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From its extravagant architecture to ultra-luxury hotels and nightlife, Dubai doesn’t do things halfway. And this extends to its culinary scene. The city is home to one of the world’s most competitive dining scenes, with each restaurant doing its best to go above and beyond. It might be an afternoon tea led by a world-renowned pastry chef, or a traditional Arabic dinner with a side of belly dancing – whatever it may be, gourmands everywhere will be dazzled by Dubai’s food scene.
Read on to discover which Dubai spots to add to your culinary to-do list.
FZN by Björn Frantzén
There is currently one person in the world to run three separate restaurants each with three Michelin stars. That man is Swedish chef, Björn Frantzén, and he has blessed Dubai with his talents. FZN blends Björn’s background in European fine dining with delicate Japanese influences to achieve culinary artistry that must be tasted to be believed. The restaurant is found behind a nondescript door on one Dubai’s two famous palm archipelagos at the Atlantis luxury hotel, home to a total of six Michelin stars across its two adjacent properties – of which another is run by Björn. The FZN formalities begin in a Scandi-inspired sitting room more reminiscent of someone’s home than a fine dining establishment. Here guests are served canapes and aperitifs before being ushered into an open kitchen where the magic of FZN occurs before you.
Smoked Room at Leña
Another establishment built into a Dubai palm – this time in the trunk – The Smoked Room may be one of the most exclusive dining experiences you ever attend. With only 14 seats, this omakase experience (Japanese for “I’ll leave it up to you”) has earned its one Michelin star through an immersive 11-course menu where chefs explain the details behind dishes such as sea cucumber carbonara, or burnt pumpkin purée and mandarin sorbet. The Room, literally adorned with smoke and mirrors, but not oppressively so, welcomes its diners into the chefs’ processes as an open fire flickers in the background. The food, infused with smoke sans mirrors, is vibrant and personal, with flavours of Hokkaido, Italy and Andalusia, Spain – home of Head Chef, Dani García. You’ll find the Smoked Room nestled on the rooftop of St. Regis Gardens, so make sure to remember the view from one of the world’s most beautiful restaurants before your socks are blown clean off.
STAY by Yannick Alléno
The best of French cuisine meets the finest epicurean ingredients at STAY by Yannick Alléno, the celebrated fine-dining restaurant within five-star One&Only The Palm. Gaze over the glittering Arabian Gulf as you savour delicate dishes that have been expertly crafted with a careful balance of texture, flavour and temperature. Honoured with two stars in the Dubai Michelin Guide, STAY by Yannick Alléno offers a choice of a la carte and set menus, with options like wood-fired French turbot with confit garlic, Wagyu beef and mushroom mille-feuille, and natsuc meringue and dark chocolate.
Al Muntaha
Set 200 metres above the Arabian Gulf on the 27th floor of the iconic Burj Al Arab Jumeirah, Al Muntaha offers breathtaking coastal views and an award-winning culinary experience. Chef Saverio Sbaragli’s fusion of French and Italian cuisine creates a sophisticated dining experience, with each dish showcasing his culinary expertise and earning the restaurant its prestigious Michelin star. From roasted poulette de bresse to Australian Angus beef and bluefin tuna tataki, Al Muntaha is one of the best restaurants in Dubai.
Ossiano
Discover a fine-dining experience unlike any other at Ossiano, located at Atlantis, The Palm. The restaurant boasts one Michelin star and has chef Grégoire Berger at the helm. The restaurant’s setting is another drawcard; Ossiano features huge floor-to-ceiling windows that look into the hotel’s aquarium with its 65,000 marine residents. Take a seat at your white-clothed table and watch as stingrays, sharks and tropical fish glide past. The menu changes seasonally but is always seafood-leaning. Expect some of the world’s finest caviar, Tarbouriech ‘pink’ oysters with a shallot vinaigrette, or Maine lobster thermidor with asparagus risotto. Come dressed to impress, the dress code is strictly smart elegant. Reserve your table well in advance to avoid missing out.
Kraken
For further fans of Grégoire Berger, the Frenchman has done it again at Dubai’s newest seafood restaurant. Kraken was painstakingly designed and built amid months of anticipation before its grand opening in October 2025, where Berger and Kraken co-founder Badr Benryane unveiled a shrine to Emirati seafood. The establishment offers a humble enough façade to those lucky enough to visit, however the meals served within are anything but understated. If the interior design could be described as painstaking, then the process by which Kraken sources its seafood is nothing short of reverential. Berger proclaims that 90 per cent of the menu is sourced within the UAE, with all seafood prepared following the humane Japanese method of ike jime – noticeably improving the quality of each bite.
The Royal Tearoom with Christophe Devoille
Housed within Atlantis The Royal, this tearoom serves up an unmatched high tea experience. There are two variations available: the Signature Afternoon Tea or the Emirati Afternoon Tea. The latter focuses on Arabic homemade sweets: luqaimat (sweet fried dumplings), khanfaroosh (fried doughnut bites) drizzled in local honey, and halawet el jibn (sweet cheese and semolina rolls) with rosewater and pistachio. And to wash it down with? Rich and dark Arabic coffee. You can also enjoy more than 30 varieties of tea and 16 different homemade pastries including croissants, brioches and danishes created by chef Christophe and his team.
Al Hadheerah
For a night of Arabian theatre, traditional flavours and an open-air desert setting, look no further than Al Hadheerah in Bab Al Shams Desert Resort. Live cooking stations sizzle with flame and spice, and serve up grilled seafood, melt-in-your-mouth shawarma and premium steak cuts. Dancers, musicians, falconers and camel riders add a sense of wonder. Cap off the evening with a sweet treat, from mixed baklava to Turkish delight and basbousa (syrup-soaked semolina cake from Egypt). Dress in smart casual or UAE national dress is welcome. Reservations are recommended.
Old Dubai Spice Souk
It may not be a restaurant per say, but if there’s one thing every keen foodie should do when visiting Dubai, it’s visiting the Spice Souk in Old Dubai. Here, the air is perfumed with spices and a wander around the stalls reveals pyramids of earth-coloured sumac, pure and ground saffron, and fire-red paprika at spice stalls. You’ll also find Arabic teas, incense, rose petals, dried fruits and sheesha pipes. If all this shopping has built up an appetite, discover a handful of local eateries including traditional Indian cuisine at Bhatkal Restaurant or Middle Eastern cuisine at Al Forat Restaurant – both under a 10-minute drive from the Spice Souk.
Discover Dubai
Feature image: Ariana’s Persian Kitchen, Atlantis The Royal.
