Adil Raza Khan | August 30, 2025
Dubai is known to the world for its superlative sensations—boasting of the biggest, the most extravagant, and the most expensive! The restaurants here match up to the ‘highest’ standards set with equal grace.
Food is good in almost every restaurant in Dubai. Then, why the hype around the most expensive restaurants in Dubai? Well, it is about the Experience! Some upper-end restaurants do more than just sensitizing the taste buds. The experiential dining awestrucks all the brain and body cells.
How awesome would it feel if sharks swam past your table while you enjoyed global delicacies? What about being strapped into your seat around a dinner table that hangs 50 meters above the ground in the sky via a crane? Cannot be answered, only experienced!
So, let us mention a few of the finest gastronomical destinations tagged as the most expensive restaurants in Dubai. You will hear about Michelin-starred restaurants a lot in Dubai, so first learn what they are.
Michelin star restaurants are dining venues accredited by the influential Michelin Guide for their remarkable culinary aspects. Michelin stars are awarded annually based on the successful evaluation of the rigorous standards established in the F&B field globally.
The coveted stars assess the quality of ingredients, finesse of the techniques used, the chef's personality expressed through their food preparation art, and high standards maintained over time. Most of our top expensive restaurants in Dubai have earned the stars, establishing the fact that their costliness is well-justified.
In brief, you can go to any Michelin-starred restaurant or dining venue with the assurance of having a great time surpassing your expectations.
200 meters high from the ground, and the view of the sea and the sky is breathtaking! Plus, experience the high-end Italian and French dining by Chef Savario Sbaragli in one of the Michelin-starred food venues.
Based on the 27th floor of the Burj Al Arab, the floor-to-ceiling windows with the elegant blue-green interior make a great impact.
Michelin-starred: Yes, One star.
Location: The 7-star hotel in the world, Burj Al Arab Jumeirah, Dubai. At the apex of the hotel on the 27th floor is the restaurant.
Head Chef: Chef Savario Sbaragli.
Cuisine type: French-based with a Mediterranean influence.
Timings: 12:30 pm to 14:30 pm & 19:00 pm to 22:00 pm.
Popular dishes:
Expect to spend:AED 500-700 per person for lunch/dinner, and the cost of wines can be more than the food based on the selection. On weekends, the cost soars higher.
Facilities: Valet parking, wheelchair access, and a wonderful wine list.
Any restriction: Guests should be 8 years and above in elegant attire.
The only Indian restaurant in the world to earn its 3rd star recently at the Michelin Guide event in 2025. Popular as the birthplace of contemporary Indian cuisine, it is considered one of the World’s 50 Top Restaurants.
The exclusive fine dining venue has only a 20-seat capacity with an open kitchen. It offers a 14-course immersive menu tasting experience, revolutionizing the unimaginable fusion of traditional Indian dishes with international flavors. Papadom is their botanic bar program with a range of specially curated beverages and premium wine.
Michelin-starred: Yes, 3 Stars.
Location: St. Regis Gardens on the Palm Jumeirah in Dubai.
Head Chef: Chef Himanshu Saini.
Cuisine type: Modern Indian fine dining.
Timings: 6:00 PM to 11:45 PM (midnight) Monday to Saturday.
Popular dishes:
Expect to spend: AED 1,350 per person for the exclusive 20-seater, 17-course tasting menu experience (immersive degustation menu). À la carte items and set menus cost differently. Wines add to the bill.
Facilities: All dietary specifications and allergic concerns are asked for before reserving for a specific meal. Complimentary valet parking is available.
Any restriction: Gymwear, beachwear, and overly casual attire are not encouraged. Children below 14 years of age might not be allowed.
The restaurant might not bedazzle you with its over-the-top fancy decor and extra effects like other restaurants. But the star chef Yanick Alleno makes it extra special with genuinely sumptuous food quality and taste. He has earned 17 Michelin Stars for his restaurants all over the world, including the one in Dubai.
Besides the food, their wine collection is indeed reviewed to be excellent by one and all.
Michelin-starred: Yes, Two Stars.
Location: One&Only The Palm on the Palm Jumeirah in Dubai.
Head Chef: Chef Yanick Alleno. On-site is Chef Ilya Evdokimov.
Cuisine type: Fine Classic French cuisine.
Timings: Monday to Sunday from 6.30 pm to 12 am. Last order is allowed at 10.15pm. Saturday from 12.30pm to 2.30pm. Sundai is closed.
Popular dishes:
Expect to spend: For a six-course tasting menu (experience), you have to pay AED 1,250 per person. The three-course lunch (emotion menu) cost AED 500/person.
Facilities: For selecting desserts, guests are escorted to a beautifully set up Pastry Library to get what they desire, interacting with the patisseries. Private dining in an intimate setting can be arranged for special celebrations.
Any restriction: Guests are requested to wear casually elegant clothing, and men should be in full-length trousers and dress elegantly. No shorts. Children are allowed from 9 years of age.
The Dubai’s most legendary resort, Atlantis-The Palm, has this iconic restaurant. One has to be here for the finest underwater fine-dining experience with top-class seafood delicacies. Besides the food, the main focus is the gigantic glass walls allowing an unobstructed 180-degree view of the massive aquarium nestling 65,000 marine creatures.
Yes, this is the one where you can see real-life sharks and stingrays swimming freely beside your table (book the tables near the glass walls).
Michelin-starred: Yes, One Star.
Location: Atlantis, The Palm Hotel on Palm Jumeirah island in Dubai.
Head Chef: Chef Gregoire Berger till 2024. The replacement is not announced yet.
Cuisine type: Progressive fine Mediterranean cuisine with seafood specialty.
Timings: Guests are welcome 6 pm to 11 pm from Wednesday to Monday. Tuesdays are closed.
Popular dishes:
Expect to Spend: The Ten-course Tasting Menu cost AED 1,250 with Premium Wine Pairing and AED 2,600, and AED 1,095. The six-course tasting menu cost AED 750 with extra cost for wine and non-alcoholic beverage pairings.
Facilities: A special marriage proposal service is available whereby a diver is sent into the Ambassador lagoon (where the fishes and sharks glide) with a custom sign (for example, will you marry me?") on behalf of the proposing partner. Great way to propose to your partner during a romantic dinner. Plus, the waitstaff narrates the story behind the courses or specific dishes.
Any restriction: 13 year old guests and above are welcome. Smart elegant is the dress code.
How can our choice list of the most expensive restaurants in Dubai not include this food paradise in the tallest structure in the world? It has to be!
The restaurant is based on the lower level of the Burj Khalifa tower with a huge centrally located glass-fronted kitchen. The golden hue and brown interior look very classy.
Reserving the window table is advisable for the charming view of the Dubai Fountain. Watching the light show from here in the evening would feel fantastic. The restaurant offers two options for tasting menus.
Michelin starred: Yes, One Star.
Location: The Armani Hotel in Burj Khalifa, Downtown Dubai.
Head Chef: Chef Giovani Papi retired recently. The replacement is not announced yet.
Cuisine Type: Classic Italian cuisine fused with contemporary flavors.
Timings: Every day it is open from 6.30 pm to 11.30 pm.
Popular Dishes:
Expect to pay: Prices start here from AED 500. Without alcohol, it might cost a couple around AED 650.
Facilities: Valet parking is available, and it is wheelchair accessible. It hosts private events. Guide dogs (NOT pet dogs) are permitted to accompany the guests.
Restrictions: A Smart dress code with no overly casual clothes is encouraged. Birthday celebrations for kids are not hosted.
They mean it, literally! You can dine (not ‘die,’ relax!) hanging in the sky by a crane, where you will be securely strapped into your cozy seat along with 21 other guests and enjoy delicious food. It is 50 meters, or 164 feet, high from the ground!.
Dinner in the Sky is listed among the ten most exceptional restaurants in the world on the FORBES list owing to its unique concept. We had to include this in our collection of world most expensive restaurants in Dubai for its distinct prestigious status and increasing popularity.
Michelin-starred: No
Location: Sky Dive Al Seyahi St. in Dubai.
Head Chef: Not applicable. The food is cooked by the 5-star hotels LE MERIDIEN and THE WESTIN.
Cuisine type: A 3-course multicourse gourmet menu enjoyed for about 1.5 hours on a platform hanging in the sky.
Timings: From Wednesday to Monday, it is 14.00 pm to 23.00 pm.
Popular dishes:
Expect to spend: It will cost you AED 699 per person.
Facilities: Complimentary tea, coffee, and soft drinks at no cost.
Any restriction: A guest should be above 4 feet 5 inches, and the maximum weight should be 150 kg. Open-toed and loose-fitting footwear are not allowed. No bathroom break is allowed during the 90-minute in the air. Not wheelchair accessible.
We know many of you were wondering about these mentions in our discussions of the most expensive restaurants in Dubai in 2025.
A Tasting Menu or Menu Degustation in Dubai suggests getting a series of small portions of the several different preparations popular in that restaurant. It is like a pre-set meal of multiple small, sample-sized dishes curated to display the chef's unique culinary creations besides the restaurant's specialties. Seasonal ingredients are dominantly used.
The different sample courses grace the table in a sequence, one after the other. The meal comes paired with wine or cocktail choices for a fulfilling gastronomical experience.
Final thoughts,
Dubai gets the footfall of people from across the globe. The megacity is already the permanent address of residents hailing from over 50 different countries. They have different cultural backgrounds, taste patterns, and preferences. All their cuisines are represented well. Nevertheless, their expectations do vary widely!
Moreover, Dubai’s population is prominent with a greater share of younger demographics. They do not shy away from experimenting and experiencing innovations. Most expensive restaurants in Dubai cater to serve well not just gastronomically, but also through experiences beyond comprehension.
Thousands of restaurants are cropping up, and also, hundreds of them are closing down. Restaurants are businesses after all, and they need to make money. The only way is to stay special and highly competitive to be the best of the best.
This passion for attention makes Dubai one of the most sought-after food cities in the world. And we are proud of it!
WRITTEN BY
Adil Khan is a Dubai luxury real estate expert with over 13 years of experience in the UAE property market. He is the Chairman of APIL Properties.
Dubai is known to the world for its superlative sensations—boasting of the biggest, the most extravagant, and the most expensive! The restaurants here match up to the ‘highest’ standards set with equal grace.
Food is good in almost every restaurant in Dubai. Then, why the hype around the most expensive restaurants in Dubai? Well, it is about the Experience! Some upper-end restaurants do more than just sensitizing the taste buds. The experiential dining awestrucks all the brain and body cells.
How awesome would it feel if sharks swam past your table while you enjoyed global delicacies? What about being strapped into your seat around a dinner table that hangs 50 meters above the ground in the sky via a crane? Cannot be answered, only experienced!
So, let us mention a few of the finest gastronomical destinations tagged as the most expensive restaurants in Dubai. You will hear about Michelin-starred restaurants a lot in Dubai, so first learn what they are.
In Dubai, luxury isn’t limited to skyscrapers, sports cars, or private islands—it even extends to something as simple as a car’s number plate. Owning the most expensive number plate in Dubai (2025) is more than a display of wealth – it’s a bold statement of power, prestige, and exclusivity.
These plates are auctioned for millions, attracting billionaires, royalty, and elite collectors who see them as status symbols and investments. Dubai has set the stage to demonstrate the world's most valued and rarest plates with unprecedented sales and global news. The most expensive Dubai number plate can cost more than a mansion on Palm Jumeirah.
At APIL Properties, we know that real luxury is rare. Like prime real estate, single-digit or unique number plates are scarce. Both are perceived as investments that narrate a spell of success.
Let us get into the entirety of the most costly number plates in Dubai
"An investment in knowledge pays the best interest." – Benjamin Franklin
We have been writing to share our knowledge on Dubai real estate investments and earning monetary gains for a long time now. We like to stay educated to guide our clients and readers. Recently, while studying, this famous quote grabbed our attention, motivating us to write this blog on the most expensive schools in Dubai.
The quote is so true but often so neglected! Good investment in knowledge indeed fetches the highest gains possible for an all-round prosperity.
Your dazzling lifestyle choices account for nothing if the choice of school for your children fails to shape and shine their future. In Dubai, everything is a notch higher than expected. So, here we enlist those schools in Dubai that match your extravagant expectations and your child’s education needs uncompromisingly.
