Gordon Ramsay
The celebrity chef behind American TV show Kitchen Nightmares may be best known for his temper and foul mouth, but he's also behind one of the few London eateries to boast three Michelin stars. In total, Ramsay's restaurants have been awarded 16 stars. In the UAE, he has two spots: Bread Street Kitchen at Atlantis The Palm, and Hell's Kitchen at Caesars Palace Bluewaters Dubai.
Masaharu Morimoto
Another chef best known for his TV appearances is Masaharu Morimoto, who starred in Japanese cooking show Iron Chef and its spin-off Iron Chef America, but he's also made a name for himself thanks to his unusual style of presenting food, as well as the Michelin-starred Tokyo restaurant he runs. In the UAE, his Japanese restaurant, Morimoto Dubai, occupies the 23rd and 24th floors of the Renaissance Downtown.
Alain Ducasse
French chef Alain Ducasse holds more Michelin stars than any other chef in the world. And he's literally just opened up a three-level restaurant in the UAE, called Mix by Alain Ducasse, at the Emerald Palace Kempinski Dubai. "It's about a mix of events," the chef told The National after the opening. "Different experiences, different spaces, different culinary experiences – Middle Eastern, Asian, South American, combined with my French DNA."
Heinz Beck
German-born chef Heinz Beck is behind Rome's only three Michelin-starred restaurant, La Pergola, and he describes his cooking style as "light and healthy cooking of Mediterranean flavours". Here, we have Social by Heinz Beck, a well-regarded Italian restaurant at Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah.
Pierre Gagnaire
With a string of restaurants across the world boasting a dozen Michelin stars between them, French chef Pierre Gagnaire is unsurprisingly exacting. So it was interesting when his fine-dining UAE restaurant shut down in 2017, only for him to return to Dubai and open a more casual bistro instead. Don't worry, Pierre's Bistro & Bar in Dubai Festival City doesn't compromise on food quality, though.
Tom Aikens
Tom Aikens was just 26 when his restaurant received its first Michelin star. The British chef became the youngest ever to receive the accolade. Now 48, his first foray into the UAE came just four years ago, when he opened the casual eatery Pots, Pans and Boards. Most recently, he teamed up with luxury hotel group Edition to curate the menus for The Abu Dhabi Edition's three signature restaurants.
Yannick Alleno
Since 2007, French chef Yannick Alleno has had three Michelin stars pegged to his name and made his Paris hotspot made its debut on The World's 50 Best Restaurants list, at number 31, in 2017. For a taste of what this famous gastronome has to offer, head to One & Only The Palm, where you'll find the stylish, fine-dining spot STAY by Yannick Alleno.
Thomas Keller
The man behind Bouchon and five cookbooks also has seven Michelin stars across three of his restaurants (two of which are three-starred). He made his Dubai debt in 2017, by opening a Bouchon Bakery at Jumeirah Beach Residence. There, the team serves simple, classic dishes in a super-casual setting.
David Myers
David Myers, the American chef behind two venues at Renaissance Downtown Hotel, has successful restaurants in Los Angeles, Tokyo, Singapore and Hong Kong, too. Here, the stylish spot Bleu Blanc by David Myers serves up "southern French farmhouse flair", while BASTA! by David Myers aims to be more of a Roman trattoria, Florentine steakhouse and Neapolitan pizzeria in one.
Massimo Bottura
The Italian chef almost became a lawyer, but thankfully for us he instead became the man responsible for bringing new Italian gastronomy to the world. His Modena restaurant Osteria Francescana quickly received three Michelin stars, and has been listed in the top five of The World's 50 Best Restaurants. In the UAE, he just opened the doors to Torno Subito at W Dubai – The Palm.
Akira Back
Also just opened at W Dubai – The Palm is the eponymous Akira Back, which is by the pro-snowboarder turned chef of Iron Chef fame. He's brought his signature Japanese cuisine with a Korean twist to the Middle East for the first time. He's got one Michelin star under his belt, for his restaurant Dosa in his hometown of Seoul, South Korea.
Jose Avillez
Jose Avillez's Belcanto was the first restaurant in Lisbon, Portugal to be awarded two Michelin stars. It reopened, totally refurbished, in 2012, and got its first star that same year. The Portuguese chef has now made his UAE debut with Tasca, which has just opened at the Mandarin Oriental Jumeira, Dubai, and serves classic dishes from his home country with a contemporary twist.
