While most cities offer dinner with a view, Dubai's restaurants offer dinner in a whole new dimension. Across more than 13,000 restaurants serving over 200 cuisines, these venues transform dining into an escape, whisking guests underwater, into rainforests, and through different eras. They shape Dubai's hospitality scene not just for tourists, but for locals who've seen it all.
These restaurants strengthen Dubai's reputation for memorable experiences, as diners look for stories told through both setting and menu. Each space moves beyond generic décor, using architecture, materials, lighting, and sound to create immersive moments that engage the senses and spark imagination.
Ossiano
French Chef Grégoire Berger discovered his connection to seafood growing up in Brittany. Now at Ossiano, ten metres beneath Atlantis The Palm, he serves dishes that tell stories of the ocean. The Ambassador Lagoon's 65,000 creatures – sharks, stingrays, and schools of fish – glide past floor-to-ceiling windows as diners settle in for evening service. Berger's signature caviar-topped oysters shine with brine. Hand-dived scallops come dressed with winter truffle on the nine-course menu. As seasons change, so does the menu, but the view remains constant – only 50 guests dine each evening, surrounded by silent marine life beyond the glass.
Hours: Dinner only, 18:00-22:30
Dress Code: Smart Elegant
KRASOTA
At KRASOTA Dubai, Michelin-starred chef Vladimir Mukhin creates an enchanting feast where digital art dances across the walls as each dish arrives. His acclaimed White Rabbit restaurant earned 13th place in The World's 50 Best Restaurants, and at KRASOTA, he brings his signature style to life. Each course is paired with stunning audiovisual effects. In "Imaginary Future," seven courses take diners through visions of what lies ahead, from deep-sea cities to distant universes. Meanwhile, "Imaginary Art" transforms the dining room into a living gallery, with dishes inspired by masterpieces from eight legendary artists projected around the guests. Every plate showcases Mukhin's passion for seasonal, locally sourced ingredients in unexpected ways.
Hours: Dinner 17:00 - 00:00
Dress Code: Smart Casual
Pierchic
At the end of a private pier in the Arabian Gulf sits Pierchic, surrounded by endless ocean views. The evening begins with a scenic buggy ride through Jumeirah Al Qasr to a wooden walkway that leads to dinner. Inside, crystal chandeliers catch the light while the Burj Al Arab stands framed by wall-length windows. Chef Beatrice Segoni’s Italian menu celebrates the sea–plump Gillardeau oysters, tender Norwegian cod, and fresh catches that change daily. By night, this intimate restaurant above the waves becomes a favourite for special moments.
Hours: Lunch 13:00-14:45
Dinner 18:30-22:30
Dress Code: Smart Casual
Amazonico
Sandro Silva and Marta Seco have brought their Madrid sensation Amazonico to DIFC, where tropical plants and Art Deco details create a jungle setting across three floors. Fresh ceviches start the journey on the ground floor, bright with citrus and herbs. One level up, chefs tend to open fire pits where salt-crusted Brazilian picanha sizzles alongside fish in Peruvian marinades. As night falls, live Latin bands and DJs take over, while the rooftop terrace offers cocktails and Burj Khalifa views.
Hours: Lunch 12:00-15:00
Dinner 19:00-02:00
Dress Code: Smart Elegant
Dinner in the Sky
Fifty metres above Dubai's coast, a table for 22 hangs in the evening air above the shoreline of the Arabian Gulf. The experience begins at ground level, where chefs plate delicate starters of fresh burrata and Arabic mezze. Once secured, the table rises slowly skywards until Palm Jumeirah and Dubai Marina's towers spread out in all directions. Main courses include succulent Angus beef and pan-seared salmon – while yachts trace paths through the waters below. Each 90-minute experience ends sweetly, with chocolate domes and cheesecake.
Hours: Multiple daily sessions for lunch and dinner
Dress Code: Smart Casual
Note: Height minimum 110cm, children under 14 with adult
Hours: Lunch 13:00-16:00
Dinner 18:00-23:30
Dress Code: Smart Casual
Ristorante L' Olivo at Al Mahara
Chef Andrea Migliaccio leads L'Olivo's kitchen in the Burj Al Arab, where a golden submarine corridor opens to a dining room glowing with aquarium light. The kitchen specialises in Italian coastal cooking – sea bass sealed in a salt crust, opened tableside to release its aroma. Desserts become a show as warm sauce melts chocolate spheres to reveal tiramisu within. In the cellar below, rare Italian vintages age quietly, some bottles from vineyards that produce just 400 cases a year.
Hours: Dinner only, 19:00-23:00
Dress Code: Smart Elegant
Al Fanar Restaurant & Café
Al Fanar takes guests back to 1960s Dubai, where vintage cars rest against sand-coloured walls and traditional barasti houses dot the landscape. The restaurant preserves not just the food but the essence of old Dubai – antique radios crackle softly, brass coffee pots gleam on wooden shelves, and the scent of bakhoor drifts through intricately carved wooden screens. Local dishes remain true to recipes passed down through generations – harees topped with ghee, freshly caught fish seasoned with Emirati spices and fried to golden perfection. Every detail, from coral stone walls to photographs of pearl merchants, tells stories of the city's rich heritage.
Hours: 08:00-00:00
Dress Code: Casual
Dubai's bold vision for dining is one of the reasons why chefs and restaurant groups continue choosing it to debut their most ambitious concepts. The year 2025 will welcome China Tang, inspired by the glamour of 1930s Shanghai with an Art Deco flair. Each opening adds another chapter to Dubai's story of dining as theatre, where every meal offers an experience beyond the sensory realm.
