Niko Romito' Il Ristorante on Dubai Island was one of two restaurants to recive more than one Michelin stars. Photo / Supplied, Visit Dubai
Niko Romito' Il Ristorante on Dubai Island was one of two restaurants to recive more than one Michelin stars. Photo / Supplied, Visit Dubai
The first Michelin stars have been awarded in the Middle East as eleven Dubai restaurants make the pages of the prestigious gastronomic guide.
Two restaurants were awarded a two star rating one rung below Michelin's highest honour.
Three flashy Arab Emirate on the gulf has joined a growing number of destinations to get a dedicated edition of the French restaurant listings.
The guide's international director Gwendal Poullennec said that Michelin inspectors had been on the ground since March, sampling the best the city state had to offer.
They wanted to create a guide "to reflect not just the sophistication that the city is famed for, but also the wide diversity of cuisines that the city's location and history provide."
Eleven additional restaurants were awarded the Bib Gourmand for best value gourmet fare.
Two-starred STAY by Yannick Alléno is a modern French in a stylish setting on Palm Jumeirah. Photo / Visit Dubai
Il Ristorante by Niko Romito, located in the Bulgari Resort and Stay by Yannick Alleno, at the Palm were the only restaurants to be awarded more than one star.
Reviewers praised Alleno' "precise, sophisticated dishes" and Romito's "top-quality ingredients" imported from Italy.
Representatives of the 28 restaurants featured in the guide were presented with editions of the guide at a ceremony at the Dubai Opera house.
Among one of the other nine restaurants to receive the prestigious stars was Ossiano in the Palm hotel. Long billed as the best "Michelin-style" Asian food in Dubai, the restaurant can finally wear its star with pride.
"We have been waiting for this for such a long time," said Executive Chef Gregoire Berger. "It's a great achievement and testament to the team's relentless hard work," he told the AFP news agency.
Since its creation in 1900 by the owners of the French automotive company, the guide has become synonymous with gourmet food. "Michelin" has become shorthand for a particular style and quality of dining around the world.
Armani Ristorante was awarded its first Michelin star. Photo / Supplied, Visit Dubai
However, there are only 25 countries to be featured in the guides. Toronto and Istanbul are the next cities to be given the star treatment with guides being published later this year.
Originally a road guide to exploring the best French food, the scope of dining reviewed and number of countries has been increased in recent years.
In April the guide revoked its awards to Russian restaurants, just six months after awarding its first stars to restaurants in Moscow.
Michelin is yet to publish a guide to Australia or New Zealand, although there are plenty of chefs inspired by the style.
Dubai's guide to the Michelin stars
Two Stars **
Il Ristorante - Niko Romito at the Bulgari Resort Dubai
