What chefs eat: This is where UAE chefs dine abroad
Manaal Fatimah
30th July 2025
We're spoiled for choice with restaurants in UAE. But this travel season, we've
tapped some of our culinary greats for their favourite restaurants worldwide, to inspire where you dine on your globetrotting adventures. Check out what these UAE chefs eat around the world.
goes to…Dishoom, Shoreditch, London
Dishoom in Shoreditch holds a special place in my heart. It's where my husband Shadi and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary, surrounded by the cosy charm of its Bombay-inspired interiors. Think warm lighting, vintage touches, and the comforting chatter of conversation around. There's something incredibly wholesome about the food: the smoky grilled meats, buttery naan straight from the tandoor, the rich, slow- cooked black daal that feels like a hug in a bowl, and the perfectly crisp fried okra that we couldn't stop reaching for. Dishoom isn't just a restaurant; it's an experience – nostalgic, soulful, and warm.
@dishoom
goes to…Gymkhana, London, UK
One place that stands out to me, even though I've only been there once, is Gymkhana, a two Michelin Star Indian restaurant in London that's home to the best butter chicken and the best biryani. It's the kind of cool you can't put your finger on what makes it so special, but it is just so attractive as a venue. Also, my girlfriend is not a fan of tasting menus (which is what you get at most Michelin restaurants), so when I'm in London, I usually visit them alone. But Gymkhana is special because we're able to order a la carte and can enjoy a Michelin experience together. It's one of those restaurants that I want to go back to again and again.
@gymkhanalondon
goes to…Mercado del Puerto, Montevideo, Uruguay
To this day, nothing compares to my experience in Uruguay. I first got to know about this gem through Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations and I was instantly hooked. Back in 2019 I was unbelievably lucky to be part of a course called 7 fires by Francis Mallmann, in Garzon – an old train station converted into a hotel and restaurant. We spent the best part of 3 weeks cooking with live fire right in the middle of the road across from the restaurant and also visiting the most amazing restaurants in idyllic locations, either by the beach or the plains, in the city or the countryside.
goes to…Lung King Heen, Hong Kong
Lung King Heen offers exquisite seafood and dim sum by Executive Chinese Chef Chan Yan Tak. As the world's first Chinese restaurant to earn three Michelin stars,I had the unforgettable privilege of attending an event in Hong Kong where Chef Chan Yan Tak personally prepared his signature crispy frogs legs with spicy salt for us – it was one of the most memorable dining experiences of my life. I was even invited into the kitchen to cook alongside this legendary chef. The consistency of the personally- sourced ingredients, the depth of flavour, and the elegant oriental atmosphere of the restaurant truly reflect a standard of excellence that continues to inspire me.
@fshongkong
goes to…Disfrutar, Barcelona, Spain
Disfrutar is co-owned by Mateu Casañas, Oriol Castro, and Eduard Xatruch – former colleagues at the legendary elBulli. Since its opening in December 2014, the restaurant has earned 3 Michelin Stars and was recently named the Best Restaurant in the World for 2024. It pushes the boundaries of art, science, and creativity, delivering flawless execution with every dish. What truly set the experience apart was the warm, genuine hospitality, which elevated it beyond other world-class restaurants I've had the pleasure of dining at.
@disfrutarbcn
goes to…Asador Etxebarri, Bizkaia, Spain
Etxebarri is purity at its finest, it's simplicity at it's finest, it's respect and passion towards one's craft, respect for ingredients, respect to suppliers, respect in the simple art of cooking. All the ingredients come from around the restaurant – the cows are on top of the hill, the shrimp comes fresh from a certain local supplier, the milk comes from the cows. When I went, it was my wife and I's honeymoon, and we drove from Madrid – it was a long but worthwhile journey. I had the chef – Bittor Arginzoniz – cookbook and I had it signed, and to see him in the flesh was like seeing Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant, like meeting a culinary god.
@asadorextebarrioficial
goes to…Concettina ai Tre Santi, Naples, Italy
On a long pizza tour of southern Italy, my son Sebastian and I fell deeply in love with Concettina ai Tre Santi deep in the Rione Sanità neighborhood of Naples. It remains the best meal of my life and the perfect blend of tradition and modernity in the food that I love most – pizza. We walked into Concettina as strangers and we walked out as family. It was a powerful expression of hospitality for young Sebastian and for me a lesson in blending youthful irreverence with the weight of history and its rich traditions. There's room for both and a need for them to live in harmony. They do at Concettina just as they do at Marmellata, and for us it served as confirmation that what we had in mind already existed.
@concettina3santi
Images: Socials/Supplied
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