Dubai is one of the fastest growing cities worldwide. Not only in terms of urbanisation and architecture, but also the hospitality business is booming. For instance, two new hotspots recently opened, adding to the city's appeal.
The One&Only opened its first urban resort in the Za'abeel neighbourhood, with the gastronomic concept The Link as one of its showpieces. It houses no fewer than eight restaurants, including such ringing names as Anne-Sophie Pic, Tetsuya Wakuda and Paco Morales. In turn, The Lana - Dorchester Collection is an entirely new hotel at Business Bay, where renowned chefs Martin Berasategui and Jean Imbert run their restaurants.
In the MICHELIN Guide Ceremony Dubai 2024 that took place on July 4th 2024, the latest selection of restaurants was announced with many new names making the list. A total of 106 restaurants are now part of the MICHELIN Guide Dubai, with one new Two Star restaurant, four new One Star restaurants, six new Bib Gourmand restaurants, and nine newly Selected restaurants.
During their exploration of Dubai's most extraordinary restaurants and hotels, our inspectors collected a lot of special experiences. Here are some insights into their most memorable dining experiences.
DISCOVER: The MICHELIN Guide Dubai 2024 winners
Les Berlingots ASP, pasta parcels, mushroom consommé infused with beeswax and chamomile, wild mushrooms and pollen
La Dame de Pic
One MICHELIN Star, MICHELIN Guide Dubai 2024
Inspector's notes: Signature dishes don't just happen, as proven by this particular preparation by chef consultant Anne-Sophie Pic, who nevertheless surprised with an Arabic version here. In the plate came pasta parcels coloured with parsley to create a bee pattern. The delicately applied stuffing of mushrooms was extremely intense. A crystal clear consommé of mushrooms, enhanced with maple syrup and chamomile, gave a sophisticated base to the whole dish with its depth. Some Chinese mushrooms and crispy bee pollen completed the picture. I will long remember the intensity and depth of this dish.
Calamarata 2.0 Paccheri pasta, mix seafood, amalfi lemon, plankton marine
Chic Nonna
MICHELIN Guide Dubai 2024
Inspector's notes: The al dente cooked paccheri pasta was given body by the seafood sauce made from a bisque, very delicate in flavour and with a light touch of cognac. Perfectly cooked seafood - mussel, crab and octopus - added their typical marine flavours. Fine slabs of squid were also cooked nicely al dente and topped with powdered plankton and lemon zest for extra fraicheur. I may have been in Dubai, but this pasta preparation had me momentarily dreaming away to an Italian terrace on a sun-drenched beach.
Thai cupcake with coconut seafood curry
DuangDy by BO.LAN
MICHELIN Guide Dubai 2024
Inspector's notes: I was served five small crackers filled with a ground seafood curry. The mild spiciness, depth and fine refinement of this curry were simply heavenly. On top of that came a foam of coconut milk for some fine sweetness. I tip my hat to the great balance between the spice of the curry and the sweetness of the coconut, with the bite of the cracker as added bliss.
Tantamen ramen
REIF Japanese Kushiyaki - Dar Wasl
Bib Gourmand, MICHELIN Guide Dubai 2024
Inspector's notes: I must start this description by thanking the lady in the service, who asked me at the start of my meal about how sensitive I am to spicy food. Indeed, this ramen preparation was just what I was craving. Bone-cooked noodles were served in a red curry-based broth, powerful in flavour but not too much. Slices of wagyurund were fried super soft and full of flavour. Along with them came fried tofu, half a runny egg and pieces of corn. The intense broth was the highlight of this dish, with some garnishes that complemented the richness of flavours perfectly.
Botan shrimp with sea urchin and Oscietra caviar
Sagetsu by Testsuya
One MICHELIN Star, MICHELIN Guide Dubai 2024
Inspector's notes: Japanese chef Tetsuya Wakuda's signature dish immersed me in a salty world full of nuance. Inside an open-cut sea urchin, a base was made with a delectable flan of the crustacean, topped with pieces of sea urchin that had beautifully preserved their fine saltiness. A raw Botan shrimp of superior quality was slightly glassy and full of flavour, and topped with a rich quenelle of Oscietra caviar.
These three ingredients joined forces in a true flavour bomb, in which soft saltiness was interspersed with intense sea flavours.
Oxtail pie with tallegio
DUO Gastrobar
Bib Gourmand, MICHELIN Guide Dubai 2024
Inspector's notes: When this was placed down the aroma of the melted taleggio delivered strong aromas. Sliced in two, the pastry case was carefully baked, golden and crisp on the base and top, flaky and delicious, the inner filling was quite light on the tallegio, the slow-cooked oxtail was tender, rich, flavoursome and really tasty, a light jus was slightly glossy and just the right consistency. A side dish of cumin-infused yoghurt was the perfect accompaniment, the creaminess complimenting the meatiness a treat. Such value for money.
Sea bream supreme, charcoal grilled asparagus and mousseline sauce
JARA by Martín Berasategui
MICHELIN Guide Dubai 2024
Inspector's notes: The basis of a good dish is precise cuisson, and that was absolutely the case here with the perfectly grilled sea bream that was truly crisp and fresh. As a garnish came little quenelles of red pepper puree that were intense in flavour and two briefly poached clams that were also top notch. A rich beurre blanc then added lustre to the dish.The side dish of al dente grilled green asparagus that was drizzled with an airy mousseline sauce that was still briefly glazed only added to my enjoyment.
Soft shell crab and potato chips
StreetXO
MICHELIN Guide Dubai 2024
Inspector's notes: A fine and well-cooked crispy soft-shell crab: the outer batter super-fine and crisp, the inner flesh a good contrast, juicy and succulent, crisp potato chips added further texture and a vibrant, punchy chipotle sauce, adding lovely depth of spice. A complete dish.
