Last month, prestigious culinary guide Michelin announced it was coming to Abu Dhabi.
On Thursday, the launch date of the Michelin Guide Abu Dhabi was confirmed for November 10.
The guide will be unveiled at a black tie event at Emirates Palace. Attendees will be served a menu curated by international Michelin-starred chefs, including Simon Rogan (from L’Enclume in the UK), Bjorn Frantzen (from Frantzen in Sweden), Cheryl Koh (from Les Amis in Singapore) and Jimmy Ophorst (from Pru in Thailand), along with Lee Kok Hua, executive chef at Hakkasan Abu Dhabi.
Scroll through the gallery above to see chefs' predictions on which Abu Dhabi restaurants deserve a place in the 'Michelin Guide'
The launch of the Michelin Guide Abu Dhabi will take place less than five months after 11 restaurants in Dubai were awarded Michelin stars in June.
We don't yet know if the capital will have a selection of Bib Gourmand, one, two or three-starred establishments. One Michelin star is awarded to restaurants for “high-quality cooking that is worth a stop", two Michelin stars for “excellent cooking that is worth a detour", and three Michelin stars for “exceptional cuisine that is worth a special journey".
Michelin’s Bib Gourmand list refers to restaurants that provide “value-for-money three-course meals”, that is, venues where diners can enjoy several courses under a certain amount (which varies depending on a city’s cost of living).
The Abu Dhabi guide was announced at an event in the UAE capital in September.
"Everywhere in the world, our inspectors are constantly on the field to monitor the evolution of the culinary scene and that is the case for Abu Dhabi as well; our inspectors have been working on the ground here for more than six years," Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guides, told The National following the announcement.
At the time, the Abu Dhabi was not finalised, and Poullennec said it would not be set in stone until just before the list is released. "It's a never-ending process," he said. In a message aimed at the capital's restaurateurs, he joked that they should "watch out" as the inspectors are still on the ground and will be "among their regular guests".
In further culinary food news for the UAE capital, it has been confirmed that the second Mena's 50 Best Restaurants list will be announced at a ceremony in Abu Dhabi on January 30.
The UAE capital has been selected as the host city for a second time, following the release of the debut Mena list by the World's 50 Best group at Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers in February.
Michelin-starred restaurants in Dubai — in pictures
