7 of the best restaurants in Dubai

Dubai's restaurant scene is thriving and choosing the best restaurants in Dubai is a lot harder than it used to be. 

“The Zagat restaurant guide is launching here now, which is just one thing that shows Dubai has arrived as a foodie destination,” says Ajaz Sheikh, director of operations for the Middle East for the Zuma chain of restaurants.

“The S.Pellegrino list of the world’s best restaurants for 2012 included two Dubai restaurants in the top 100 (Zuma and La Petite Maison). People internationally are definitely becoming interested in Dubai.”

Growing interest in the restaurant scene here has been sparked by a recent influx of celebrity chefs such as Pierre Gagnaire, Gary Rhodes and Jamie Oliver as well as the arrival of restaurant brands such as The Ivy, Rivington Grill, Hakkasan, Gaucho, Nobu, La Petite Maison and Zuma.

New generation

Money plays a big part in attracting those big names.

“Where there's an emerging international business hub, a culturally diverse population, many with a high disposable income, and a relatively under-developed restaurant scene, there are opportunities to grow a brand,” says James Brennan, former Middle East chairman of the S.Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants awards and restaurant editor of the forthcoming Zagat Dubai guide.

It’s not just global brands. A number of homegrown restaurants have prospered, including Table 9 By Nick and Scott, which replaced Gordon Ramsay’s Verre -- Dubai’s first celebrity chef restaurant -- when it closed after a decade in 2011.

“There’s still room for big names, but the world of food has moved on since Gordon Ramsay and Gary Rhodes opened their restaurants here, and I can see a new generation of international chefs opening in Dubai in the future," says Nick Alvis, one of the young chefs behind Table 9 By Nick and Scott.

“The local restaurant scene has arrived, but only just. I'd compare its most recent phase to adolescence -- it has sought self-assurance in big-name brands and chefs from more established markets.

"But now it's showing signs of growing up, and it's gradually finding the confidence to go out into the world and do its own thing. It's beginning to show us its real personality through homegrown concepts." 

With such a potent mix of celebrity chefs, global names and homegrown brands, it’s no easy matter choosing where to dine in Dubai.

Unless you have some help. Here are among the best restaurants in Dubai:

1. La Petite Maison, French

LPM is one of Dubai's most popular restaurants.

The most sought-after food in Dubai is the fresh plates of Niçoise cuisine served at the city’s most popular restaurant, La Petite Maison.

LPM, as it's commonly known, is the Dubai outpost of a three-restaurant global group. Its reservations book is always full.

The kitchen turns out un-fussy dishes such as peas, basil and tomatoes, razor clams with an herb crust and a justly popular cheesecake, all made with high-quality seasonal produce.

Prices start at 1,000 dirhams (US$272) for two. 

La Petite Maison, Gate Village 8, Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai; +971 4 439 0505; open daily, noon-3:30 p.m. and 7-11:30 p.m.; bar 1 p.m.-midnight; lpmdubai.ae

 

2. Zuma, Japanese

Big enough for many beautiful people.

Beautiful people love beautiful food. And other beautiful people. This is where they all come together to admire each other.

The Dubai outlet of chef Rainer Becker’s six-strong chain of izakaya-style Japanese restaurants serves inventive small-plates of Japanese cuisine in a bright downstairs restaurant and strong cocktails in a dimly lit upstairs lounge bar.

Prices start at 1,000 dirhams (US$272) for two. 

Zuma, Gate Village 6, Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai; +971 4 425 5660; open daily 12:30-3 p.m. and 7 p.m.-midnight; zumarestaurant.com

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3. Table 9 By Nick and Scott, Fusion

You know to take a restaurant seriously when the plates are huge and the food is smudges.

Who would have thought Gordon Ramsay's departure would be a good thing for the Dubai restaurant scene? Well, it was.

Thirty-something chef duo Scott Price and Nick Alvis came to Dubai to head up the celebrity chef’s Verre, but when Ramsay departed the city in 2011 the pair stayed.

They turned his European fine dining establishment into Table 9 and introduced a chef’s table, local artwork, a more laid-back style and one of the most exciting and creative menus in the city.

Prices start at 900 dirhams (US$245) for two. 

Table 9 by Nick and Scott, Hilton Dubai Creek, Deira, Dubai; +971 4 227 1111; open daily 7 p.m.-midnight; table9dubai.com

4. Okku, Japanese

Tokyo or Dubai?

In a city dominated by global brands and international chefs, Okku is a rarity.

The brainchild of resident entrepreneurs Markus Thesleff and Ramzy Abdul Majeed, this sultry, subterranean nightspot serving sushi and imaginative Japanese dishes and excellent cocktails plays on the same field as the big boys.

Prices start at 700 dirhams (US$190) for two.

Okku, The H Hotel, 1 Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai; +971 4 501 8777; open daily 7 p.m.-2 a.m.; okkudubai.com

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5. Rhodes Mezzanine, British

British classics with a French twist and love of Dubai.

British chef Gary Rhodes loves Dubai so much that he recently packed his bags, hopped on a plane from London and became a full-time resident of the city.

As a result, you can often find the energetic chef at his eponymous fine dining establishment.

At Mezzanine, he oversees one of the most skilled kitchen brigades in the city, ensuring that his “British classics with French flair” are prepared and presented perfectly.

Prices start at 800 dirhams (US$217) for two.

Rhodes Mezzanine, Grosvenor House, Dubai Marina, Dubai; +971 4 399 8888; open Monday-Saturday 7-11:30 p.m.; grosvenorhouse-dubai.com

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6. Reflets Par Pierre Gagnaire, French

Mad genius.

If a thin line separates madness from genius, multi-Michelin-starred French master Pierre Gagnaire appears to walk it.

The camp magenta carpets and chandeliers are just about doolally enough to do justice to the avant-garde contemporary French cuisine turned out by the superstar chef’s talented kitchen staff.

Prices start at 1,000 dirhams (US$272) for two. 

Reflets Par Pierre Gagnaire, InterContinental Dubai Festival City, Dubai; +971 4 701 1128; open Sunday-Friday 7-11:30 p.m.; www.ichotelsgroup.com

7. Roberto’s, Italian

There are dazzling views off the plate, too.

The vigorous Italian Roberto Rella was once famed as the manager of BiCE, where he was instrumental in taking one of the city’s favorite Italian restaurants to the status of culinary institution.

His job done, he sought out an impressive property right at the heart of Dubai International Financial Centre, amid the biggest names in the restaurant industry.

Here, he opened his own place, modestly naming it after himself.

Retaining the Italian classics that continue to make BiCE such a success, and adding an impressive raw bar selection and cocktails, Roberto’s is just as popular as its owner.

Prices start at 600 dirhams (US$163) for two. 

Roberto’s, Gate Village 1, Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai; +971 4 386 0066; open daily, noon-3 p.m. and 7-11:30 p.m.; bar open daily, noon-2 a.m.; robertos.ae