Culinary experience at the world’s most expensive restaurant arrives in Dubai

Dubai is known around the world as a hub for fabulous spending and ambitious innovation. The qualities also apply to its restaurant scene: an endless wave of new addresses has established Dubai as one of the best places on the planet for gastronomic experiences.

The options appeal from those looking for a modern fast food chain from California to those who want the most expensive restaurant experience in the world, coming directly from Ibiza.

There are dozens of new homes opening every month, but here are 11 recently opened locations that are worth checking out.

Dave’s Hot Chicken

Backed by backers that include celebrities like Drake and Samuel L. Jackson, Dave’s Hot Chicken has enjoyed a meteoric rise since opening its doors in an East Hollywood parking lot just five years ago.

The chain’s last address is on The Walk at Jumeirah Beach Residence, where long queues have already attested to the success of the house’s recipes. The chicken is flavored with an array of specially crafted spices ranging from the mild No Spice to the very strong The Reaper – clearly not for the faint hearted, as it even requires you to sign a disclaimer before tasting it.

Flavor and technique are everything to the chain, and chef Dave Kopushyan brings an impressive resume, having trained at Thomas Keller’s famous California restaurant French Laundry, which boasts the maximum three Michelin stars since 2007.

Along with the tender chicken pieces, Dave’s Hot Chicken is also famous for its fries, mac and cheese recipe and kale slaw, a twist on the classic coleslaw.

Dave’s Hot Chicken, Bahar 3 Tower, The Walk, Jumeirah Beach – Residence, Dubai

philia

Sara Aqel was born and raised in Jordan in a Palestinian family for whom food was everything. After graduating from culinary school, she worked in famous kitchens around the world – including superstar chef Massimo Bottura – before taking on the role of global executive chef at Fi’lia. At just 26 years old, she is responsible for the branches in Miami, Bahamas, Paris and Dubai.

Based in the United Arab Emirates, the chef now proudly runs the first restaurant in the Middle East with an all-female management team.

The cuisine on the 70th floor of SLS Dubai is Italian with Mediterranean influences, inspired by recipes passed down by generations of women. Even the wine list is 100% from female producers. A good choice is the sea bass crusted with feta cheese and herbs, perfect pasta and lush desserts. The salon staff is reputed to provide some of the best service in town.

Fi’lia, Marasi Drive, Business Bay, Dubai

Ginger Moon, W Dubai – Mina Seyahi

Brand new hotel on the block, the W Dubai – Mina Seyahi is located on Barasti Beach and overlooks the elegant yachts in the harbor and across the bay. The Ginger Moon restaurant advertises itself as an “urban beach club” thanks to a large terrace and infinity pool that attracts a crowd interested in finding the perfect photo for Instagram – which can also be taken in the huts to the sound of the DJ.

Appetizers on the eclectic, international menu include marinated red snapper or hamachi ceviche, as well as steak tartar and burrata with smoked peaches. For the main course, seafood is king, served in fragrant bowls complete with mussels, crispy sea bass with tamarind or shallow fried squid with sweet chilli sauce.

Saud Street, Dubai Marina, Dubai

L’Olivo

While the Al Mahara restaurant has been a highlight of Dubai’s legendary Burj Al Arab for years, it has recently received an addition. It is a branch of the restaurant L’Olivo, by chef Andrea Migliaccio, who has two Michelin stars in the original house in Capri, in the south of Italy. Being Dubai and Burj, the setting of Al Mahara is extraordinary – to give you an idea, diners are served surrounded by a large aquarium of coral reefs.

Dishes, whether from the tasting menu or à la carte, come directly from Capri, including their tagliolini al limone. The delicate homemade pasta is scented with lemon, oyster blade and topped with burrata cheese and a spoonful of sweet red shrimp. A classic starter is sea bream with Sicilian caponata sauce, famous for its balance between sweet and sour; to finish off, apricot ice cream and meringues round off the five-course menu, all made with the best ingredients direct from Italy.

L’Olivio at Al Mahara, Burj Al Arab, Umm Suqeim 3, Dubai

Demon Duck by Alvin Leung, Caesars Palace Dubai

Chef Alvin Leung’s Demon Duck is the latest addition to Caesars Palace Dubai’s many restaurants. There’s no doubt he’s in the right place, as the walls are adorned with photographer Mark Chung’s quirky depictions of ducks – and they are, of course, the star of the menu.

Leung’s Slow Roast Peking Duck is a signature dish worthy of the name, thanks to an extensive, slow process including brine bathing, blanching, aging and slow cooking before a final, rapid pass through high temperatures all to ensure skin crispy and juicy meat.

It is served alongside lemon-scented bao buns accompanied by “demon sauce” – although purists may prefer the traditional pancakes, scallions, cucumber and hoisin sauce.

Demon Duck by Alvin Leung, Caesars Palace Dubai, Bluewaters Island, Dubai

maya bay

Two Asian cuisines meet at Maya Bay, a restaurant that first opened in Monaco in 2005 and has now made its way to Dubai’s Jumeirah Al Naseem hotel with its mix of Thai and Japanese dishes. The combination translates into an extensive menu with a little bit of everything, including sushi and sashimi, curries, salads, Japanese mochi sweets and Thai pandan cake.

The team is supervised by British chef Shane Macneill and is always working on new creations, some with luxurious touches such as uramaki sushi with wagyu and caviar. Signature dishes include black cod in a sweet miso sauce cooked over charcoal and the beloved pad thai. Among the drinks, the cocktails follow a tropical line, but there are also sakes and teas to harmonize with the meal.

Maya Bay, Jumeirah Al Naseem, Umm Suqueim 3, Dubai

Inti

With a deck overlooking the impressive Burj Khalifa (it’s okay, being the tallest building in the world, everything in Dubai has a view of it), the brand new Inti should be the best choice for the cooler months of autumn and winter. The word means sun in Quechua, the language of the Incas that is still spoken today in parts of Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia. Focusing on Nikkei (Peruvian-Japanese fusion) cuisine, it also offers live entertainment from Latino dancers and DJs.

Start with eggplant served tempura style, gyoza with black cod or perhaps the wide selection of ceviches and salads. The meal can continue with steaks and seafood grilled in the Josper oven and anticuchos skewers with marinated chicken, jumbo shrimp or corn.

The Dubai EDITION, Dubai Fountain Street, Downtown Dubai

Sublimotion, Mandarin Oriental, Dubai

It may just be a six-month residency ending in May 2023, but the multi-sensory restaurant Sublimotion — usually based in Ibiza — is the place everyone wants to book right now, after all it only has 12 seats per meal. well when we talk all we mean those with deep pockets, as Sublimotion is known as the most expensive restaurant in the world: dinner costs at least AED 5,000 (US$1,361) per person. But with an extra perk: unlimited premium drinks are included.

For that amount, the tasting menu of up to 20 interactive dishes becomes a true gastronomic theater. Music and projected imagery combine to ensure that customers only expect the unexpected. The dining room changes scenery, becoming an ocean or forest, while the virtual reality headsets help take the meal in totally unexpected directions.

Mandarin Oriental JumeiraJumeirah Beach Road, Jumeira 1, Dubai

TABŪ, St. Regis Downtown

Unexpected and surreal theatrical entertainment is a feature of the menu at TABŪ, on the 23rd floor of the St. Regis Downtown. Sumo wrestlers, human “wolves”, magicians and geishas make appearances throughout the night on different stages, mingling with diners and to the sound of the resident DJ.

On the dining side, executive chef Roberto Segura oversees a Japanese-Peruvian menu that includes sushi and ceviches, salads and ishiyaki hot stone bowl dishes, as well as a variety of steaks.

Tuna tartar in sesame cones and sea urchin with caviar are among the appetizers, before more substantial starters like Chilean sea bass pot, king crab leg with yuzu or delicately roasted prime rib. The place also has excellent vegan options, including desserts.

TABOO, 23rd Floor at The St. Regis Downtown, Downtown Dubai

avatara

Avatāra is an all-vegetarian dining experience that celebrates the diverse cuisines of North East India. Chef Rahul Rana hails from Rishikesh, in the foothills of the Himalayas, and serves dishes that reflect his background and experience. The idea is to try to change perceptions of vegetarian food.

Alternatives include a cooked dumpling, known as momo, stuffed with jackfruit, which gives it a similar texture to pulled pork, accompanied by thukpa, a lemongrass flavored noodle soup. Another dish traditionally served during festivals in India is fried lentils served with fermented carrots. Coconut kheer, a type of fragrant pudding, is a sublime way to end a hearty tasting menu.

avatara2nd floor, Voco Hotel, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai