Considered one of the biggest honors a restaurant can receive, earning a Michelin Star is every restaurant’s dream. Now, Dubai itself hopped on that very train, with five of its restaurants getting the coveted, glamorous upgrade of a Michelin Star.
During the Michelin Guide Ceremony for Dubai, five restaurants were selected: four new one-Michelin Star restaurants and one new two-Michelin Star restaurant.
The five new additions will be among the 106 restaurants included in this year’s Michelin Guide. Let us take a look at the new additions and their success story, as well as celebrate the restaurants that continue to grace the Michelin Guide:
New Additions
Row On 45
Going in strong, British chef Jason Atherton’s Row On 45 made an impressive debut by earning two Michelin Stars. Along with that, just four months after opening, it broke into Mena’s 50 Best Restaurants list, taking over the 41st position.
It’s History: Opening its doors in 2023 at the Marina’s Grosvenor House Dubai, it brought a fresh take on dining. The tiny 22-seater restaurant serves a 17-course haute cuisine menu presented in three acts: Act I: The Finest Welcome, Act II: The Pinnacle, and Act III: The Grand Finale.
Echoes of Japan: This fine-dining eatery celebrates the finest in Japanese cuisine. On its 17-course tasting menu, diners can indulge in Hokkaido scallops, sarcoma wagyu A5, and bluefin maguro.
Why the name? The reason behind its name is twofold: Row stands for the acronym “Refinement of Work,” a quality exemplified in the restaurant, while 45 acts as a nod to its location on the 45th floor of the Grosvenor House Dubai.
La Dame de Pic
Earning the coveted One Star is the refined French restaurant known as La Dame de Pic. Brought over from the streets of Paris by the world’s most decorated female chef, Anne-Sophie Pic, the restaurant knew how to climb the ranks.
Its History: Anne-Sophie Pic is unlike any other female chef. She currently holds 11 Michelin Stars across her restaurants. Her family also played an integral role in the history of French cuisine.
In 1934, her family’s restaurant, Maison de Pic, won three Michelin Stars under her grandfather, Andre.
Then came Anne-Sophie, who continued her family’s legacy by regaining three Michelin Stars for her family restaurant, Maison Pic, and following that by opening her own restaurant, Le Dame de Pic, all over the world, from the streets of Paris to the bustling world of Hong Kong and Dubai.
Parisian Galore: Serving elevated French cuisine, Anne-Sophie celebrates her heritage in every dish, from her perfectly roasted lobster with candied carrots, nasturtium coulis, geranium essence, and nuanced coffee undertones to her Beef Striploin perfumed with black garlic and soba cha, crispy celeriac, slow-cooked oxtail, and black garlic mayonnaise.
Smoked Room
Joining the One Star group opens up a culinary world all about smoke. Meet Smoked Room, Chef Dani García’s brainchild, built on the purest flavor of embers and fire.
Its History: Within the culinary world, Dani García was known as the chef who shut down his restaurant in Madrid a mere three weeks after the restaurant earned its third Michelin Star.
That move wasn’t to cut out his culinary world but rather to expand it to new spaces. When 2024 arrived, García brought his popular Madrid restaurant all the way to Dubai, to the St. Regis Gardens on the Palm Jumeirah.
Smokey Flavors: The restaurant is all about serving his signature grilled and charcoal-smoked dishes to diners omakase-style. That involves not having a set menu and having the chef determine at the spur of the moment what will appear on the plate.
Some of his signatures include the Nitro Tomato, prepared with smoked eel mousse and accompanied by ajoblanco malagueño, cubes of smoked eel, and roasted pepper caramel gel.
His grilled pigeon paired with jus made from roasted vegetables and aromatic herbs, a French puree with roasted celeriac and butter, and a manzanilla sherry white wine sauce is also quite special.
Sagetsu by Tetsuya
In Dubai’s growing Michelin world, Sagestsu is joining the One Star posse. In that restaurant, two worlds come together: the freshest Japanese ingredients get cooked up using the finesse of French techniques.
Its History: Early this year, joining Dubai’s impressive roster of restaurants, Sagestsu opened its doors at The Link, a 120-metre cantilever in the sky between two glittering Dubai towers, one of which contains the One&Only hotel. The man behind the restaurant is Australian Chef Tetsuya Wakuda.
French Japanese Flair: Every dish presented at Sagetsu is served with only the freshest ingredients the team can source that day.
Among the delicious roster of menu items created using the finest French techniques is their Botan Shrimp—a medley of Hokkaido sea urchin and Sagetsu Oscietra caviar—as well as their Japanese wild-caught bluefin tuna carpaccio.
Why Its Name: As an acclaimed fusion restaurant, Sagetsu’s name blends dual ideals. The name fuses the Japanese words for sand and the moon, showcasing the restaurant’s attempts at fusing gastronomy with astrology.
Orfali Bros
Making noise ever since they nabbed the number one spot on MENA’s 50 Best Restaurants list for two years in a row, Orfali Bros continue to slay the culinary game by earning their first Michelin Star.
Its History: The Orfali Bros, three Syrian brothers who opened their own bistro in 2021, are bringing a taste of Aleppo’s rich cuisine to Dubai.
The oldest brother, Mohammad, is the head chef and runs the savory kitchen, while the two younger brothers, Wassim and Omar, run their own pastry world.
Syrian Stapes With Pan-Regional Favourites: Being the only Arab restaurant in Dubai earning a Michelin Star this year, its menu speaks true to its Arab heritage, but they do break some rules along the way.
Among their dishes are the Orfali Bayildi, featuring aubergine, makdous muhammara (walnut dip), and nasturtium; their memorable Miso Tahini Salmon; and the Allepian Halloumi, made up of braised short ribs, vinegar glaze, morel mushroom, and onion confit.
The Enduring Michelin Favorites
One Star Returnees
Along with the new additions, all the restaurants that earned a Michelin Star in 2023 maintain their distinction and are in this year’s guide.
Some notable names include Hakkasan, a worldwide modern Chinese eatery; Ossiano, an immersive fine dining experience inspired by the ocean; and Tasca, a restaurant serving Portuguese fine dining with a twist.
Two Star Returnees
This year’s Michelin Guide also includes the two star earners from 2023. Honorable mentions include Trèsind Studio, the surprise multi-course Indian fine-dining restaurant, and Il Ristorante-Niko Romito, the exquisite Italian restaurant taking over Dubai’s Bulgari Resort.
Each of these restaurants offers a taste of culinary excellence, along with insurmountable passion from its chefs and owners.