Dubai aims to become a dining destination with help of star chefs like Gordon Ramsay and Pierre Gagnaire, cosmopolitan cuisine and now its own Michelin Guide
- Dubai is looking to grow its image as a luxury hub by developing its fine-dining scene. Becoming the first place in the Middle East with a Michelin Guide helped
- It has lured Gordon Ramsay and star French chefs, and innovative home-grown chefs are serving fusion food that reflects the emirate’s cosmopolitan nature today
French chef Renaud Dutel never thought his career would take him to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, but he has found there a culinary capital in the making.
Five years after being offered, and accepting, a position at a fancy restaurant in the Gulf financial and tourism hub better known for its skyscrapers than its food scene, Dutel is delighted to have “taken the risk”.
“I believe Dubai is at the beginning, but is on the way to becoming one of the best destinations in the world to come to dine,” he says as lobster cuts sizzle in a skillet beside him at Stay, a Michelin-star restaurant specialised in French cuisine on the city’s signature Palm Jumeirah man-made island.
Dubai has some 13,000 restaurants and cafes, and some are already making waves around the world.
In 2022, 11 Dubai restaurants were awarded the Middle East’s first Michelin stars, with more joining the prestigious club this year.