Chef’s counter dining is all the rage in Dubai. Here’s where to find the best front row seats to the culinary action…

Scoring a seat at a trendy restaurant in Dubai is hard enough these days. Couple that quest with a mission to land the best seat in the house – like at the chef’s counter – and the challenge becomes that much more real. Still, between up-close aromas, perfect kitchen vantage points, and the intermittent chef-diner small talk, the experiential payoff of getting those choice chairs are big. From Michelin-standard cooking near Satwa to wholesome ramen bowls in The Greens, here are seven counters worth saddling up to.

Row on 45

With its chic style and attentive service, Row on 45 is perfectly pitched for its Grosvenor House location. And after an emotional Two Michelin Star announcement at July’s Dubai Michelin Guide 2024 reveal, there’s a buzz in the air. Chef Jason Atherton presents a tasting menu concept inspired by decades of professional culinary experiences, as well as his personal travels. The dining experience is broken into three acts. Act I: The Finest Welcome, sees guests enjoying snacks and an aperitif. Meanwhile, Act II: The Pinnacle is the main event in full view of the open kitchen, and Act III: The Grand Finale allows diners to wind down with an aperitif in the chef’s library. At Dhs1,145 per guest, the experience doesn’t come cheap, and competition for a place at the 22-seat counter that surrounds the open kitchen is fierce. But, for a lucky few, the investment is well-rewarded.

Grosvenor House, Dubai Marina, Wed to Sat, 7.15pm to 1am. Tel: (0)56 832 4545. @rowon45dubai

Takahisa

Omakase, a Japanese term meaning “chef’s choice,” signifies a meal where the chef selects and serves a variety of dishes. While omakase can feature different types of cuisine, it is often associated with sushi, traditionally served to a small group at a counter. Takahisa exemplifies this tradition, a bastion of top-tier sushi in the city. Here, they source premium ingredients directly from Japan, including from the renowned Toyosu Market in Tokyo and A5 Kobe beef, the highest grade of Wagyu in the world. At Takahisa, guests can expect a dining experience like no other featuring seasonal Japanese seafood and luxurious ingredients. Expect a menu laced with seasonal Japanese seafood and luxury ingredients, including sushi rice topped with generous portions of sea urchin, salmon, chopped bluefin tuna, and caviar.

Banyan Tree Dubai, Bluewaters Island, daily, noon to 2am. Tel: (0)4 556 6688. @takahisa_dubai

Moonrise

Moonrise doesn’t simply have a chef’s counter – it is a chef’s counter. The entire Satwa restaurant hinges around this idea of dining as a personal experience. Regulars and first timers all want an up-close perspective on Solemann Haddad’s cooking, which showcases Middle Eastern and Japanese seasonal ingredients. The Michelin Star restaurant serves 12 guests at two sittings each night, with chef Solemann telling colourful culinary stories as they enjoy his unique creations. While the menu rotates regularly, signatures include a delicate pani puri with layering flavours of foie gras, date syrup, saffron chutney and truffle, and an outstanding take on the first dish Haddad ever made – a grilled cheese sandwich. On the current menu, highlights include charcoal-kissed Hokkaido milk bread, black garlic carpaccio, and 36-month aged Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Eden House, Satwa, Dubai, Tue to Sat, 6pm and 9.30pm. Tel: (0)50 697 2946. @moonrise.xyz

Kinoya

Perhaps nowhere blends the gourmet with the good times better than chef-owner Neha Mishra’s three-years-young restaurant, Kinoya. Tucked within the strip mall-style location of Onyx Tower in The Greens, Kinoya has four parts: a main dining area, two private rooms, a chef’s table and a counter-style izakaya where 17 diners are treated to a convivial kitchen theatre. Here you can watch Neha ladle up soul-warming bowls of goodness to her legion of giddy fans. It’s the perfect after-work kick-back spot.

The Onyx Tower, The Greens, Tue to Sun, noon to 1am. Tel: (0)4 548 6776. @kinoya.ae

Hoseki

hoseki bulgari resort dubai

The next-level endurance test to secure one of the nine spots at the ultra-chic sushi counter at Bulgari Resort Dubai will be familiar to anyone who has ever attempted it – Hoseki is booked up weeks in advance. But beyond bragging rights, the reason Dubai’s Japanese food purists put themselves through all the rigmarole of snagging a reservation, is the opportunity to watch sixth-generation sushi master Masahiro Sugiyama and his team show off their impressive knife skills. The Michelin Star restaurant presents the day’s beautifully fresh prime ingredients imported directly from Japan to create an omakase experience like no other. At a starting cost of Dhs1,750 per person, Hoseki’s tasting menu ain’t cheap, but it is spectacular.

Bulgari Resort Dubai, Wed to Sun 6pm and 8.30pm (1pm on Thur, Fri, Sat and Sun). Tel: (0)4 777 5555. bulgarihotels.com

Kokoro Handroll Bar

Rolling in hot from Houston is Kokoro Handroll Bar, one of a clutch of new restaurants to call Alserkal Avenue home. Chefs Daniel (Ducky) Lee and Patrick Pham have spent years in the US redefining the Japanese culinary experience. The result is laidback, counter-service, excellent sushi handrolls, and queues lining out of the door. Their concise menu promises flavour explosions, from the impressive collection of sashimi and nigiri, including bluefin otoro, hamachi and A5 Wagyu to the eight expertly crafted handrolls. Order the set of four at Dh120, which includes sake salmon, negitoro (minced tuna), spicy tuna and avocado, all individually made and passed over the counter when ready.

Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz, Wed to Sun, noon to 10pm. Tel: (0)4 259 7919. @kokoro.dxb

TERO – The Experience by Reif Othman

tero by reif

Reif Othman was one of the first to elevate personalised chef’s table dining in Dubai with his original restaurant The Experience back in 2017. Fast forward seven years and TERO in Dubai Hills is essentially Reif’s latest innovation playground – a restaurant with no menu, just premium ingredients and culinary artistry, creating an intimate kaiseki experience featuring unconventional Far-Eastern fare for very lucky guests. Dining experiences start from Dhs888 for eight courses.

Dubai Hills Business Park, Building 3, Wed to Sat, 6pm to 9.30pm. Tel: (0)4 255 5142. @terobyreif