The inaugural Michelin Guide in Dubai admired over 69 restaurants covering 21 cuisines for their excellent food. Eleven diners were awarded the esteemed Michelin stars, while 14 others were acknowledged as Bib Gourmand restaurants.
Renaud Dutel from STAY by Yannick Alléno, which grabbed two prestigious Michelin stars, got emotional and said, “I do not even know what to say. It recognised the years and years of effort we put in our restaurant.”
For the French chef, coming to Dubai was a huge revelation.
“I had never been far from Europe before arriving to Dubai,” he stated.
“When I first arrived, I felt it was just a fast city with huge buildings. But when I stayed here, I discovered it is a city with a soul. Every small lane is a discovery. People are nice and warm here,” he further said.
While portraying the talent, excellence and creativity of Dubai’s culinary landscape, nine eateries serving various cuisines, from Portuguese to Indian, Chinese and Japanese, got one Michelin star. In contrast, two restaurants got 2 Michelin stars.
A chef at Trèsind Studio, which received one prestigious star, Himanshu Saini, stated, “The Michelin Star Guide arriving in Dubai means food enthusiasts will now come to Dubai to eat.”
“Food tourism will get an increase in the city. It is excellent for the F&B industry. The competition will move restaurants to work harder. The restaurants will definitely be the winners in this.”
The International Director of the Michelin Guide appreciated these restaurants located in the city for their enthusiasm and passion for various cuisines.
Chef and owner of 11 Woodfire, Akmal Anuar, whose restaurant got one Michelin star, believes that the star guide will raise the bar for food in Dubai. People who get stars will become an encouragement for other chefs to push more.