Most improbably, the desert city of Dubai has transformed into one of the world’s great food towns. The culinary scene has developed in tandem with the cosmopolitan emirate’s newest generation of luxury hotels, where offering one or more restaurants by internationally renowned chefs has become de rigueur. Airline logistics make it possible for the world’s best produce to arrive in Dubai, where very little grows, within 24 hours.

Adding to the liveliness of the gastronomic scene are the people from some 200 nationalities who call Dubai home. Dining out is a major leisure activity for wealthy locals, hence the huge popularity of multicourse tasting menus. The launch of Dubai’s first Michelin Guide in 2022 put a competitive spin on the local restaurant scene, too. Note that if you like a cocktail or a glass of wine with your meal, make sure that the Dubai restaurant you’ve chosen has a liquor license. (All restaurants below are licensed.)

La Dame de Pic Dubaï

Renowned French chef Anne-Sophie Pic, who has more Michelin stars than any other female chef in the world, just earned one more for her restaurant in Dubai on the 25th floor of the One&Only One Za’abeel hotel. Knowing her establishments in Valence (three stars), London (two stars) and Paris (one star), we went to this one with high expectations and weren’t disappointed — it is excellent, with an original menu, lovely service and great-looking décor in tones of pink and ivory. Past the white marble bar, an open kitchen at the back of the room allows guests to watch the chefs at work. We chose the five-course Harmony menu rather than the seven-course Symphony menu, and we loved Pic’s signature berlingots (pasta bonbons filled with two-year-old Comté cheese, with baby green peas and arugula in a pistachio coulis) and the rosemary-infused cuttlefish with zucchini and pink-peppercorn beurre blanc. The restaurant does not permit children under the age of 10 and is closed on Mondays.