Who says dining has to be ordinary? Dubai no longer sits in the shadow of other culinary capitals like Paris, London, or even New York. Today, the city witnesses the world’s most recognisable chefs establish serious kitchens, and when a restaurant carries a name known beyond the cooking room, expectations naturally rise. Guests come not only for flavour, but for the experience of eating food connected to a familiar figure – whether from cookbooks, television, or decades of acclaim.
Dubai, being home to numerous such places, food enthusiasts can experience internationally renowned chefs presenting their signature dishes and distinctive approaches to cooking. Think Gordon Ramsay’s fiery Beef Wellington, Heston Blumenthal’s whimsical Meat Fruit, or Nobu Matsuhisa’s legendary Black Cod, dishes that feel as though they have leapt straight from the pages of a glossy magazine onto your plate.
If you are a traveller seeking a one-night feast or a local celebrating a special occasion, this guide brings together Dubai’s line-up of celebrity chef restaurants that matter most, offering a dining scene that is both diverse and distinguished.
Bread Street Kitchen & Bar by Gordon Ramsay – Modern British (Atlantis The Palm)
Following his Hell’s Kitchen venture on Bluewaters, Ramsay’s Dubai outpost has evolved into Bread Street Kitchen at Atlantis The Palm. Modelled after its celebrated London counterpart, the restaurant is unmistakably Ramsay in tone, with dishes that merge everyday classics with considered detail – Fish and chips, shepherd’s pie and the famous Beef Wellington are presented with exceptional finesse, while the lively bar lends the dining room its social heartbeat. The setting – loft-style interiors opening onto terraces with Palm Jumeirah views – suits both a casual supper and a celebratory occasion. As one of the most recognisable names in gastronomy, Ramsay’s television presence, Michelin record, and global reputation combine to make his restaurants sought-after destinations.
Nusr-Et Steakhouse by Nusret Gökçe – (Four Seasons Resort)
Nusret Gökçe – better known globally as Salt Bae – has turned steak service into theatre. His restaurant at the Four Seasons, Jumeirah, has long been a destination for both A-listers and devoted carnivores, where tomahawks are carved at the table and butter-basted sirloins arrive in skillets. Playful touches – such as “meat sushi” crowned with truffle and Parmesan – lighten the mood, but the core remains serious meat cookery, generous portions, and a convivial atmosphere. The Golden Ottoman Steak, a centrepiece of AED 3500 ribeye wrapped in gold, underscores the restaurant’s taste for extravagance.
The Four Seasons’ branch is undergoing a complete renovation from 15 August to 15 October 2025 – during this time, guests are steered to the DIFC branch, Saltbae Burger. Nusr-Et Steakhouse’s publicity owes as much to the substance of the steakhouse as to the theatrics of the salt-sprinkle. It is helmed by a chef whose viral gesture captured global attention and launched a global career that now spans over a dozen countries.
STAY by Yannick Alléno – French (One&Only The Palm)
Within the hushed elegance of One&Only The Palm, STAY bears the imprint of Yannick Alléno, the French culinary master whose constellation of Michelin stars precedes him. Awarded two Michelin stars, the restaurant presents an elegance of the most considered kind with black-and-white interiors softened by garden views and an atmosphere laced with old-world polish. On the menu, Alléno’s food honours French tradition with a refined modern edge – a cheese soufflé enriched with foie gras or intricate sauces layered like fine silk, a langoustines gently poached in aromatic broth, their sweetness heightened by a whisper of citrus, and a duck glazed in aged vinegar, its richness tempered by a play of spice and sweetness. Seasonal tasting menus – Émotions (four courses) and Expérience (six courses) – show his hand at its finest. The venue leaves a lasting impression and is widely regarded as an unforgettable dining experience.
Nobu Dubai – Japanese-Peruvian (Atlantis The Palm)
Nobu Matsuhisa – the world-renowned celebrity chef and restaurateur – brings his celebrated Japanese–Peruvian fusion to Atlantis, The Palm. This sleek, high-end restaurant is famed for inventive sushi and elegant sharing plates, with standout signatures such as Yellowtail Sashimi with Jalapeño and the iconic Black Cod with Miso. Other highlights include rock shrimp tempura and spicy tuna tartare. Born in Japan, Nobu’s distinctive style was first honed in Lima, Peru, where the absence of familiar Japanese ingredients compelled him to experiment with local produce, giving rise to the now-famous Japanese–Peruvian fusion. From those beginnings, he went on to take New York by storm with Robert De Niro as his partner – shaping one of the world’s most recognisable culinary empires.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal – Modern British (Atlantis The Royal)
At Atlantis The Royal, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal brings theatrical British gastronomy to the Dubai fine dining canon. Heston’s iconic dishes include: the playful Meat Fruit – a mandarin concealing a rich chicken liver parfait – and the indulgent Tipsy Cake, a 19th-century-inspired brioche pudding served with spit-roasted pineapple. Other dishes trace centuries of British cooking, from medieval pies to Victorian desserts, each prepared using exceptional talent. As a Michelin-starred import from London with a sleek, contemporary dining room, it offers a culinary journey through Britain’s past that feels entirely of the moment. After all, it bears the stamp of Heston Blumenthal, a chef celebrated for his three-Michelin-starred Fat Duck and whose experimental approach has earned him global acclaim.
Il Ristorante by Niko Romito – Contemporary Italian (Bulgari Resort Dubai)
Il Ristorante by Niko Romito, set within the private world of the Bulgari Resort on Jumeirah Bay, has been awarded two MICHELIN stars. The restaurant reflects Romito’s philosophy of distilling Italian cuisine to its essence with an immaculate spaghetti al pomodoro, perfectly judged seafood, and hand-rolled pastas of rare clarity. The signature I Classici tasting menu holds Romito’s signature course by course, each dish crafted in harmony with his discipline of cucina italiana contemporanea, while the Italian-leaning wine list is curated with particular strength in Piedmont and Tuscany. The dining room – all dark ceilings, raised banquettes, and soft light over the Gulf – provides the perfect frame for Romito’s cuisine and a fitting stage for the chef of three-starred Reale in Abruzzo, who is also shaping Italy’s culinary future through his acclaimed cooking school in Castel di Sangro.
Akira Back Dubai – Japanese/Korean Fusion (W Dubai – The Palm)
On the 5th floor of W Dubai – The Palm, chef Akira Back presents a cosmopolitan fusion of Japanese precision and Korean boldness. The menu has distinctive, refined dishes such as sashimi and sushi with modern twists, Wagyu from the robata grill, and small plates that have become cult favourites – notably the Tuna Pizza and AB Tacos. The sleek dining room, lined with contemporary art and framed by panoramic Palm views, makes for a dramatic backdrop. Recognised by the MICHELIN Guide, the restaurant also excels in its cocktail culture and lively late-night ambience. It draws the city’s well-heeled for both its creative plates and the energy that carries long into the night.
FZN by Björn Frantzén – Scandinavian Modern (Atlantis The Palm)
Set within the magnificent Atlantis The Palm, FZN is the Middle Eastern debut of Swedish gastronome Björn Frantzén and the jewel in his global portfolio. As of 2025, Frantzén holds the unique distinction of being the only chef in the world with three separate three-Michelin-starred restaurants, and his Dubai outpost, itself awarded three stars in the MICHELIN Guide Dubai 2025, elevates the city’s fine-dining scene to an unprecedented level. From a discreet entrance marked only by a “bear on the wall,” guests pass a hallway lined with pickling jars into a snug, Scandinavian-inspired sitting room before descending to a beautifully lit counter wrapped around an open kitchen, where 27 diners witness the choreography of precision cookery.
The tasting menu, nine courses with snacks and petit fours, centres on modern European dishes enriched by Japanese influences and Frantzén’s Nordic sensibility, with highlights such as crispy Norwegian langoustine on sushi rice with ginger emulsion, a chawanmushi topped with smoked beef broth and caviar, and butter-poached turbot adorned with Oscietra caviar. Under the hand of Danish executive chef Torsten Vildgaard, a veteran of Noma’s test kitchen, FZN blends bold flavours with meticulous technique and narrative detail, complemented by a wine cellar of over 1,300 labels.
Final Thought
Dining in these rooms is not only about what is on the plate, but the magic of the stories behind them – dishes shaped by a chef’s homeland, meals created by a fleeting idea, or flavours sparked by a memory or a conversation. In Dubai, those stories are shared on tables overlooking a sweeping view of the Gulf and told by chefs who have shaped how the world eats. Each of these restaurants carries a trace of the chef’s journey – whether it began in a modest kitchen in India, in the markets of Lima, or in the châteaux of France.
