The 2026 edition of the Michelin Guide Abu Dhabi was unveiled at a glittering ceremony at Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental on Thursday.
Current star holders Hakkasan, Talea by Antonio Guida and Emirati restaurant Erth, all retained their coveted culinary awards. 99 Sushi lost its star.
“We made it,” said chef Luigi Stinga, from Talea by Antonio Guida, as he accepted the award on stage. “I cannot explain the feeling.”
3Fils Abu Dhabi, which recently opened in Al Bateen, went home with Opening of the Year. The Japanese-inspired spot first opened in Dubai in 2016.
Gwendal Poullennec, the international director of the guide, said inspectors this year highlighted the Abu Dhabi culinary scene's continued excellent value and how restaurateurs are pushing boundaries to “innovate and diversify their offerings”, “leading Abu Dhabi to shine on the global gastronomic stage”.
A number of high-profile chefs attended the event and served samples of their award-winning work at the reception area. Chef Belen Pracilio from Mate was serving cockle and clam empanadas, alongside Marshall Allen Roth, from Butcher & Still, who had a bone marrow and pistachio madeleine on the menu.
Ricardo Costa, executive chef of the two-Michelin-starred The Yeatman in Porto, who is known for elevating Portuguese cuisine by merging modern and heritage techniques and influences, was also in attendance, serving cuttlefish with consomme, caviar and samphire.
The first Abu Dhabi guide was launched in 2022 and has since grown to include dozens of spots in the capital. Stars aside, the guide also recognises venues in the Bib Gourmand category, which lauds “just-as-esteemed” and friendly establishments that serve good food at reasonable prices.
Three restaurants were added to the list: Bua Thai Cafe, Goldfish Sushi & Yakitori Abu Dhabi and 3Fils Abu Dhabi, taking the total to 10. Mika and Ryba, which were added to the Bib Gourmand list last year, retained their positions on the list, alongside Al Mrzab, Almayass, Beirut Sur Mer, Otoro and T'azal.
Unlike neighbouring emirate Dubai, the capital has fewer restaurants in its own guide, but it's no indication of a lull in Abu Dhabi's restaurant scene. A total of 56 restaurants were added to the general Michelin-recommended guide this year (see full list below).
The ceremony comes just months after the unveiling of the 2025 edition in Dubai, where two restaurants were awarded the city’s first three stars, including Tresind Studio, the first Indian restaurant in the world to receive this accolade.
According to the Michelin website, one star is conferred on venues that use “top-quality ingredients, where dishes with distinct flavours are prepared to a consistently high standard”. Two stars are awarded to restaurants where the chef's personality and talent are front and centre and the “food is refined and inspired”.
Three stars is the highest Michelin accolade. It is given to venues that demonstrate “superlative cooking”, such that the dishes are “elevated to an art form” and are destined to become culinary classics.
Special awards
A raft of special awards were also announced. Chef Vittorio Nania of Villa Toscana went home with the Young Chef of the Year award.
Ricardo Bout, food and drinks manager at Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers, was given the Service Award, while the Exceptional Cocktails award, celebrating creativity in mixology, went to Maria Luz Garcia and Mahesh Dhami from Strawfire by Ross Shonhan.
How the Michelin stars are decided
The bread and butter of the guide is the team of anonymous inspectors, who are tasked with conducting random visits throughout the year to determine winners. According to the Michelin Guide, no inspector visits the same restaurant twice, and meals are planned at various times of day and year to gauge consistency.
Five universal criteria are taken into account:
1. Quality of ingredients
2. Mastery of cooking
3. Harmony of flavours
4. Personality of the chef reflected in the cuisine
5. Consistency both over time and across the entire menu
List of Abu Dhabi restaurants with one Michelin star
- Erth, Qasr Al Hosn compound
- Hakkasan, Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental
- Talea by Antonio Guida, Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental
List of Abu Dhabi restaurants in the Bib Gourmand category
- 3Fils Abu Dhabi, Al Bateen (new)
- Al Mrzab, Al Mushrif
- Almayass, The Galleria Al Maryah Island
- Beirut Sur Mer, Mamsha Al Saadiyat
- Bua Thai Cafe, Yas Bay (new)
- Goldfish Sushi & Yakitori Abu Dhabi, Marina Mall (new)
- Mika, Yas Bay
- Ryba, Mina Abu Dhabi
- Otoro, Al Qana
- T'azal, Al Qana
List of restaurants selected for the Michelin Guide Abu Dhabi
- 99 Sushi
- Al Farah
- Antonia, Mamsha Al Saadiyat (new)
- Bord Eau by Nicolas Isnard, Shangri-La Qaryat Al Beri Khor
- Broadway, Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental
- Butcher & Still, Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi at Al Maryah Island
- Byblos Sur Mer, InterContinental Abu Dhabi
- Cafe Milano, Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi at Al Maryah Island
- Catch by St Regis, The St Regis Abu Dhabi
- Cipriani Dolci, Marina Mall (new)
- Coya Abu Dhabi, The Galleria Al Maryah Island
- Dai Pai Dong Restaurant, Rosewood Abu Dhabi
- Em Sherif Sea Cafe, Rosewood Abu Dhabi
- Finz, Beach Rotana
- Fouquet's, Louvre Abu Dhabi
- Grand Beirut, The Galleria Al Maryah Island
- Jose by Pizarro, Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers
- Kopitiam by Chandy’s, Al Falah Road
- Li Beirut, Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers
- Li Jiang, The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal
- LPM Abu Dhabi, The Galleria Al Maryah Island
- Martabaan by Hemant Oberoi, Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental
- Mate, Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel And Villas
- Meylas, Al Muneera
- Mijana, The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal
- Moksh, Etihad Towers
- Namak, Dusit Thani Abu Dhabi
- Niri Restaurant and Bar, Mamsha Al Saadiyat
- Novikov Abu Dhabi (new)
- Oak Room, Abu Dhabi Edition
- Oii, Al Qana
- Paradiso, Yas Bay
- Pincode Kunal Kapur (new)
- Punjab Grill, The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal
- Ray's Grill, Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers
- Sand & Koal, Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental (new)
- Strawfire by Ross Shonhan, Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental (new)
- Taparelle, Manarat Al Saadiyat (new)
- Tean, Jumeirah at Saadiyat Island Resort
- Terra, Al Qana
- Villa Mamas (new)
- Villa Toscana
- Zuma
