Engel & Völkers
  • 8 min read
  • Published: Nov 11 2025

Top Fine Dining Restaurants in Dubai: Michelin-Starred Luxury Dining

People dining on a rooftop terrace with modern skyscrapers and cranes illuminated against the night sky in the background.

Key Takeaways

  1. Dubai has emerged as a global fine-dining destination, home to 19 Michelin-starred restaurants and world-renowned chefs redefining luxury dining in Dubai.

  2. The city’s fine dining scene combines exceptional service, creative presentation, and exclusive ambience, often paired with skyline or waterfront views.

  3. Top names like Manāo, Mythos Kouzina, Soul Kitchen, Gerbou, and Ossiano reflect Dubai’s diverse culinary identity through fusion and tradition.

  4. Hidden gems such as La Petite Maison, Jun’s, and Bull & Bear offer intimate fine-dining experiences that blend innovation, sustainability, and culture.

When you think of Dubai, luxury is never far from the conversation. The city has long set global benchmarks for design, hospitality, and innovation. In recent years, it has added gastronomy to that list.

From Michelin-starred restaurants led by world-famous chefs to homegrown culinary pioneers, Dubai’s dining landscape reflects both ambition and artistry. Whether inside the city’s most opulent hotels or in its quietly confident creative districts, fine dining here transcends cuisine; it’s an experience. In this article, we explore the top fine dining restaurants in Dubai, helping you discover the best that the city's food scene has to offer.

Table of Content

  1. What Defines Fine Dining in Dubai?

  2. Top Fine-Dining Restaurants in Dubai

  3. Michelin-Starred Restaurants in Dubai 2025

  4. Hidden Gems: Boutique Fine Dining Experiences

  5. Tips for Experiencing Fine Dining in Dubai

  6. Conclusion

What Defines Fine Dining in Dubai?

Dubai’s fine dining culture stands apart for how it merges global excellence with local character.

Michelin Recognition

As of 2025, Dubai is home to 19 Michelin-starred restaurants, a remarkable feat for a city that has only recently entered the global culinary map. Many of these restaurants have also received accolades from MENA’s 50 Best Restaurants and global hospitality publications.

Ambience and Experience

In Dubai, dining is a theatre. From panoramic skyline views to candlelit waterfront terraces, the setting is an integral part of the meal. Design, lighting, and atmosphere are curated to heighten the sensory experience from the first course to the last.

Precision and Presentation

Every detail, from the angle of cutlery to the composition of each plate, reflects the city’s obsession with perfection. Exceptional service, artistic presentation, and immersive tasting menus are what distinguish Dubai’s fine-dining destinations from the rest.

Top Fine-Dining Restaurants in Dubai

Here’s a curated list of Dubai’s most acclaimed fine-dining restaurants, blending Michelin-starred mastery with cultural authenticity and unforgettable ambience.

Manāo – Jumeirah

Manāo, meaning “lime” in Thai, offers a vibrant exploration of Southeast Asian flavours. Located in Jumeirah, this Michelin-starred destination serves reimagined Thai classics with refinement and warmth.

Its tasting menu spans Thailand’s culinary regions, from charred cabbage with minced shrimp to coconut-smoked short ribs topped with kaffir lime. The minimalist interiors and relaxed atmosphere allow the cuisine’s complexity to shine through, a fine balance of spice, texture, and creativity.

Ossiano – Atlantis, The Palm

A jewel of Dubai’s culinary crown, Ossiano offers an otherworldly dining experience beneath the sea. Guests dine beside a vast aquarium, surrounded by shimmering marine life, while enjoying Michelin-starred chef Gregoire Berger’s avant-garde tasting menu.

Every plate is both visual art and flavour composition — dishes like caviar with sea foam, lobster consommé, and langoustine tartare demonstrate technical mastery and deep imagination.

Mythos Kouzina & Grill – Jumeirah Lake Towers

A long-time favourite among locals, Mythos Kouzina & Grill captures the essence of Greek hospitality. Its sun-washed interiors, adorned with mosaic tiles and archways, recreate the ambience of a Mediterranean taverna.

Guests can enjoy family-style portions of grilled octopus, keftedakia meatballs, and meze dips served with warm pita. Every dish at Mythos celebrates authenticity and simplicity — values at the heart of Greek cuisine.

Cozy restaurant interior with wooden tables and chairs, decorative tiles, hanging lights, large vases, and a view of the outdoor area through glass doors.

Soul Kitchen – Business Bay

Soul Kitchen bridges cultures with its inspired fusion of Levantine and Latin American cuisines. The menu celebrates migration and memory — dishes like shawarma empanadas, Wagyu kafta arepas, and zesty ceviche evoke both nostalgia and novelty.

Beyond food, Soul Kitchen has cultivated a creative community with jazz nights and curated supper clubs, making it one of Dubai’s most atmospheric fine-dining spaces.

Gerbou – Al Khawaneej

Gerbou is redefining Emirati fine dining with an emphasis on sustainability and heritage. Its menu highlights traditional Emirati ingredients — dates, fish, and grains — through contemporary techniques.

Signature dishes like RAK tuna carpaccio, falafel curry, and fish mathrooba exemplify its ethos of reinterpreting local cuisine for modern palates. Don’t miss the restaurant’s celebrated dessert, Taste of Gerbou, a multi-sensory ode to the humble date.

Dinner by Heston Blumenthal – Atlantis The Royal

At Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, culinary science meets storytelling. Inspired by historic British recipes, each course reinterprets centuries-old traditions with modern innovation.

Highlights include the Meat Fruit — a silky chicken liver parfait encased in mandarin gel — and the Tipsy Cake, served alongside a spinning spit-roasted pineapple. The experience is immersive, intellectual, and perfectly executed.

Luxury apartments in Atlantis The Royal Residences

Hōseki – Bulgari Resort Dubai

With only nine seats and a private dining room for up to 12 guests, Hōseki in Jumeirah Bayt Island is Dubai’s most exclusive dining experience. Meaning “jewel” in Japanese, it lives up to its name — intimate, rare, and precise.

Chef Masahiro Sugiyama offers a daily omakase menu based on the freshest available ingredients. Each course is served in harmony with seasonality and ritual, transforming simplicity into luxury.

11 Woodfire – Jumeirah Beach Road

For those who appreciate elemental cooking, 11 Woodfire delivers Michelin-starred brilliance through the art of flame. Every dish celebrates natural ingredients — smoked, charred, or grilled over wood for depth and texture.

Signature plates include slow-cooked short rib with tamarind glaze, fire-roasted carrots with spiced yoghurt, and aged duck with ember sauce — all paired with elegant restraint and earthy sophistication.

Trésind Studio – Nakheel Mall, Palm Jumeirah

One of the most acclaimed restaurants in Dubai, Trésind Studio takes Indian cuisine into the realm of fine art. The multi-course tasting menu explores flavour, nostalgia, and philosophy through storytelling and precision plating.

Chef Himanshu Saini’s creations — from Dahi Kebab Cloud to Lamb Nihari with Cocoa Air — offer more than taste: they challenge perception. Trésind Studio currently holds three Michelin Stars, reaffirming its position among the world’s finest.

Michelin-Starred Restaurants in Dubai 2025

As of the latest Michelin Guide (2025), Dubai is home to 19 Michelin-starred restaurants:

3 Michelin Star Restaurants in Dubai

  • Trésind Studio

2 Michelin Star Restaurants in Dubai

  • Il Ristorante – Niko Romito

  • Row on 45

  • STAY by Yannick Alléno

1 Michelin Star Restaurants in Dubai

  • 11 Woodfire

  • Al Muntaha

  • Avatara

  • Dinner by Heston Blumenthal

  • Hakkasan Dubai

  • Hōseki Dubai

  • Jamavar

  • La Dame de Pic

  • Manāo

  • Moonrise

  • Orfali Brothers

  • Ossiano

  • Smoked Room

  • Tasca by José Avillez

Chef plating gourmet dishes with mushrooms and greens on wooden slabs, surrounded by mist from dry ice.

Hidden Gems: Boutique Fine Dining Experiences

Beyond the Michelin list, several Dubai institutions continue to define fine dining through personality and legacy.

La Petite Maison – DIFC

A Dubai classic offering refined Niçoise cuisine, La Petite Maison blends timeless French flavours with modern simplicity. Its carpaccio, burrata, and signature lemon tart have earned it enduring acclaim for over 15 years.

Jun’s – Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard

Helmed by Chef Kelvin Cheung, Jun’s embodies “third-culture cooking” — blending Asian, North American, and Caribbean influences. Expect creative dishes like lobster pani puri and bone marrow shrimp fried rice, served in a lively, contemporary setting.

Bull & Bear – Waldorf Astoria DIFC

Inspired by its New York namesake, Bull & Bear brings European cuisine and modern flair to Dubai’s financial district. Led by Chef Marc Hardiman, its seasonal menu and curated wine pairings elevate every visit into a fine-dining ritual.

Tips for Experiencing Fine Dining in Dubai

  • Book Early: Dubai’s top fine-dining restaurants often require reservations weeks, sometimes months, in advance.

  • Dress Accordingly: Most venues have formal or smart-casual dress codes. Avoid shorts, sandals, or overly casual attire.

  • Mind Etiquette: Fine dining is as much about ambience as flavour. Keep your tone low, respect space, and enjoy each course at its intended pace.

  • Pair Thoughtfully: Many restaurants employ expert sommeliers. Don’t hesitate to ask for pairing suggestions to enhance your tasting experience.

Conclusion

Dubai’s fine-dining scene reflects the same ambition and artistry that define the city itself. Each restaurant tells a story of innovation, heritage, and hospitality woven into the fabric of its skyline and culture.

From underwater dining at Ossiano to the minimalist perfection of Hōseki, Dubai offers not just meals but moments. Whether you’re a seasoned gourmand or an explorer of new tastes, the city’s restaurants promise an experience as unforgettable as its views.

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