Best New Restaurants
in Dubai 2026

Nobu One Za'abeel

Nobu's third Dubai address was always going to be spectacular, but nobody quite anticipated just how spectacular. Perched inside The Link — the sky bridge connecting the two towers of One Za'abeel at 230 metres above ground — this is, without question, the most visually arresting Nobu restaurant anywhere in the world.

The menu is Nobu at its most assured: black cod miso as perfect as ever (AED 185), yellowtail jalapeño that remains one of the great raw fish dishes on the planet (AED 85), and a Dubai-exclusive omakase selection that showcases ingredients with a Middle Eastern slant. The wagyu truffle gyoza (AED 120) is the most talked-about new dish in Dubai right now — rightly so.

Service is polished and confident, which doesn't always happen at high-profile openings. The cocktail programme leans heavily into citrus and Japanese spirits — the yuzu martini (AED 85) is outstanding. After dinner, the lounge shifts gear with DJs and late-night bar energy.

Booking tips: Open for dinner nightly, lunch Thu–Sat. Book via Nobu's website 3–4 weeks ahead. Request window seating when booking — worth specifying "Link-side" for the most dramatic views.

Barrafina DIFC

If you've ever queued on Frith Street in London for Barrafina's tortilla, you already know why this opening matters. The Spanish tapas counter — which has held a Michelin star in London since 2013 — has opened its first international address in DIFC's Gate Village, marking its most significant expansion in nearly 20 years.

The format is identical to London: a beautiful curved counter where you watch the chefs work, no bookings (walk in and wait), and a menu of Spanish classics executed with startling precision. The tortilla de patatas (AED 65) is the version by which all others should be judged. Gambas rojas al ajillo (AED 120) arrive in a pool of olive oil with a depth of flavour that makes you want to mop the plate with bread. The cured meats are sourced directly from the same Spanish suppliers as London.

The no-bookings policy is a bold call in a city that likes to reserve everything — but it means the counter hums with genuine energy. Go early (7pm), go late (10pm), or be prepared to wait at the bar with a glass of Manzanilla.

Gloria Osteria

The Big Mamma group — the French-Italian operation behind cult restaurants in Paris, London, Milan and Madrid — has finally arrived in Dubai, and the results are exactly as joyful as fans of the brand hoped. Gloria Osteria sits inside the Ritz-Carlton DIFC with a menu curated by Chef Pietro Zamuner that brings Italian classics into 2026 without losing any of the comfort that makes this food so compelling.

The Cacio e Pepe (AED 95) is Roman in the truest sense — chewy tonnarelli, a sauce that's nothing but pecorino and black pepper, executed with the confidence of a grandmother in Trastevere. The Fiore di Zucca e Ricotta (stuffed fried zucchini blossoms, AED 75) are light and precisely seasoned. The Bufala Caprese (AED 85) uses buffalo mozzarella flown in from Campania.

The space is all Big Mamma excess: dramatic murals, vintage mirrors, warm golden lighting, a soundtrack that starts with Ennio Morricone and ends with Italian pop at midnight. It's fun in a way that fine dining in Dubai often isn't.

Amaru

Chef Carlo Valentino's Amaru arrived at Souk Madinat Jumeirah in late January and immediately became the most talked-about late-night table in the city. The concept centres on fire: an open grill that drives most of the menu, from ceviches kissed with smoke to live-fire lamb chops that are simply extraordinary.

The lobster tacos (AED 145) are indulgent without tipping into excess — sweet lobster, slightly charred tortilla, chipotle crema, micro coriander. The anticuchos — Peruvian-style beef heart skewers (AED 85) — are polarising but brilliant: smoky, tender, with an aji amarillo sauce that lights the palate. The cocktail programme highlights agave spirits with a quality that rivals dedicated mezcal bars.

Best visited later in the evening when the energy builds. The terrace overlooking the Madinat waterways is spectacular on a cool night.

Window

From the team behind Kokoro (Dubai's best handroll bar), Window is a quietly devastating restaurant in Alserkal Avenue that does everything the flashy new openings don't: it's intimate, unhurried, and completely focused on the food. The concept is live-fire cooking with minimal intervention — ember-charred vegetables, flame-grilled meats, smoke-infused plates built around what's seasonal and excellent.

The tasting menu (AED 380–480, depending on protein) is one of the most genuinely exciting meals in Dubai right now. A sequence of twelve courses that ranges from a single perfect mushroom roasted in embers to a dry-aged local lamb with pomegranate molasses that stays on the palate for days. The natural wine list is thoughtfully curated — short, serious, and affordable by Dubai standards.

The dining room — warm wood, natural textures, a central open hearth — feels like somewhere in Tokyo or Copenhagen, not Alserkal Avenue. But that's exactly the point: the ingredients-first, ego-absent ethos is something Dubai dining needs more of.