The Michelin Guide announced its 2024 list for Dubai on July 4, awarding one star to 15 restaurants, two stars to four restaurants, and choosing 18 venues as part of its Bib Gourmand category.
No restaurant in the emirate has been awarded three stars yet in what is the guide's third outing in Dubai.
While they do not have stars, a number of restaurants have also been lauded by the guide as worthy mentions.
New entrants include Atrangi by Indian chef Ritu Dalmia at Jumeirah Al Qasr hotel, as well as Street XO and Qabu, which are both part of One&Only One Za'abeel, where the glittering event was held. The hotel is home to the city's newest upscale dining destination, The Link.
The updated list brings the total number of Dubai's Michelin-starred restaurants from 14 – announced in May last year – to 19.
The latest Dubai list follows the announcement of the second iteration of the guide in Abu Dhabi in December, when Erth at Qasr Al Hosn made Michelin history as the first Emirati-inspired restaurant to win a star.
Michelin-starred restaurants in Dubai
Of the restaurants that received one Michelin star, Smoked Room, Sagetsu by Tetsuya, La Dame de Pic and Orfali Bros made it to the guide for the first time. The first three are relative newcomers to the dining scene, having been open for less than a year.
“This is such a big responsibility. I dedicate this award to all the young Arab chefs in Syria,” Mohamad Orfali of Orfali Bros said while accepting the plaque.
Last year's winners all retained their single-star status. These are 11 Woodfire, Al Muntaha, Armani/Ristorante, Avatara, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Hakkasan, Hoseki, Moonrise, Ossiano, Tasca by Jose Avillez and Torno Subito.
According to the Michelin website, one star is conferred on venues that use “top-quality ingredients, where dishes with distinct flavours are prepared to a consistently high standard”.
Four restaurants secured two stars each. New among these is Jason Atherton's Row on 45, a rare honour for a restaurant that is less than a year old, with the British chef in tears on the Michelin stage.
“I fell in love with Dubai the moment I came here," Atherton said. "Gordon Ramsay sent me here years ago. I met my wife here. We got married here. This is really a dream come true, getting two stars here.
Il Ristorante – Niko Romito, Stay by Yannick Alleno and Tresind Studio all retained their two stars.
Two stars are awarded to restaurants where the chef's personality and talent are front and centre and the “food is refined and inspired”.
To date, no Dubai restaurant has been awarded three stars, which is the highest Michelin accolade. It is given to venues that demonstrate “superlative cooking”, such that the dishes are “elevated to an art form” and are destined to become culinary classics.
Bib Gourmand restaurants
Six new entrants made it to the Bib Gourmand category, which represents “value-for-money spots”. These are Berenjak, Duo Gastrobar, Hoe Lee Kow, Konjiki Hototogisu, Reif Japanese Kushiyaki (the Dubai Hills branch) and Revelry.
The restaurants from the 2023 list that retained their Bib Gourmand status include 3Fils, 21grams, Aamara, Al Khayma, Bait Maryam, Goldfish, Ibn AlBahr, Indya by Vineet, Kinoya, Reif Japanese Kushiyaki, Shabestan and Teible.
Named after Bibendum, the Michelin Man and official company mascot of the Michelin Group, the Bib Gourmand category is “not quite a star, but most definitely not a consolation prize”, according to the guide.
Special awards
The Guild bagged the Opening of the Year recognition, while Jesus Lobato Suarez of the Smoked Room took home the Young Chef Award.
The Service Award was won by Apichaya Khomson of DuangDy by Bo.Lan (also in the One&Only One Za'abeel), while Michael Mpofu from Celebrities by Mauro Colagreco received the Sommelier Award.
Last year's winners Boca, Lowe and Teible all retained their Michelin Green Star, which is given to dining spots with a strong sustainability approach.
Dubai as a global culinary hub for chefs
While the restaurant guides in Dubai and Abu Dhabi include various home-grown spots, the Michelin Guide also reflects the growing allure of the Emirates among decorated international chefs.
Atherton believes the influx of world-renowned chefs setting up shop in the UAE suggests that the industry is going to improve further.
“All these chefs will demand high-quality products from suppliers. The whole supply chain has got to get better,” Atherton tells The National a few days before the ceremony. “Supplies will have to become more sophisticated.”
He says the arrival of the Michelin Guide to the country, as well as other culinary rankings and recognitions, “makes us, the chefs, answer to what we do”.
“No longer do you come into town and go: 'OK, I'll open fish and chips by Jason Atherton, sign a contract, get my cheque and go back to London and never come again.'
"This mindset is gone. If I don't put in the effort, we're out. Because the guests will say: 'Well, he's never here. There's no effort. Why am I going to spend my money there?'
"Now Dubai as a city demands that us chefs put the effort in to make it.”
After the awarding ceremony, a cocktail reception was held to display five key aspects of Dubai's culinary scene – diversity, sustainability, future, dedication and innovation – through chef demonstrations.
Mohamad Orfali of Orfali Bros fame, chef Masanori Ito of Teible, Thomas Allen of Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Saverio Sbaragli of Al Muntaha and Anne-Sophie Pic of La Dame de Pic prepared small bites, passed around as canapes, to represent each of the five philosophies.
How Michelin stars are born
The famously anonymous Michelin inspectors are full-time employees, most of whom are former restaurant and hospitality professionals. After their random visits to restaurants, the team meets and discusses their experiences to make a final selection.
Five universal criteria are taken into consideration:
1. The quality of the ingredients
2. The mastery of cooking
3. The harmony of flavours
4. The personality of the chef reflected through the cuisine
5. The consistency both over time and across the entire menu
Service, according to the guide, has no bearing on a Michelin star.
These strict guidelines make the Michelin Guide a coveted list for chefs and restaurants, who also benefit from the customer pull of the stars.
Gastro-tourism has grown over the years with many jet-setting foodies planning their trips around dining options.
“For food enthusiasts, the Michelin Guide has been a strong source of encouragement to explore dining experiences,” said Harkesh Jaggi, vice president Mena of the Michelin company, during his opening speech at the Dubai ceremony.
"For professionals in the gastronomic industry, it has played a role in motivating and pursuing their passion, creativity and innovation.
Hoor Al Khaja, senior vice president, Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, said Dubai’s diversity plays a crucial role in its gastronomic scene.
“I was born and raised in Dubai, and I can’t remember a time in life where I was not surrounded by people from all walks of life.
"They bring their flavours and their cuisines. This is what makes the magic that we have here in this city.”
Al Khaja said that even since the first Dubai list was launched by the Michelin Guide in 2022, the city’s gastronomic scene has evolved.
“We’ve reached a point in our DNA that we don’t import talent, we export it.”
