5 fine dining restaurants in Dubai you can't miss out on!

Roka Dubai

From the creator of Zuma, comes Roka, an award-winning robatayaki concept launched in Dubai after the success of their London venue. Although Roka launched in February 2020, we consider this a new spot since dining out really hadn’t been an option for a while now in Dubai over the last few months.

Located in the ME Hotel at The Opus in Business Bay, Zuma’s baby sister restaurant brings a unique style of contemporary Japanese cooking to Dubai. The menu features signature dishes from the robata, like the yakitori-negima yaki - robata grilled chicken skewers with spring onion and the Kankoku fu kohitsuji, lamb cutlets with Korean spices and sesame cucumber, as well as the gindara no saikyo-yaki, black cod in marinated yuzu miso. Other favourites like maki rolls, tempura and salads are also featured heavily on the menu. Roka Dubai is, in fact, more of a casual experience and more affordable prices than the world-famous Zuma.

Find more on ROKA Dubai here.

French Riviera

Jumeirah Al Qasr has launched a brand-new pop-up dining experience called French Riviera. Serving up a mix of classic and modern French Mediterranean food designed for sharing. Located on the beach at Jumeirah Al Qasr next to Shimmers, French Riviera offers a Cote D’Azur influenced dining experience.

The menu includes south of France inspired dishes like Red Tuna Crudo with Black Truffle Petals, octopus cooked over a wood fire and the French Dover Sole ‘Meuniere’ with Crushed Potatoes. There is also a selection of tasty pasta dishes such as the Half Lobster with Homemade Linguine, while meat lovers can tuck into the restaurant’s signature Wood Fire Beef Entrecote with Green Pepper Sauce. To end the meal dessert options include Madagascar Vanille Mille-Feuille with Brown Butter Ice Cream, French toast Crème Brulée Style or Pineapple Tatin Tart.

Find more on French Riviera here.

Shanghai Me

Shanghai Me certainly looks the part, seamlessly blending into its upscale surroundings in DIFC: a striking red carpet entrance, colourful paintings designed to be photographed and a chic, fauna-filled terrace that's now been fitted with AC so it can continue to welcome guests through Dubai's balmy summer. The restaurant is dimly lit, fresh white linens cover each table and deep red velvet furnishings are a glamourous ode to opulent, post-prohibition Shanghai. While the name might suggest the menu is solely Cantonese, it extends to flavours far beyond Shanghai, covering cuisines made famous across the Far East.

Find more on Shanghai Me here.

Hutong

Hutong's self-described "occasionally firey" flavours have landed in Dubai. The fifth restaurant of the acclaimed northern Chinese restaurant chain, which originates in Hong Kong but has outposts in New York and iconic London address The Shard, landed in Dubai alongside a sea of international exports at the end of 2019. Located on a blink-and-you'll-miss-it corner of DIFC's Gate Village, the upscale restaurant is accessed via a folia-lined pathway. 

A distinctive 'Hutong' sign guards the doorway, with the restaurant entrance to the left an alfresco terrace, tucked inside the aforementioned folia, to the right. Inspired by the part of the Silk Road around Xinjiang in the west of China and Kyrgyzstan, a meeting point and a melting pot for Arabic and Chinese cultures, the aesthetics fuse Arabic elements with traditional Chinese designs. The menu pays homage to the finest northern Chinese fare, with signature dishes from London and Hong Kong mixed into the menu alongside some exclusive Dubai offerings.

Find more on Hutong here.

The Maine Land Brasserie

The Maine Land Brasserie is the third outpost of the highly successful brasserie concept: a sultry big sister within an iconic address serving up a matured menu in a setting that's got style and substance in spades.Located at Zaha Hadid’s Magnum Opus in Business Bay, The Maine Land Brasserie is the newest opening for the Maine man, Joey Ghazal. A beautiful venue that fuses past with the present, it feels like a timeworn, old-world steakhouse/brasserie/speakeasy. 

The Maine Land Brasserie menu features everything from shellfish to snails and fish to steak cuts that are aged just the way carnivores like them. A few favourites from the original Maine menu in JBR have been included on the menu. Expect good quality food, great service and a very cool vibe.

Find more on The Maine Land Brasserie here.