Guide to Dubai's new Michelin-starred restaurants, from Orfali Bros to La Dame de Pic

City now has 15 one-starred and four two-starred venues

The beef dish uses A5 Saroma Wagyu in Jason Atherton's 17-course menu at Row on 45, which was awarded two Michelin stars. Photo: Row on 45

The Michelin Guide Dubai revealed its latest crop of stellar restaurants, value-for-money dining spots, special awards and worthwhile mentions on Thursday.

While the 11 one-starred and three two-starred restaurants retained their stars, five venues were conferred with the coveted recognition for the first time – Smoked Room, Sagetsu by Tetsuya, La Dame de Pic and Orfali Bros received one star, while Row on 45 earned two.

Here's what to know about the five new entrants.

Row on 45

Number of stars: Two

After sampling the dishes at Jason Atherton's restaurant earlier this year, The National predicted it was going to get two Michelin stars – and so it did, bringing the British chef to tears on the Michelin stage.

The Row is an abbreviation for “refinement of work”, alluding to the chef's continuous harbouring of culinary curiosity and technical excellence. This is not a far-fetched description of Atherton's career. He’s been a chef for 35 years and is no stranger to a Michelin accolade. He spent some of his formative years as a young chef in Dubai when he opened Gordon Ramsay's Verre at Hilton Dubai Creek over two decades ago.

Row on 45 sits above Atherton's City Social House, and is a penthouse-style venue with gorgeous views of Dubai Marina. The food, meanwhile, is a glimpse into Atherton's journey. While the menu frequently changes with ingredients swapped based on seasonal produce, the chef tells The National the ethos remains intact.

“People are buying into a 17-course journey through a gastronomic experience,” says Atherton. “They are expecting to taste flavours they have never tasted before, textures they have never experienced before and an overall experience that blows their mind.”

Some of the dishes in the rather lengthy but worthy service include oyster ice cream beurre blanc, N25 caviar and a savoury meringue; cubed tuna, otoro, myoga Japanese ginger and wasabi; and Norwegian king crab.

Wednesday to Saturday, 7.15pm-1am; Grosvenor House, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Dubai Marina; 056 832 4545

Orfali Bros

Number of stars: One

From left, the Orfali brothers are Omar, Mohamad and Wassim. Photo: Orfali Bros Bistro

Located at Wasl 51 Mall, Jumeirah 1, Orfali Bros serves Mediterranean cuisine with a global influence. The creativity of its fusion fare is evident in dishes such as foie gras with quince vinegar and hazelnut miso; umami eclair with porcini emulsion, Marmite, cacao nibs and beef prosciutto; and adobo chicken wings.

The restaurant is promoted to one-star status from the Bib Gourmand category, which it made last year. This builds on the venue's decorated history. In May, it made it to the World's 51-100 Best Restaurants list and won top honours on the Mena's 50 Best Restaurants 2023 list.

Food aside, it is known for the personalities of the people behind it: Syrian brothers Mohamad, Wassim and Omar. Accepting the Michelin plaque to thunderous applause at the ceremony, Mohamad said the star is “a big responsibility”.

In a previous interview with The National, Mohamad said industry awards allow them to host “more sophisticated guests such as chefs, restaurateurs and food writers, which is more challenging”.

Mohamad describes the food at Orfali Bros as emotional and a representation of the community, which he says “is the secret sauce”.

Daily, noon-11.30pm; Wasl 51, Building D, Jumeirah 1; 04 259 2477

Smoked Room

Number of stars: One

King crab and sea urchin on a creamy corn chawanmushi base. Photo: Smoked Room

The Dubai outpost of chef Dani Garcia's famed three-starred restaurant in Madrid is at St Regis Gardens, another fine-dining destination. As with its Spanish counterpart, the 14-seater omakase restaurant is dedicated to “embers and smoke”, in both its sultry decor and cooking techniques.

“I am immensely proud of my team’s commitment to excellence and grateful to the Michelin Guide for recognising our efforts,” said Garcia. “This star belongs to everyone who has contributed to our journey.”

The National was given a first taste of dishes at the restaurant before it opened in December, including amaebi from Hokkaido with brown butter and yuzu kosho; corn chawanmushi, grilled leek, king crab and sea urchin; as well as the smoked eel nitro tomato, roasted red pepper caramel and ajoblanco from Malaga, which was the highlight of the meal with its flavour-packed quality.

The Michelin Guide describes the dining experience at Smoked Room as “immersive and engaging, with chefs guiding diners through the 11-course menu and explaining in detail the creative and technically skilled dishes”.

Wednesday to Saturday, 6pm-2am; Sunday, 6pm-midnight; St Regis Gardens, Palm Jumeirah; 04 453 7548

La Dame de Pic

Number of stars: One

La Dame de Pic at The Link is the brainchild of Anne-Sophie Pic. Her various restaurants, including the three-starred Maison Pic in France, hold a total of 11 stars, making her the world's most decorated female chef.

The chef is known for her mastery of French cuisine, paired with a penchant for innovation, creativity and unexpected flavours. On the Dubai are dishes such as tomato baba perfumed with eucalyptus and lemon verbena ice cream; pasta parcels filled with 24-month aged count cheese with green peas, wild rocket and pistachio coulis; and Atlantic cuttlefish infused with rosemary and served with courgette and pink pepper beurre blanc.

Diners can choose from several tasting menus, including an option for vegetarians, which has dishes such as green beans glazed with carvi honey and pickled wild lavender, as well as yellow and green courgette, pickled pine, rosemary and pink pepper beurre blanc.

Tuesday to Sunday, 6pm-midnight; The Link, One&Only One Za'abeel; 04 666 1617

Sagetsu by Tetsuya

Number of stars: One

Sea urchin with botan shrimp and oscietra caviar. Photo: @sagetsudubai / Instagram

Also at The Link is Sagetsu by Tetsuya, which serves Japanese cuisine with a touch of French techniques. The menu changes to reflect the seasons in Japan, where the ingredients are sourced from.

Japanese-born Australian chef Tetsuya Wakuda leads the kitchen. He also runs Waku Ghin in Singapore, which has two stars. In 2005, he was given the Medal of the Order of Australia, the highest honour for Australian citizens, for his work as a chef, restaurateur and cookbook author.

While guests can order a la carte from a selection of popular dishes – warm Alaskan king crab salad, Hokkaido sea urchin with botan shrimp and more – the Michelin Guide recommends opting for the omakase experience to “step into the mind of the chef”.

“The tasting menu clearly conveys the essence of the dishes, highlighting balanced flavours made with few ingredients,” it says on its website.

Other dishes on the current menu include roasted French langoustine; steamed Patagonian toothfish with sauteed spring onion and ginger; and grilled akamutsu or rosy sea bass with Japanese rise and braised shiitake.

Daily, 6pm-10pm; The Link, One&Only One Za'abeel; 04 666 1617

Full list of Dubai restaurants with Michelin stars

• 11 Woodfire (one star)
• Al Muntaha (one star)
• Armani Ristorante (one star)
• Avatara (one star)
• Dinner by Heston Blumenthal (one star)
• Hakkasan (one star)
• Hoseki (one star)
• La Dame de Pic Dubai (one star)
• Moonrise (one star)
• Orfali Bros (one star)
• Ossiano (one star)
• Sagetsu by Tetsuya (one star)
• Smoked Room (one star)
• Tasca by Jose Avillez (one star)
• Torno Subito (one star)
• Il Ristorante-Niko Romito (two stars)
• Row on 45 (two stars)
• Stay by Yannick Alleno (two stars)
• Tresind Studio (two stars)

Full list of Dubai restaurants in the Bib Gourmand category

• 21 Grams
• 3Fils
• Aamara
• Al Khayma Heritage Restaurant
• Bait Maryam
• Berenjak
• Duo Gastrobar
• Goldfish
• Hoe Lee Kow
• Ibn Albahr
• Indya by Vineet
• Kinoya
• Konjiki Hototogisu
• Reif Japanese Kushiyaki - Dar Wasl
• Reif Japanese Kushiyaki - Dubai Hills
• Revelry
• Shabestan
• Teible

Newly added restaurants are italicised