Next month sees the return of Taste Of Dubai, a weekend-long festival celebrating everything the emirate’s food scene has to offer.

Fine-dining will be the order of the day at this year’s Taste Of Dubai as the three-day festival returns to the amphitheatre at Dubai Media City, from 10 to 12 March with a number of award winning chefs, exclusive restaurants and a specially designed menu.

First on the menu is a list of some of the world’s most celebrated chefs including British stars Nathan Outlaw and Tom Aikens, Indian food legends Alfred Prasad and Atul Kochhar, who together share seven Michelin stars between them.

Celebrated TV chefs – famous for Food Academy which teaches ‘would-be chefs’ how to cook like a professional – Jenny Morris and Reza Mahammad are set to combine their passion for food by launching an exclusive pop-up restaurant called Giggle and Spice where visitors can sample unique dishes from a bespoke menu.

Best of all, Taste Of Dubai allows visitors to sample bitesize portions from some of the best restaurants in the city. Here’s a few of our favourites…

Catch
With New York roots and an impressive sharing menu, Catch offers spoils from the sea with a trendy twist.

catch

Atisuto
“A casual yet eye-catching Japanese place in the Galleria Mall. All the regulars such as sushi and teriyaki are done very well here, as are the quirkier dishes like the mini Wagyu bunless burgers,” – Black Hat Guide 2015

WagyuBurger_Atisuto1

Bull and Roo
You might not know them by this name but Dubai’s homegrown heroes Tom Arnel and Sergio Lopez’s holding company Bull and Roo is the umbrella brand which includes Common Grounds, Tom & Serg, The Sum Of Us and new pub Brunswick.

The-Sum-Of-Us---Muesli-

Fratelli La Bufala
Popular Italian eatery in JBR.

Bistro Des Arts
High quality French fare at a reasonable price in a retro, bistro-style setting.

Gaucho
“Don’t let the distinctive cowhide interior put you off. The glitzy Dubai incarnation of the London-based Argentinean brand offers some fine cuts of tender meat and an excellent range of South American reds,” – Black Hat Guide 2015

Gaucho

Sonamu
Asiana Hotel’s signature restaurant Sonamu offers the finest Korean cuisine has to offer.

The Gramercy
“A busy lunchtime restaurant, The Gramercy’s NYC-style bistro fare (with a French twist) offers rabbit rillettes, fois gras and escargots alongside Caesar salad, burgers and a great pastrami sandwich,” – Black Hat Guide 2015

The Gramercy

Tresind
“Indian cuisine meets molecular gastronomy at this fine dining venue,” – Black Hat Guide 2015

Tresind

Royal Orchid
This friendly restaurant has a loyal following of Thai food lovers across the city. We can’t decide what we love more: the authentic flavours at Royal Orchid, or the competitive price tag.

royal-orchid

If that wasn’t enough, the Barilla entertainment stage will see disco legends Boney M. featuring Liz Mitchell headline the opening night, ahead of a host of exciting local bands including Maple Jacks and 4THEMUSIC.

10 to 12 March
Dubai Media City Amphitheatre, Thur 4pm to midnight, Fri noon to midnight, Sat noon to 11pm. Tickets will be available next week on tasteofdubaifestival.com, starting with an early bird offer: 2x Standard tickets for Dhs99, 2 x  VIP tickets for Dhs399. Kids under 12 can enter for free.