Dubai is home to several restaurants which have been awarded first-ever Michelin stars for the Middle East, proving the quality of the destination’s offer.
The Michelin Guide Dubai 2022 was launched Tuesday 21, 2022, comprising 69 restaurants. Among those, eleven were awarded Michelin stars and 14 received a Bib Gourmand (deemed to provide value for money). Spanning 21 cuisines, the guide aims to reflect the culinary diversity in a place.
Two restaurants received two Michelin stars: Stay by Yannick Alleno, and Il Ristorante by Niko Romito. Il Ristorante was recognized for "its modern Italian fare, which comes with balance, purity and clarity" and Stay for its "less-is-more approach" to French cuisine, according to a Michelin press release.
Moreover, nine restaurants were awarded one Michelin star, including nine-seat Japanese restaurant Höseki, innovative Chinese restaurant Hakkasan, and Tasca by José Avillez, which serves Portuguese cuisine.
Despite the selection encompassing cuisines from across the European and Asian continents, no restaurant specializing in Middle Eastern cuisine was awarded a star. But there was recognition for Middle Eastern cooking amongst the Bib Gourmand awardees.
Our inspectors have been in the field for years to monitor the evolution of the local culinary landscape and we are proud and happy to reveal the vibrancy and real potential of Dubai as a gastronomic hotspot. […] We have monitored a sharp evolution in the quality of the food offering (in Dubai) and we have more and more independently run restaurants operated by local and homegrown talent. Today we have a very diverse culinary scene and there will be more to come.
Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guides
The Dubai guide may set the stage for Michelin acknowledging culinary excellence elsewhere in the Middle East. The guide may also boost tourism within the destination as Dubai currently around 16 million tourists each year.
