The MICHELIN Guide Abu Dhabi 2025 will be revealed this month
The ceremony takes place at Emirates Palace, Mandarin Oriental with a menu created by world-famous chefs.
MICHELIN loves the UAE, and we love MICHELIN. The launch date for the third MICHELIN Guide Abu Dhabi has been confirmed for Thursday, 31 October 2024 at the glamourous Emirates Palace, Mandarin Oriental. The announcement comes after the recent MICHELIN Guide Dubai launch, which saw 19 restaurants in the city awarded MICHELIN Stars
The special event will feature a culinary showcase from five guest venues, who will present their innovative gastronomic creations. The lineup includes Abu Dhabi favourites 99 Sushi Bar (One MICHELIN Star), Erth Restaurant (One MICHELIN Star), Dai Pai Dong (MICHELIN Selected), Ray’s Grill (MICHELIN Selected) and Hong King’s Tate (Two MICHELIN Stars)
We already know that Abu Dhabi is a city packed with world-class restaurants, but we cannot wait to see which ones have received the MICHELIN seal of approval.
Who were last year’s recipients
The restaurants awarded one MICHELIN Star in the 2024 Guide were 99 Sushi Bar & Restaurant, Erth Restaurant, Hakkasan Abu Dhabi and Talea by Antonio Guida. There were no two or three-star recipients.
The Bib Gourmand category is a distinction awarded to establishments that provide an excellent value-for-money three-course meal. Last year, the MICHELIN Guide Abu Dhabi Bib Gourmand selection featured Almayass, Al Mrzab, Beirut Sur Mer, Oii, Otoro, and Tazal.
The Service Award was given to Chandran Thanggaraja from Kopitiam by Chandy’s, the Young Chef Award was given to Rigers Cuka from Oii, and the Opening of the Year Award was given to Les Dangereux.
The MICHELIN guide selection included Al Farah, Al Mrzab, Butcher & Still, Byblos Sur Mer, Cafe James, Café Milano, Catch at St. Regis, Cipriani, COYA Abu Dhabi, Dai Pai Dong, Finz, Fishmarket, Fouquet’s Abu Dhabi, Grand Beirut, Hoi An, José by Pizarro, Kopitiam by Chandy’s, Les Dangereux, Li Beirut, Li Jiang, LPM Restaurant & Bar, Market Kitchen, Martabaan by Hemant Oberoi, Maté, MAZI, Meylas, Mijana, Moksh, Namak, NIRI, Oak Room, Oii, Paradiso, Punjab Grill, Ray’s Grill, Shang Palace, Silk & Spice, Tean, VaKaVa, Villa Toscana, Yadoo’s House, and Zuma.
What is the MICHELIN Guide?
The MICHELIN Guide, published since 1933, is seen as the Oscars of the food industry. It already covers 36 destinations across Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, North America, and South America.
Currently, only 138 restaurants in the world have three MICHELIN Stars, and the countries with the most MICHELIN-starred restaurants are France and Japan.
Speaking to FACT, Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the MICHELIN Guides, said: “The MICHELIN Guide inspectors have been working in Abu Dhabi for some time now, discovering and enjoying the rich and varied cuisines that the city has to offer, from creative and cosmopolite dishes to more traditional cuisines of the region, like Middle Eastern, Lebanese, and of course Emirati.”
How restaurants receive a MICHELIN Star
MICHELIN inspectors have been eating their way through Abu Dhabi’s restaurants – albeit anonymously. For restaurants to be awarded a star, they must meet specific criteria: the quality of the ingredients, mastery of cooking, harmony of flavours, personality of the chef through the cuisine, and consistency over time as well as across the entire menu.
If the process is perplexing, we’re here to break it down: one MICHELIN star is awarded to restaurants for high-quality cooking that is worth a stop; two MICHELIN Stars for excellent cooking that is worth a detour; and three MICHELIN Stars for exceptional cuisine that is worth a special journey.
Stars aren’t for life – gaining or losing one can have an effect on the reputation of the restaurant, making the foodie news and bruising a chef’s ego. So, we look forward to seeing how the MICHELIN Guide affects Abu Dhabi’s dining scene and who else will be added to the illustrious list in the future.
As the guide evolves, it will be interesting to see which restaurants become recipients of new stars and which could perhaps lose stars. We also expect to see a lot of movement in the Bib Gourmand Awards.
MICHELIN, our stomachs are rumbling.
GO: Visit https://www.michelin.com for more information.
