Dubai Restaurant Week returns

Dubai Restaurant Week will run from May 1 to May 17, with more than 125 restaurants offering fixed-price menus across the city. (visitdubai.com) (zawya.com) This year’s menus are priced at AED 125 for a two-course lunch and AED 250 for a three-course dinner, and bookings are being handled exclusively through Careem DineOut. (visitdubai.com) (zawya.com) Organizers said the 2026 edition spans more than 25 cuisines and includes fine dining, premium-casual restaurants, and homegrown concepts. Ahmad Al Khaja, chief executive of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment, said the event now has more than 125 participating restaurants. (zawya.com) The restaurant mix leans heavily on guidebook prestige. Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment said the lineup includes more than 30 Michelin Guide-listed restaurants, along with venues recognized by Gault&Millau and MENA’s 50 Best Restaurants. (zawya.com) That matters in a city where dining has become part of the tourism pitch as much as beaches, malls, and hotels. Visit Dubai describes the event as a 17-day culinary celebration built around “the city’s most talked-about restaurants.” (visitdubai.com) (zawya.com) Dubai’s Michelin ecosystem has also expanded quickly. The Michelin Guide’s 2025 Dubai selection listed 2 three-star restaurants, 3 two-star restaurants, 14 one-star restaurants, 22 Bib Gourmand picks, and 78 Michelin Selected restaurants. (guide.michelin.com) The chef roster is part of the draw. Organizers said the event will feature restaurants tied to chefs including Nobu Matsuhisa, Gordon Ramsay, Izu Ani, Alvin Leung, Akira Back, Kelvin Cheung, and Hadrien Villedieu. (zawya.com) The event has grown sharply from its launch. Al Khaja said the first edition featured 30 restaurants, compared with more than 125 this year; Gulf News’ report on the inaugural 2016 event also put the opening lineup at 30 restaurants. (zawya.com) (gulfnews.com) The booking change is new. In 2025, Dubai Restaurant Week reservations were handled through OpenTable; in 2026, organizers shifted the event to full integration with Careem DineOut. (opentable.com) (zawya.com) For diners, the pitch is straightforward before reservations open on May 1: fixed menus, recognizable names, and a chance to try restaurants that usually sit at the luxury end of Dubai’s market. (visitdubai.com) (zawya.com)