Dubai’s 89 top restaurants

The awards shortlisted 290 venues across more than 30 categories in their 21st year ([timeoutdubai.com)], and Time Out says its reviewers carried out anonymous, independent visits and paid for every meal to compile the list ([timeoutdubai.com)]. Row on 45 is listed as a two‑star Michelin restaurant ([guide.michelin.com)] and Time Out describes the concept as a tightly curated, multi‑act tasting that serves a 17‑course menu across several spaces ([timeoutdubai.com)]. Capacity figures for Row on 45 vary in public profiles: Time Out calls it a 12‑seat experience ([timeoutdubai.com)], while the World’s 50 Best entry lists a capacity of 22 and names Daniel Birk as the kitchen lead under Jason Atherton’s Social Company umbrella ([theworlds50best.com)]. CQ French Brasserie is the rebranded successor to JLT’s Couqley under operator Ziad Kamel, with a menu built on classic brasserie dishes (steak frites, escargots, poisson frites) and plans to roll out additional locations ([timeoutdubai.com)]. Time Out awarded CQ the Casual Dining Restaurant of the Year accolade in the 2026 list ([timeoutdubai.com)], and third‑party listings show CQ ranking among Dubai’s highest‑reviewed neighbourhood brasseries on TripAdvisor with thousands of user ratings. ([tripadvisor.com)] For 2026 Time Out explicitly changed its categories — adding a dedicated Korean award and splitting tasting‑menu honours into Best Tasting Menu Under Dhs1,000 and Over Dhs1,000 — reflecting new editorial criteria used to judge the 89‑strong list. ([timeoutdubai.com)]