Introducing 2023's Best Restaurants & Eats
It's beginning to look a lot like listicles
December means observing traditions, like listicles
The tell-tale signs of another year are coming to pass. The weather changes. Decorations appear. Mariah Carey defrosts from her cryogenic lair to roam the Earth for royalty cheques. Oh, and people like me studiously cobble together a few nostalgic “well, that was rather good” lists for anyone willing to read them. And read, you should.
Check out 2022 here, 2021 here and 2020 here.
2023’s Best Of Lists
Today, you would typically receive an update on my grazing and ramblings, but December will look different. The Year in Review lists started simple; however, I expanded the categories because:
The shape of dining is changing. The lists should too.
Constrained categories fail to highlight those who deserve special mention.
So, in December, you will receive best-of-lists plus anything else I may put out.
“But what about—” Yes, I hear you. There will always be somewhere that is not on a list. It may be that I did not get there this year. It may be that I went, but I don’t think it sits in this crowd. It may sit on another list. Is there somewhere missing in your view? Let me know.
We start on home soil with restaurants in the UAE only.
Contenders included: Alici, BOCA, Cafe Isan, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal Dubai, Long Teng Seafood, Lowe, Mohalla, SLAB and The Experience by Reif Othman.
The Categories Are…
2023’s Best Restaurants and Eats, United Arab Emirates (this one).
2023’s Best Restaurants and Eats, International.
2023’s Supper Clubs and Collaborations.
2023’s Best Bars and Wine.
Let’s get started (in alphabetical order)!
2023’s Best Of Lists
21grams. The restaurant whose name trips out of my mouth. One of my firm Dubai favourites ascended new heights this year with its 2023 Michelin Bib Gourmand. 21 grams’ unique voice in the Dubai culinary community, together with a warm, sincere service team epitomises local homegrown restaurant hospitality. Staunch favourites like the goat’s cheese, honey and thyme phyllo pie (above) delight without fail. 21 grams is consistent, whereas others falter. Tell Stasha I sent you. Read a review about 21grams here. 21grams Urban Balkan Bistro, 2nd Floor, Meyan Mall, Al Thanya St, Umm Suqeim 2, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Daikan. This is where I go when I need to think during a working week, and there’s enough time to explore Daikan’s broth pools. Daikan is one of Dubai’s best ramen spots. While some prefer the purity of Kinoya’s ramen broth, I come to Daikan for its rich, comforting brew. A broth with body. A broth you can pull between your teeth. I suggest you order either the shoyu, spicy miso or the chef’s special (above) Daikan, multiple locations, but you’ll find me in Cluster Y, Jumeirah Lakes Towers.
Duo Gastrobar. Will I look back on this entrant with a particular recency bias? Time will tell. But, Mrs EatGoSee and I left baffled by the seeming simplicity of its dishes and flavour-forward menu. So good we returned a second time in the same week. Ribbons of yellow courgette piled over a Parmesan foam. An oxtail pie encased in the butteriest puff pastry, a la Beef Wellington, with slabs of soft taleggio. A bright, airy space with contemporary art deco-esque touches. A focused wine list - oh yes! she’s licensed, folks. Duo Gastrobar is more proof that Dubai Hills Business Park is quietly curating some of Dubai’s best restaurants. Duo Gastrobar, Dubai Hills Business Park.
Fusions Ceviche. I snuck off to Fusions Ceviche a few lunchtime to roll around in bowls of sea bass ceviche - fiery, assertive and unapologetically so. The tuna nikkei, warm with slick nutty sesame, or walk out with handhelds of the empanadas de la abuela, all meaty, tender and filling. The tender Galician octopus laced with a smokey medley of Peruvian huacatay sauce, more aji panca and smoked chimichurri speaks comfort food to me at a cellular level. Read more about Fusions Ceviche here. Fusion Ceviche Authentic Peruvian Cuisine, Jumeirah Lake Towers, Cluster Q Saba Tower 3, Shop G04, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Jun’s. A restaurant that I do not visit as much as I would like as I seldom venture ‘all the way over’ to Downtown Dubai as I once did. Still, Chef Kelvin’s melange of Cantonese, North American and Indian cuisine comes together where lesser chefs would fail. Signature dishes like the smokey roasted heirloom carrots with labneh or tempura za’atar chaat are offered as evidence. All are welcome: families, date nights, group gatherings or brunches. Jun’s manages to weave these all together while feeling special. Maybe just come closer to my side of town next time, Kelvin? (Please). Read more about Jun’s here. Jun’s, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard, Downtown Dubai.
LILA Taqueria. Inside a slip of a building and up the stairs quietly lies one of 2023’s most exciting casual openings in Dubai. LILA Taqueria occupies a space in Dubai’s culinary scene larger than its walls. Chef Shaw’s food speaks with intelligence and a Mexican accent. The duck carnitas, the tomatillo salsa, the whole pescado ‘a la talla’ stained in brilliant green and red, then roasted, sings of smoke. You cannot help but think there’s more to come. Book a table and bring a friend. Read more about LILA Taqueria here. LILA Wood-fired Taqueria, 786 Jumeirah Street, Umm Suqeim, Jumeirah 3, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Ossiano. A leading voice in Dubai’s fine dining scene earns its accolades locally, regionally and internationally this year. Ossiano put on a confident cooking display in 2023 with eye-swelling collaborations and more than one incarnation of its featured tasting menu. It remains one of the most creative restaurants in Dubai, which, in the hands of other chefs, could be reduced to a tacky aquarium back drop for proposals and Instagram. Instead, Ossiano and Chef Gregoire Berger command respect and admiration. The wine list is pretty special, too. Read more about Ossiano here. Ossiano, Atlantis Dubai, The Crescent, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Pitfire Pizza. When putting this Best of List together, I was very conscious that it must reflect those places I go to time and time again. By definition, those must be some of the UAE’s best restaurants to me. The ones that litter my bank statements. The ones synonymous in their category. No week is complete without Pitfire Pizza in my house. The dedication to consistency and craftsmanship sets Pitfire Pizza apart from those contemporaries in its shadow. Ooof, that charred crust. The Palm is my favourite, made with sticky date, balsamic vinegar, toasted rosemary and gorgonzola. Or the Plain Jane, because sometimes less is more. Mrs EatGoSee loves the creamy, chicken pasta — and I mean, LOVES. Their garlic knots and apple pie have a near-religious following. Pitfire Pizza has multiple locations, but you will usually find me at Pitfire Pizza Arjan, Shop no 10, Vincetore Boulevard, Arjan.
Reif Kushiyaki, Dubai Hills. Not a month, barely a week, passed since Reif Kushiyaki opened in Dubai Hills without me heading for a bowl of its luxuriously spiced duck ramen or mushroom clay pot rice. And then there’s that signature prawn toast with its crust and fiery finish. Mrs EatGoSee and I marched here on our first date night after Rufus was born so she could break a pregnancy-induced abstinence of raw food with sea bass, hamachi and otoro sashimi. Read more about Reif Kushiyaki Dubai Hills here.
TakaHisa Japanese Restaurant. TakaHisa meets Dubai’s more is more persona with unapologetic extravagance. Better yet, it has the goods to back it up. I wrote that, TakaHisa Japanese Restaurant’s omakase experience is boisterously unconventional and provocative at times but never boring. The ingredient provenance, the wine selection, the simple presentation, the surprise of what’s coming next. I was relieved to hear TakaHisa would survive Caesar Palace’s changing of the guard to Banyan Tree. It’s a remarkable spot reserved for very special occasions. Read more about TakaHisa Japanese Restaurant here.
Teible. Teible has gone up in my estimations since my first lunch here in 2022. The dedication to local sourcing and sustainability is admirable, but ultimately, the food needs to do the talking. The presentation is cleaner, and the dishes are more focused. You walk away feeling like you’ve just eaten something good for yourself. Read more about Teible here. Teible Restaurant, Jameel Arts Center, Ground Floor, Jaddaf Waterfront.
Tresind Studio. We all knew this was coming. Possibly Dubai’s best restaurant now sports two Michelin stars, No. 11 in World’s 50 Best and No. 2 in MENA’s 50 Best. Chef Himanshu Saini and the team’s restless pursuit of perfection delivers 20 courses of progressive Indian cuisine across four distinct corners of the sub-continent in a menu called Rising India. If I left Dubai tomorrow, you’d find me here for my last meal. Read more about Tresind Studio here. Tresind Studio, Nakheel Mall Rooftop East, The Palm Jumeirah, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
I think I'm nearly a 100% overlap with you! (Also, I need to get started on my own list -- 2023 was a fantastic year for food).