It’s maybe a little surprising that in a city that at one point seemed to collect restaurants by big-name international chefs like stamps, that it took until 2023 for a Heston Blumenthal venue to open.
His Dinner concept does so at a time when the rise of creative, successful home-grown brands is at an all-time high, and the appetite for celebrity chef brands seems to have waned.
However, there are no names bigger than Blumenthal, especially when it comes to creating an experience to draw diners in. That the restaurant is at the grand Atlantis The Royal, possibly the world’s biggest hotel opening of the decade, helps.
This restaurant offers a masterclass in how to do fine dining right, as well as how to run a celebrity brand that makes people sit up and take notice. A fantastic addition to the UAE restaurant scene.
Shortlist
- 99 Sushi Bar & Restaurant Abu Dhabi, Al Maryah Island
- Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Atlantis The Royal
- Hakkasan, Emirates Palace
- L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, DIFC
- Zuma, DIFC