasises the importance they have of serving delicious food to diners. The menu serves small dishes of food, featuring five different courses using locally sourced produce from the UAE. The restaurant is also ranked 11th on the World's 50 Best Restaurants.
058-8951272
Il Ristorante - Niki Romito
Il Ristorante - Niki Romito at Bulgari Resort Hotel, Jumeirah 2 is one of the two restaurants that have retained their two star rating at the 2023 Dubai MICHELIN Guide. With delicious flavours from Italy, the restaurant offers diners an exclusively curated menu by Italian Chef, Niki Romito. Some of the fresh ingredients used to create the dishes at the restaurant come directly from Italy. Among the many scrumptious fish and pasta dishes to try out, one that will make the palette sing is the linguini pasta, made with lobster and prawns. Diners looking to try a variety of dishes can delight in the seven-course menu, which serves smaller plates of food from the venue. While dining, enjoy marvellous views of the Arabian Gulf.
04-7775433
STAY by Yannick Alléno
Having been awarded two stars in 2022, STAY by Yannick Alléno at One&Only The Palm, maintained its two stars rating in the 2023 Dubai MICHELIN Guide as well. With a 'less is more' concept, the restaurant offers diners a fine dining experience that celebrates tasty French flavours. Choose amazing dishes from the a la carte menu, with blue lobster poached in ginger beurre blanc sauce to pan fried foie gras. Diners that are looking to try out various dishes at the restaurant, can experience set courses, that change based on the season. 'Emotions', the four-course set menu has dishes like local pan fried red mullet, pike fish brioche and pears tatin, and the six-course menu 'Experience', serves king crab, sea bass and black truffle caramel fuseau.
04-4401030
One Star:
Avatara
Avatara at Voco Hotel, Sheikh Zayed Road is one of the new restaurants included in the 2023 Dubai MICHELIN Guide that received a one star rating. The menu at the restaurant serves only vegetarian food with flavours from India. Serving a 16-dish set menu, where each dish has a backstory explained as it arrives. The aim of the restaurant is to highlight ways vegetarian food stands out in flavour, through exquisite dishes that are created using local and fresh produce and dairy products. Each dish incorporates traditional flavours from India and is turned into a unique dining experience. The restaurant also caters to vegan and gluten-free diets.
www.avatara.ae
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
Another new addition to the 2023 Dubai MICHELIN Guide is Dinner by Heston Blumenthal at Atlantis The Royal, Palm Jumeirah. With a two star rating at the London restaurant of the same name, the recent opening in Dubai received a one star rating. Creativity is at the forefront of the restaurant, with all the dishes served in a unique way where the flavours are sure to take guests on a journey. A must-try at the restaurant is the meat fruit, which is a chicken liver parfait in the shape of a mandarin. Created by Chef Heston Blumenthal, the menu at the restaurant is inspired by recipes from Britain's past, with a modern and creative twist added to make it all the more memorable and delicious.
www.dinnerbyheston.com
Moonrise
Moonrise at Eden House, Al Satwa is the third new restaurant to gain one star on the 2023 Dubai MICHELIN Guide. The rooftop dining restaurant features an Omakase experience, where the Chef creates innovative dishes in front of the diners using fresh and seasonal ingredients. With stunning views of the beaches in Jumeirah and the Dubai skyline, the restaurant seats 12 people, serving a multi-course meal that uses Middle Eastern flavours as well as incorporates tastes from Japan. A unique dish to delight in is the milk and honey, a labneh sorbet made with an olive oil foam.
www.moon-rise.xyz
11 Woodfire
Maintaining its one star rating for two years is 11 Woodfire at Jumeirah 1. With an open kitchen concept, diners are able to watch as their meal is prepared. As in the name, fire is the central theme of the restaurant and all the dishes from meat, vegetables and seafood are grilled, giving the food a rich smoky and earthy flavour. The highly raved Wagyu Burger is a must-try, offering perfectly balanced flavours and topped with gouda, mushrooms and siracha. The dishes stay true to the restaurant and always serve a flavour burst.
www.11woodfire.com
Al Muntaha
Located at the seven-star luxury hotel Burj Al Arab, Al Muntaha is a one-starred MICHELIN restaurant for two years in a row. The restaurant serves diners delicious Italian and French cuisine. Amazing dishes to try are the line-caught sea bass served with Jerusalem artichokes, sea scallops crudo and chocolate mille-feuille. A six-course tasting menu is also served at the restaurant with dishes including Australian Wagyu beef and salmon trout. As the restaurant is on the 27th floor, diners can enjoy delighting in a stunning view of the coastline in Jumeirah.
www.jumeirah.com
Armani/Ristorante
Armani/Ristorante at Armani Hotel, Burj Khalifa brings the flavours of Italy to Dubai. The restaurant received a one star rating as part of the first guide and maintained its rating for the 2023 Dubai MICHELIN Guide. One of the Chef's at the restaurant recommends the Vitello Tonnato, which is veal topped with caper powder. The restaurant also serves a tasting menu of five courses with dishes like pasta all'uovo, which is a tortelli pasta dish and piccione al rosa, which is spiced grilled pigeon breast. While tucking into tasty Italian flavours, diners can also enjoy views of the Dubai Fountain.
www.armanihotels.com
Hakkasan
Hakkasan at Atlantis The Palm celebrates Chinese cuisine, by serving traditional dishes with a modern approach. The restaurant uses ancient recipes by incorporating them into the menu. The jasmine tea smoked Wagyu beef ribs, lychee lobster with yuzu pearl and Hakkasan signature Peking duck with caviar, are some unique and amazing dishes to relish in. Guests can enjoy a laidback atmosphere, with the restaurant featuring traditional Chinese motifs and dark wood screens, for the perfect ambience.
www.hakkasan.com
Höseki
Höseki at Bulgari Resort Hotel, Jumeirah 2, with its one star rating for two years in a row is the second restaurant from the resort included in the guide. Serving delicious Japanese flavours, the restaurant features a great Omakase experience, where the Chef caters the meal to the preferences of the diners, using fresh ingredients from the day. The menu offers a selection of appetisers and sushi, along with miso soup, a Japanese omelette and a fruit platter. As the meal is made in front of the diners, it is truly a wonderful experience as the chefs showcase their intricate knife skills. The restaurant seats only nine people and has captivating views of the Dubai skyline.
www.bulgarihotels.com
Ossiano
Everyone loves dining with a stunning view, and one-starred MICHELIN restaurant Ossiano at Atlantis The Palm is the place to visit. Inspired by the underwater world, diners can relish in a seafood menu, with dishes presented at the table in a unique way. Scrumptious dishes to enjoy are grilled tiger prawns, Hokkaido scallops, poached blue lobster and caramelised black cod. The restaurant looks into The Lost Chambers Aquarium, with over 65,000 marine animals swimming by, adding to the dining experience.
www.atlantis.com
Tasca by José Avillez
Located on the 6th floor of Mandarin Oriental in Jumeirah 1, Tasca by José Avillez has maintained its one star rating since the inaugural 2022 Dubai MICHELIN Guide. Diners can enjoy the amazing taste of Portugal served in a contemporary way. Must-try dishes to tuck into include golden fried eggs, Mediterranean squid with squid ink rice, spoon tender veal and deconstructed beef Wellington. With indoor and outdoor dining offered, diners can enjoy marvelling at the view from the terrace with an infinity pool.
www.mandarinoriental.com
Torno Subito
Torno Subito at W Dubai - The Palm also retained its rating for two years in a row. The restaurant by Chef Massimo Bottura, responsible for the three-starred MICHELIN restaurant, Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy. Diners are transported back to the 1960s Italian Riviera, with a menu serving the tastes of Italy. One of the dishes recommended by Chef Alessio Pirozzi, Head Chef of the restaurant, is Ostrica, lightly steamed oysters in a glaze and served with puffed black ink rice. Diners can also enjoy dishes including risotto 'Anni 80' and the tiramisubito.
www.tornosubitodubai.com