Time to add more must-visit restaurants to your list
Dubai’s dining scene has reached another milestone, with the MICHELIN Guide unveiling its fifth Dubai edition and recognising 122 restaurants across 38 cuisine types.
The 2026 selection was announced at a ceremony at Atlantis The Royal, highlighting the city’s growing reputation as a global food destination. This year’s guide features 19 new additions, including two new One MICHELIN Star restaurants, four new Bib Gourmand restaurants and 13 new MICHELIN-Selected venues.
One of the biggest highlights of the night was Orfali Bros, which was promoted to Two MICHELIN Stars, just two years after receiving its first star.
The Dubai-born restaurant, founded by Syrian brothers, has evolved from a neighbourhood favourite into one of the city’s leading destinations for Middle Eastern gastronomy. Its cooking draws on Aleppian, Armenian and Turkish heritage, with its signature dishes and Voyage menu showcasing increasingly refined and distinctive flavours.
Dubai retains its top MICHELIN Stars
Two restaurants continue to hold the guide’s highest honour of Three MICHELIN Stars: FZN by Björn Frantzén and Trèsind Studio.
Meanwhile, three other restaurants retained their Two MICHELIN Star status: Il Ristorante-Niko Romito, Row on 45 and STAY by Yannick Alléno.
The latest edition brings the total number of Two MICHELIN Star restaurants in Dubai to four.
Two new restaurants earn One MICHELIN Star
Two newcomers have joined Dubai’s One MICHELIN Star line-up.
Birch receives its first star, with Chef Arslan Berdiev drawing inspiration from his Turkmen roots and travels. The restaurant focuses on high-quality produce and contemporary cooking, with ingredients such as Uzbek tomatoes featuring on the menu.
KIGO also enters the guide with One MICHELIN Star. The restaurant offers both Sushi Omakase at the counter and a Kaiseki experience at the table, showcasing seasonal Japanese ingredients through delicate presentation and precise cooking.
With 12 existing restaurants retaining their stars, Dubai now has 14 One MICHELIN Star restaurants.
Four new Bib Gourmand restaurants
The 2026 guide also welcomes four new Bib Gourmand restaurants, bringing Dubai’s total to 22.
The Bib Gourmand distinction highlights restaurants offering quality food at good value.
This year’s newcomers are:
- Middle Child, serving generous Italian dishes in a relaxed bistro and deli setting.
- S.E.A Bistrot, known for Chef Shane’s bold Asian cooking, including its popular Mango & Sticky Rice and Milk Cake.
- Three Bros, the lively sister restaurant to Orfali Bros, inspired by the three brothers’ Syrian heritage and travels.
- YUBI Dubai, offering made-to-order Japanese hand rolls alongside homemade pickles and condiments.
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MICHELIN Special Awards celebrate Dubai’s culinary talent
The 2026 edition also recognised individuals shaping the city’s restaurant scene.
Gonzalo Platero and Window received the MICHELIN Opening of the Year Award for the Alserkal restaurant’s wood-fired cooking.
The MICHELIN Sommelier Award went to Ninad Jani of avatāra, while Akinori Tanigawa and the KIGO team received the MICHELIN Service Award.
Rémy Marquignon, Executive Chef of Ossiano, was named the recipient of the MICHELIN Young Chef Award for his modern cooking rooted in classic French technique.
The MICHELIN Exceptional Cocktails Award was presented to Zahra Erfanian Azmoodeh of Carbone Dubai for her cocktail programme.
Dubai’s MICHELIN Guide 2026 at a glance
The fifth edition features:
- 2 Three MICHELIN Star restaurants
- 4 Two MICHELIN Star restaurants, including one promotion
- 14 One MICHELIN Star restaurants, including two new additions
- 22 Bib Gourmand restaurants, including four new additions
- 80 MICHELIN-Selected restaurants, including 13 new additions
Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the MICHELIN Guides, said the selection has grown significantly since its launch five years ago and now features almost twice as many establishments.
He said the latest edition reflects a Dubai culinary scene combining homegrown talent with international arrivals, while developing an increasingly distinctive identity of its own.
The MICHELIN Guide Dubai 2026 selection is available through the MICHELIN Guide website and app, giving residents and visitors a chance to explore the city’s latest dining destinations.
