A Caesar salad made at the table. Distinct crockery. A standout treacle tart. A ninja salute by the chefs with every sushi hand roll. A curated cookbook store at the restaurant. An airy Hokkaido soft serve and tomatoes from Turkmenistan.
These were just a few of the details that set restaurants apart and earned them a place on the coveted Michelin Guide in Dubai, as observed by its notoriously secret inspectors. At Atlantis The Royal, which holds three Michelin keys, the fifth edition of the Michelin Guide’s Dubai selection was unveiled on Tuesday night (October 6). Representing 38 cuisines, the 122 restaurants span homegrown neighbourhood eateries and fine-dining establishments, with 19 new additions this year.
Introduced in the 1900s as a guide with a star system for restaurants, which was subsequently followed in 1926, the Michelin Guide is a globally renowned reference, recognising excellence in restaurants and hospitality in over 40 countries at present. Anonymous inspectors world-over decide which restaurants are awarded the Bib Gourmand, which get to retain a star, get promoted with additional stars, or as a first step, make it onto the Michelin Guide’s recommended list.
This recognition gave restaurants reason to celebrate, especially after a challenging year in which many establishments have spent much of their time working towards a recovery amid the tensions in West Asia.
FZN by Björn Frantzén and Trèsind Studio retained their three Michelin star distinction, which recognises exceptional cuisine worth a special journey. In Dubai’s diverse culinary scene, Trèsind Studio, which made history in 2025 as the first Indian restaurant in the world to be awarded three Michelin stars, continues to drive the spotlight on modern Indian dining.
Indian food experiments and concepts, as well as chefs from India driving culinary innovation across cuisines continued to earn recognition from the Guide. Avatara and Jamavar, restaurants dabbling in modern Indian dining, retained their one Michelin star. The Michelin sommelier award went to Ninad Jani from Avatara, recognising their expertly curated pairings with the restaurant’s vegetarian Indian fare.
Ghee roast crab, burnt cinnamon, curry leaf crisp at Trèsind Studio | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Two years after earning its first Michelin star, Orfali Bros, which celebrates its founder-brothers’ Aleppian, Armenian, and Turkish heritage, was promoted to two Michelin stars, joining three other restaurants: Il Ristorante-Niko Romito, Row on 45, and STAY by Yannick Alléno, which retained their two stars distinction.
The Dubai guide this year also announced 14 restaurants with one Michelin star, including two new additions, and 22 Bib Gourmand restaurants, with four new additions. Among the Michelin Selected restaurants, 13 new restaurants found an entry. “The fifth edition of the Guide is an important milestone for Dubai as a city,” said Hoor Al Khaja, senior vice president, International Operations at Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism. “The global recognition through an internationally respected benchmark has challenged the food industry to keep raising its bar higher and higher.”
She also acknowledged that the past year has been a time of challenges and learning for the city. “Among the stories of advocacy that came out this past year, reflecting on how the city stood together, the community of chefs here actively came together during that time, showed up at each other’s tables as paying customers and continued to drive this industry forward. For us, that was just one example of how Dubai operates as a city and how this community comes together as a family time and time again,” she said.
“Few cities bring together such a rich variety of cultures, cuisines, and culinary traditions, all while creating a dining identity that is undeniably Dubai,” said Gwendal Poullennec, the Guide’s international director, in a video message.
The event also marked the launch of Mindful Voices, an editorial platform created by the Michelin Guide. “Through the voices of individuals across gastronomy and hospitality, the platform will shine a light on practical initiatives; from the way ingredients and resources are used to relationships with local producers and communities and help these stories resonate far beyond their local context,” he added.
The writer was in Dubai on invitation from the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism.
