Dubai’s recent crop of restaurants are spearheaded by successful figures in the industry including Salam Daqqaq, named the Middle East’s best female chef of 2023 by World’s 50 Best, MasterChef India judge Ajay Chopra and Palestinian restaurateur Basil Yassin.
Here are eight of the latest venues to visit, which opened between July and August.
Sufret Maryam
Cuisine: Levantine
Palestinian-Jordanian chef Daqqaq has already made a name for her award-winning casual dining restaurant Bait Maryam in JLT. Her second restaurant Sufret Maryam, literally “Maryam’s Dining Table”, still serves Levantine flavours, but in a more elevated (read fine-dining) ambience.
On the menu are hot and cold mezze, plus appetisers such as 48-hour fermented dough with labneh cream and confit garlic; mains such as cod sayadieh and lamb mansaf with Jordanian jameed; and desserts such as labneh creme brulee.
Daily, noon-midnight; Wasl 51, Jumeirah 1; 050 417 2272
Indikaya
Cuisine: Indian
Chilean sea bass is not often found on an Indian restaurant menu, but then again, chef Ajay Chopra’s Indikaya bills itself as a “progressive fusion Indian tapas” venue. The bass is marinated with a spice blend from North Canara in Karnataka and is served on a plancha.
Such creative twists are par for the course at Indikaya, with other dishes including mungbean tartine with Maharashtrian thecha; vada pao with a tempered russet potato and wasabi relish; Kumbh indulgence with porcini mushrooms, Manchego, fried enoki and black garlic emulsion; and even Australian lamb osso bucco brined in spiced whey, slow-cooked with nihari sauce and served over truffled cauliflower puree.
The rum baba misu, meanwhile, comes with kithul jaggery mousse, glazed cherries and South Indian filter coffee ganache.
Monday to Thursday, noon-11pm; Friday to Sunday, noon-1am; Shangri-La Hotel, Sheikh Zayed Road; 054 279 3647
Toto
Cuisine: Italian
After its first outing in Abu Dhabi, the restaurant by Rafael Nadal, Cristiano Ronaldo and Pau Gasol has opened in Downtown Dubai. Inspired by Italian cinema of the 1950s and '60s, specifically Cinema Paradiso, Toto is built on the philosophy that both film and food serve as a means of escapism.
On the fine-dining menu are dishes such as burrata Pugliese served on tomato carpaccio with basil pesto; veal in a creamy tuna sauce; courgette mille-feuille with Parmigiano; charcoal-braised artichoke flowers with duck carbonara; rigatoni pasta with duck guanciale and pasteurised egg yolk; grilled octopus with olive tapenade and potato puree; plus tiramisu and gelato.
Daily, noon-4pm, 5pm-1am; Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Blvd, Downtown Dubai; 04 215 2121
Ikayu
Cuisine: Japanese
From its wooden seating areas and raw plaster accents to stone-themed cutlery, everything about Jumeirah’s latest Japanese eatery Ikayu reflects a modern aesthetic, including its menu.
Led by Mohamed Kharbash (of Backyard and Heal fame), the contemporary and fusion Japanese restaurant serves its tuna tataki with a hit of chipotle and its prawn tempura maki with an unagi sauce. Elsewhere on the menu are soft shell crab maki with shichimi aioli; Wagyu beef anticuchos with coriander-mayo; corn salad and salmon carpaccio.
Daily, noon-midnight; Umm Al Sheif; 04 591 9136
Wandr
Cuisine: International, healthy
Following its pop-up truck in Alserkal Avenue, Wandr has opened its first brick-and-mortar restaurant in JLT. Its USP, according to Dubai-born restaurateur Anki Ram? A slow food approach to fast-casual dining by prioritising nutrition, cultural authenticity and sustainability.
This all translates to dishes created from scratch-made proteins, seasonal veggies and wholesome carbs. Think wraps filled with glazed tempeh and pickled shiitake or al pastor jackfruit with machego cheese; healthy bowls with quinoa, fresh greens, avocado, piquillo peppers and pumpkin seeds; and sides such as sweet potato hummus and gunpowder mac 'n' cheese.
Daily, 9am-9.30pm; Cluster T, JLT; 055 161 1003
Tonton
Cuisine: Baked goods
Palestinian restaurateur Basil Yassin (of Yava fame) has launched an “urban bakehouse” that melds French and Italian baking traditions, as well as offering iced teas, seasonal slushies and freshly brewed coffee.
One popular dish is a twist on the classic Italian pastry sfogliatella. The menu also includes lemon meringue croissants, vanilla caramel mille-feuille, apple Chausson, pear crumble tart, coffee choux and chocolate fingers.
Tuesday to Sunday, 8am-8pm; Wasl 51; 058 998 5272
Sierra by Cove Beach
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Now in JBR, Cove Beach has also launched a new restaurant called Sierra complete with a sushi bar, fish market and dry ager.
On the menu are dishes such as burrata di Puglia, Wagyu beef tartare, lobster pasta, Greek salad, salmon and crab tempura, all courtesy of London-trained chef Nasser Fouad Laziri.
Monday to Thursday, noon-11.30pm; Friday to Sunday, noon-midnight; La Vie, JBR; 050 454 6920
Thea
Cuisine: French-Mediterranean
Helmed by chef John Rogers, Thea will open its doors in D3 later this month, and diners can expect dishes based on a “deep respect for ingredients and passion for innovation”.
On the menu this translates as beef tartar with Australian Angus, confit egg yolks, cornichon, dijon mustard and a baguette; the Thea burger with Wagyu, onion jam, 18-month-aged comte and home-cut chips; seared scallops with cauliflower, Parmesan, crispy shallots; and pan-fried seabass with herbed pearl barley, caponata and soft herb butter.
Opens August 19; 7am-10pm from Monday to Friday, 8am-10pm on Saturday and Sunday; Dubai Design District; 04 553 1709
