What's On Dubai Awards 2025: The Shortlist
The very best of Dubai, as chosen by you…
Registration has closed, the votes are in, and your ballot box picks for the best dining and entertainment venues in Dubai, have been weighed, measured and counted. This is a list for the people, by the people – a manifesto of your favourite menus and venues, fighting it out for a shot to take home the crown in each category of the What's On Dubai Awards 2025.
Did your favourite make the cut?
The winners will be announced at a glittering award ceremony, to be held at Dubai Media City Amphitheatre on Wednesday, April 16. Table bookings can be made now via Platinumlist.
New for 2025
This year, we're switching things up a little, because like the F&B we're honouring – our awards are served fresh. We're saying farewell to the long-held format of dividing restaurants by 'average date nights spends of more or less than Dhs400'. And, in its place, we have a simplified, casual or fine dining designation.
Seven restaurant categories will sit outside of these distinctions, with one unified group of fine and casual dining for – Favourite All-Day Dining Restaurant, Favourite Brasserie, Favourite French Restaurant, Favourite Seafood Restaurant, Favourite Steakhouse, Favourite Restaurant: Northern Emirates and Favourite Brunch: À La Carte.
Grand Prix
Four more categories; Homegrown Restaurant of the Year, Chef of the Year, Newcomer of the Year, and Restaurant of the Year will also be awarded on the night, voted for solely by an expert panel comprised of the What's On team.
Without further ado, here is the shortlist (in alphabetical order) for the What's On Awards Dubai 2025:
Entertainment
Favourite Attraction
Aquaventure
Aura Skypool
Legoland Dubai
Ribambelle Family Restaurant
Topgolf Dubai
Favourite Bar
Amelia Dubai
Blind Tiger
CÉ LA VI Dubai
Gigi
Mimi Kakushi
Paradiso Dubai, FIVE Luxe
The Coterie
Favourite Concert, Show, or Festival
Bohemia, FIVE Palm Jumeirah
Elrow ft FISHER, JA The Resort
Live Nation Presents: Cigarettes After Sex live at Coca-Cola Arena
Pacha ICONS featuring Keinemusik duo, Adam Port and Rampa, FIVE Luxe
Phantom of the Opera at Dubai Opera
Singin' in the Rain at Dubai Opera
Snoopy Beats
Favourite Daycation
Be Beach
Gigi
La Cantine Beach
Maison Revka
Nikki Beach Resort & Spa Dubai
San Beach
Twiggy
Favourite Staycation: Dubai
Address Beach
Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa
Centara Mirage Beach Resort Dubai
Hilton Dubai Palm Jumeirah
Raffles The Palm Dubai
Sofitel Dubai The Palm
W Dubai – The Palm
Favourite Staycation: Northern Emirates
Anantara Mina Al Mina Al Arab Ras Al Khaimah Resort
DoubleTree by Hilton Sharjah waterfront hotel and residencies
Fairmont Fujairah
InterContinental Ras Al Khaimah Mina Al Arab Resort & Spa
Movenpick Resort Al Marjan Island
Rixos Al Mairid Ras Al Khaimah
Sandy Beach Hotel & Resort
Favourite Spa
Amara Spa, Park Hyatt Dubai
Cinq Mondes Spa at Raffles The Palm Dubai
Serenity – The Art Of Well Being, Fairmont The Palm
Sofitel Spa with L'Occitane
Talise Ottoman Spa
The Pearl Spa and Wellness
The Spa, Mandarin Oriental
Food concepts
Favourite Afternoon Tea
Aelia
Balloons at the Palace
Blue Box Café
Home Bakery
Mashrabiya
Noor Lounge
Portico, Melia Desert Palm
Favourite Business Lunch
CÉ LA VI Dubai
Eugène Eugène
La Petite Maison Dubai
La Cantine du Faubourg
Mimi Kakushi
Nobu
Sushisamba
Favourite Breakfast
BohoX
Brunch & Cake
Huqqabaz Garden
Jones the Grocer, Emirates Golf Club
Lana Lusa
Mina Brasserie
Zouzou
Favourite Café
Blue Box Café
Comptoir 102
Hoya Cafe & Restaurant
Madeleine et Marcel
Risen
The Coffee Club
Unwind Cafe
Favourite Pet-Friendly Restaurant
Beach By Five Deck, FIVE Palm Jumeirah
Bounty Beets
Horse and Hound
Lila Molino + Cafe
Revo
Tap & Grill
The Duck Hook
Favourite Pub Grub
Biggles
Ernst Biergarten
McGettigan's
The Croft
The Irish Village, Al Garhoud
Toad in the Hole
UBK
Favourite Burger
Chez Wam
Good Burger
Jamjars, Marina
Slaw
Smokd Eatery
The Meat Avenue
The Stables Dubai
Favourite Alfresco Restaurant
Attiko
Cala Vista
Gigi
Kyma
Nuska Beach
Surf Club
Tagomago
Restaurants
Favourite All-Day Dining Restaurant
Allo Beirut Restaurant
Babel Dubai
Flow Kitchen
Huqqabaz Dubai
Kitchen6
Society Dubai
Trove Restaurant
Favourite Brasserie
Bastion
CQ French Brasserie
Mina Brasserie
Rare Brasserie & Bar
The Guild
The Maine Land Brasserie
The Spaniel Brasserie and Bar
Favourite French Restaurant
Carine
Casa Amor
Couqley Downtown
Drift Beach
La Dame de Pic
La Petite Maison Dubai
Pierre's TT
Favourite Seafood Restaurant
Alici
Aprons and Hammers
Ibn Albahr Restaurant
Kovalam Restaurant
Rockfish
Tasca
The Maine Oyster Bar and Grill
Favourite Steakhouse
Carna
Hunter & Barrel
Leña
Netsu
Porterhouse Bar & Grill
Prime68
Smoki Moto Dubai
Favourite Restaurant: Northern Emirates
Copper Lobster
Karma Kafe by Buddha-Bar RAK
Levant & Nar
Mekong
Orient restaurant
Spice Grill
Ula Beach Rak
Favourite Brunch: À La Carte
Bar Du Port
CÉ LA VI Dubai
City Social
Demon Duck
Sucre
The Maine Oyster Bar and Grill
Tasca
Casual Restaurants
Favourite Casual Asian Restaurant
Andaliman
Anwa
Asia Asia
BA – Boldly Asian
Vietnamese Foodies
Zengo
ZETA Seventy Seven
Favourite Casual Brunch: Buffet
Flow Kitchen
Imagination Brunch, Mowsem
La Mezcaleria Meydan
McGettigan's Dubai Science Park
SoulCaliCool Brunch at Soul St., FIVE Jumeirah Village
Vero – Amalfi Brunch
Wanderlust
Favourite Casual Indian Restaurant
Carnival By Tresind
Indya By Vineet
Khadak
Khyber Restaurant
Rang
Rohini By Little Miss India
Zafran
Favourite Casual Italian Restaurant
Arrogante Dubai
Carluccio's
Cucina The Palm
Fi'lia
IL Motto
Luigia
Trattoria by Cinque, FIVE Jumeirah Village
Favourite Casual Japanese Restaurant
Goldfish
Izakaya
Kata
Kinoya Restaurant
Makira Japanese Restaurant
Sushiyaki
Virgin IZAKAYA Dubai
Favourite Casual Latin American Restaurant
Canary Club
Frevo
Fusion Ceviche
La Barra – Peruvian Tapas
Lila Wood-Fired Taqueria
Maiz Tacos
Maya by Richard Sandoval
Favourite Casual Mediterranean Restaurant
Cielo, FIVE Luxe
Fish Beach Taverna
Lola Taberna
Lana Lusa
OIA
Taverna
The Lighthouse
Favourite Casual Middle Eastern Restaurant
Allo Beirut Restaurant
Al Mayass
Courtyard, The Heritage Hotel Dubai
Em Sherif Cafe
Huqqabaz Garden
Samakjë
Zouzou
Fine Dining Restaurants
Favourite Fine Dining Asian Restaurant
Attiko
Demon Duck
Jun's
Ronin, FIVE Luxe
SHI Restaurant & Lounge
Tong Thai
Zheng He's
Favourite Fine Dining Brunch: Buffet
Al Qasr Brunch
Brasserie 2.0
Bubbalicious
Le Brunch, La Brasserie Sur Le Boulevard
London Social Garden Brunch at The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai
Nikki Beach Resort & Spa Dubai – Cafe Nikki
Traiteur
Favourite Fine Dining Indian Restaurant
Amala
Armani/Amal
Avatara
Kinara By Vikas Khanna
Little Miss India
Rang Mahal
Tresind Studio
Favourite Fine Dining Italian Restaurant
Belcanto at Dubai Opera
Chic Nonna
Il Borro Tuscan Bistro
Lunarossa
Pierchic
The Artisan
Toto Dubai
Favourite Fine Dining Japanese Restaurant
Akira Back
Kayto
Netsu
Okku Dubai
Sagetsu by Tetsuya
Salvaje Dubai
Sushisamba
Favourite Fine Dining Latin American Restaurant
Above Eleven Dubai
Amelia Dubai
Coya
La Niña
Nazcaa Dubai
Sucre
Tamoka Dubai
Favourite Fine Dining Mediterranean Restaurant
Estiatorio Milos
La Cantine Beach
OPA Dubai
Shimmers
Spica
Tatel Dubai
Twiggy
Favourite Fine Dining Middle Eastern Restaurant
Alaya
Al Nafoorah
Amaseena Dubai
Anar
Asil Step into the Orient Restaurant
Huqqa
Ninive, Bab Al Shames
Table bookings can be made now via Platinumlist.
Images: What's On Archive
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