2025 Wrapped: The best new fine dining restaurants in Dubai and Abu Dhabi

China Tang Dubai: Cantonese fine dining from London at The Lana Promenade

In Mid-May, China Tang brought the late Sir David Tang's acclaimed London restaurant to Marasi Bay Marina, marking the brand's Middle East debut at The Lana Promenade.

This two-storey space channels 1930s Shanghai glamour through Art Deco interiors that feel more polished than its London counterpart – think stone tables, vintage paisley chairs in blue and yellow, ornate Chinese lamps, and mirrors that amplify light from every angle. The custom-built duck oven, flown in from China, sits centre stage at the entrance, offering diners a theatrical glimpse of the slow-roasting process.

Chef Li Zhenjun's 25 years of Cantonese expertise shine through a menu that balances traditional classics with contemporary presentation, all served within interiors that reference Chinese yin and yang philosophy through mirrored ceilings and carefully considered lighting.

Fuloong Sushi Omakase: Intimate Japanese omakase in Umm Suqeim

A place like no other, Fuloong Sushi Omakase is an upscale 8-seat Japanese omakase restaurant in Umm Suqeim. This homegrown concept, headed by Chef Lemon from the Himalayas, offers a traditional omakase counter experience where the chef curates your entire meal based on seasonal ingredients flown in from Japanese markets weekly. With only three nightly seatings and a maximum of eight guests per service, advance bookings (at least a week ahead) are essential.

Two set omakase menus are offered, with dishes presented through chef-led storytelling throughout the evening. The atmosphere is intimate and warmly minimal, with Japanese design sensibility and a focus on premium ingredients like Blue Fin tuna and Japanese A5 wagyu. It's ideal for special occasions, omakase enthusiasts, or anyone seeking an authentic chef-led Japanese dining experience. For serious ingredient quality, expert execution, and exceptional value at this level, Fuloong delivers an omakase experience that rewards trust in the chef's vision.

Bonus for HUNTR Members: You get 100AED off all set menus here. Not a member? Download the HUNTR: City Guide app here to sign up.

Gusto Restaurant & Cafe: Intimate Italian dining in DIFC

Gusto Restaurant & Cafe operates like a secret handshake between Milan and Dubai – a 42-cover Italian hideaway tucked within the Waldorf Astoria that transforms its personality as dramatically as the light outside its windows. By morning, it hums with the energy of a proper Italian café, complete with fresh pastries displayed like jewellery and the ritual of standing espresso service. Come afternoon, it morphs into the sort of civilised business lunch spot where deals get done over properly executed cacio e pepe. But it's in the evening that Gusto reveals its true character: candlelit tables emerge from behind strategic plant dividers, the muted green and gold palette warms under soft lighting, and suddenly you're dining somewhere that feels both worldly and wonderfully intimate.

Carlo Tinelli has achieved something rather clever here – creating a space that feels authentically Italian without resorting to theatrical clichés. Chef Paola from Sicily treats simple ingredients with the reverence they deserve, turning out dishes that transport you to trattorias you've either been to or desperately want to visit.

Hanu Dubai: Contemporary Korean cuisine on the Palm Jumeirah

First opened in May 2025, over on the Palm Jumeirah's eastern crescent sits Hanu, where Chef Kyung Soo Moon orchestrates a Korean dining experience that feels both ancient and utterly contemporary.

It's a place where fermentation is celebrated, fire is harnessed, and flavours hit with the subtlety of a sledgehammer. The striking space – all dark stone, warm wood, and quirky touches like faux Korean pines – sets the stage for the main event: tableside grilling that transforms premium cuts into the kind of carnivorous pleasure that makes vegetarians question their life choices. Add handcrafted cocktails that somehow incorporate gochujang without causing regret, and you've got a spot that manages to be both deeply authentic and distinctly at home in a city that increasingly draws global culinary talent.

KEN by Kamatsuda: Sublime wagyu omakase in Downtown Dubai

Standing proud in Downtown Dubai's Burj Khalifa district, Ken by Kamatsuda has transformed Japanese dining into an unforgettable artistic experience at The Edition Hotel.

The restaurant showcases rare Awa Wagyu beef alongside meticulously sourced seafood in an omakase experience that balances theatrical presentation with genuine culinary mastery.

The space serves as a canvas for Japanese artistic expression, featuring works by celebrated calligrapher Bisen Aoyagi and floral artist Ryota Hagiwara. With an interior that blends industrial elements with temple-like tranquillity, this venue stands apart through its direct relationships with Japanese producers, securing ingredients seldom available outside Japan.

Kira Dubai: Mediterranean-Japanese Fusion in the Marsa Al Arab Hotel

Over in Umm Suqeim, Kira Dubai blends Mediterranean warmth with Japanese precision within the elegant Marsa Al Arab Hotel. The restaurant offers striking views of the Burj Al Arab from its outdoor terrace while the interior balances sophistication with comfort through neutral hues, warm woods, and thoughtful marble details. A glass-fronted kitchen showcases chefs at work beside fresh seafood displays, signalling the venue's commitment to quality ingredients.

The menu spans Japanese and Mediterranean influences, from sushi to grilled steaks, with a focus on premium seafood and quality meats. The adjoining LITT bar extends the experience with craft cocktails and DJs, transitioning the space from daytime dining to evening entertainment.

Lost in Tokyo Dubai: Authentic Edomae sushi at Marsa Boulevard

What started as an underground supper club, hidden from Dubai's noise and neon, has found its (semi)permanent home. Lost in Tokyo occupies a cabin-like structure at Marsa Boulevard that feels as if it was plucked straight from a Tokyo backstreet. This isn't about fancy promises or Instagram moments – it's about serious chefs who've spent years mastering their craft, who understand that perfect sushi isn't just about the cut. It's about respect, obsession, and the kind of dedication that keeps you up at night trying to get it right.

With barely enough room to swing a cat, this alcohol-free independent restaurant is only open during the winter season. As the temperatures start to climb the Lost in Tokyo team take up residence back at the supper club that started it all – Sushi Amemiya (discover it with the HUNTR here)

MAYG: Fantastic chef-driven French-Japanese fine dining in Dubai Design District

MAYG occupies a distinctive position in Dubai Design District's creative hub, where Executive Chef Aadel Ouaoua has created something rather unique.

This French-Japanese fusion fine dining restaurant operates on the philosophy of "simplicity and complexity," a principle that translates into restrained flavour palettes achieved through precise, technical execution. The restaurant sits within d3's creative ecosystem, offering both an à la carte experience and a considered business lunch programme to meet the needs of the district's office community.

Chef Aadel's two decades of experience across Paris, London, Barcelona, Rome, and Dubai inform every aspect of the operation, from the meticulous sourcing of ingredients to the final presentation. The commitment to sustainability runs deeper than most, with local sourcing prioritised wherever quality allows, though certain Japanese fish, oysters, and speciality items are imported to maintain exceptional standards.

MEI: Elevated Chinese and Japanese dining with Burj Al Arab views

MEI is a stunning, opulent fine dining restaurant serving contemporary Chinese and Japanese cuisine within Jumeirah Mina Al Salam. This SHI Hospitality Group venture offers waterfront seating with Burj Al Arab views, weather permitting, transforming from elegant daytime dining to a romantic after-dark destination that continues late into the night.

The restaurant's four distinct spaces - from the 137-seat main dining room adorned with abstract murals and intricate woodwork to the expansive 120-seat terrace - create multiple settings for an experience that evolves throughout the day. With live music threading through the evening service and a direct partnership with Tokyo's Toyosu Fish Market ensuring impeccable sashimi, MEI positions itself as both cultural bridge and culinary destination.

Savryn Dubai: African fine dining in Jumeirah's Wasl Vita

Savryn is a chef-led fine dining restaurant in Wasl Vita that brings a rare perspective to Dubai. At the helm is 26-year-old Egyptian chef Shehab Medhat, who spent years cooking across Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, and Nigeria before landing in Dubai. The result is a tasting menu-focused concept celebrating African cuisine with thoughtful Middle Eastern influences.

The 28-seat restaurant encompasses an intimate dining room wrapped around an open kitchen, where flames leap and spices perfume the air throughout service. The space skews romantic and dimmed, with dramatic red velvet curtains, warm crimson ceilings, and marble tables creating an elevated yet approachable atmosphere. This is the kind of place where you dress up, settle in for the evening, and let the chef guide your journey through ten courses of bold, unexpected flavours.

Sexy Fish DIFC: Theatrical Japanese dining with London flair

Sexy Fish Dubai stretches across the 11th floor of Innovation One Building in DIFC, where Japanese cooking meets artful design. London's celebrated concept brings a mix of raw specialities, robata-grilled favourites, and innovative cocktails to Dubai's growing collection of high-end Asian restaurants.

Martin Brudnizki Design Studios crafts pure theatre here – a coral reef ceiling twinkles above, mermaids swim across walls, and a glittering octopus welcomes you at reception. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame Dubai's towers, while the outdoor terrace puts you right in the middle of that view.

Executive Chef Bjoern Weissgerber runs an open kitchen where you'll spot chefs rolling maki and working the robata grill.

Tezukuri Dubai: Japanese precision, handcrafted temaki and a listening bar in Downtown Dubai

In December 2025, Tezukuri brought a focused expression of Japanese dining to Downtown Dubai's Opera District. From Chef Neha Mishra of Kinoya and Panchali Mahendra of Atelier House Hospitality, this intimate venue serves Japanese food crafted by hand, led by the seasons, and served with quiet purpose. The concept centres on temaki – hand rolls prepared to order at a sleek counter – paired with a hidden listening bar serving precise, internationally-calibrated cocktails. The name translates to "handmade," a philosophy evident in every element from the rice temperature to the vinyl selection.

The setup positions diners directly at the counter where chefs shape each roll by hand, creating an immediate connection between preparation and consumption. Behind a minimalist doorway, the listening bar operates as a separate experience, designed for those seeking craft cocktails in a space where sound and atmosphere receive equal attention to what's in the glass. Located on the ground floor of The Courtyard next to Opera Grand, Tezukuri is as a dual-concept venue where passion and precision take priority over excess.

The Cullinan Dubai: Sophisticated steakhouse dining on Jumeirah's seafront

Perched on the first floor of Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab, The Cullinan brings precision and flair to Dubai's high-end restaurant scene. Named after the world's largest rough diamond, this sophisticated steakhouse delivers an experience that lives up to its namesake – multifaceted, rare, and brilliant. With its seamless blend of indoor and outdoor seating offering uninterrupted views of the Burj Al Arab and Arabian Gulf, The Cullinan creates an atmosphere of understated opulence.

The restaurant, which opened in mid-March 2025, centres on expertly curated cuts of meat from Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, complemented by seafood preparations that showcase the kitchen's technical prowess. Designed by award-winning architect Tristan du Plessis, the space balances contemporary boldness with timeless elegance through marble, wood, and a refined colour palette of maroon and white.

Novikov Abu Dhabi: Mediterranean fine dining in Al Maryah Island

Within Galleria Mall's luxury wing sits the latest chapter in restaurateur Arkady Novikov's remarkable story – one that began with a rejected McDonald's application in Moscow and evolved into a $300 million empire spanning 50+ restaurants worldwide. Novikov Abu Dhabi brings this celebrated formula to the capital with Mediterranean sophistication that demands you dress accordingly.

Marble surfaces catch warm golden lighting, whilst abundant olive trees and greenery soften the contemporary space. The dramatic open kitchen provides both theatre and aromatic anticipation, complemented by an impressive seafood display where king crab legs and fresh fish rest on crushed ice. A grand piano anchors the dining room, setting the scene for evening performances, whilst the distinctive red and white checkered chairs add a playful contrast to the polished marble floors.

TakaHisa Downtown: Japanese fine dining and a licensed bar on the Dubai Canal

Few restaurants in Dubai pair world-class Japanese cuisine with a view that actively competes for your attention. TakaHisa Downtown does both, perched on the fourth floor of Volante Tower 1 on Marasi Drive in Business Bay, where floor-to-ceiling windows frame the Dubai Canal and the Burj Khalifa rising beyond. This is the second outpost from the team behind TakaHisa at Banyan Tree Dubai, a name that has built a strong reputation for premium wagyu and top-tier sushi. Here, the formula expands: reservation-only fine dining with seafood flown in from Tokyo's Toyosu Market six times a week, Ozaki beef (one of Japan's rarest wagyu brands), and a dedicated sushi master working behind a sleek omakase counter.

Inside, it's all warm timber, textural surfaces, and plush neutral tones with an intimate bar in natural hues. Outside, a fire pit terrace framed by water faces the canal and Burj Khalifa – the kind of view that makes you linger long after the plates are cleared. At sunset, the skyline glows and the space takes on a cinematic quality, ideal for cocktails and unhurried evenings. Whether you're here for an intimate omakase experience, tableside yakiniku, or simply cocktails by the flames with the city skyline glittering across the water, TakaHisa delivers an evening that feels both refined and memorable. Prices sit firmly in splurge-worthy territory, but for the quality of ingredients and the setting, it earns its place at the table.

Yù & Mì Dubai: Upscale Chinese restaurant and licensed bar inside the Mandarin Oriental Downtown

Yu & Mi soft-opened in December 2025 on the 36th floor of the Mandarin Oriental Downtown, high above Sheikh Zayed Road, as a layered after-dark experience where cocktail bar bleeds into opulent Chinese restaurant.

The name carries intent: Yù – jade – signals elegance, balance, and fortune, while Mì – mystery – speaks to what reveals itself gradually. This is Mandarin Oriental's first Chinese concept in the UAE. The evening begins at Yù Bar – moody, charged, with a live DJ and cocktails built around Chinese teas and rare spirits – before revealing the restaurant where Cantonese refinement meets Sichuan intensity.

The kitchen delivers precision dim sum, ceremonial Peking duck carved tableside, and wok-fried mains that balance boldness with clarity. A drinks programme spans baijiu, sake, and curated wines. Dinner only; the bar stays open until 2 a.m. on weekends. Valet parking at the hotel, reservations recommended.