The Best Spanish Food in the United Arab Emirates
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The best Spanish food in the United Arab Emirates, according to the experts: The 50, Eater, and the Michelin Guide have all weighed in, and their honors are what rank this list. Boca comes out on top, and the good stuff runs deepest in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
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Smoked Room and JARA by Martín Berasategui hold the next two places. The Michelin Guide shows up on more of this list than any other guide, with Eater next.
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Rank 1. Boca
Modern Spanish
Boca was reportedly among the first restaurants in Dubai to serve Dibba Bay oysters, which tells you something about how seriously the team takes local sourcing. A modern Spanish restaurant in DIFC, it works with desert foragers and UAE farms alongside a 400-label wine list and a beverage program that gets as much attention as the food. It holds a spot on MENA's 50 Best Restaurants list.
The awards
- The 50 #41 · MENA's 50 Best Restaurants
- Eater The 27 Best Restaurants in Dubai
Why #1, not #2
Both places show 86. This one's exact Score is 85.72 and the next is 85.68, so it ranks first. We round what you see, but we rank on the exact number.
- #1 Boca (this place) 85.72
- #2 Smoked Room 85.68
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Rank 2. Smoked Room
Contemporary Spanish
Fourteen seats around a single semi-circular table, an open fire, and a chef narrating every move: Dani García's intimate fine dining counter inside Leña runs what he calls "Fire Omakase," eleven courses built around live flame and grill. The room is deliberately dark, the pacing unhurried, and a Michelin star hangs over the whole production. Burnt pumpkin purée and mandarin sorbet close things out with enough confidence to make dessert feel like the point.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: 1 Star
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
Why #2, not #1
Both places show 86. This one's exact Score is 85.68 and the one above is 85.72, so it ranks second. We round what you see, but we rank on the exact number.
- #1 Boca 85.72
- #2 Smoked Room (this place) 85.68
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Martín Berasategui named this 18th-floor Basque restaurant after his eldest granddaughter, which is either charming or a lot of pressure for the kid. The room runs dark and brasserie-grand, with an open kitchen where everything moves over fire and charcoal. The terrace looks straight out at Downtown Dubai, and the Basque cheesecake has a following of its own. Dress like you mean it.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
A Tie
Four places have the exact same Score, so they share #3. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #3 JARA by Martín Berasategui (this place) 68.544
- #3 José by Pizarro 68.544
- #3 Leña Dubai 68.544
- #3 StreetXO 68.544
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Rank 3. José by Pizarro
Spanish
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
A Tie
Four places have the exact same Score, so they share #3. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #3 JARA by Martín Berasategui 68.544
- #3 José by Pizarro (this place) 68.544
- #3 Leña Dubai 68.544
- #3 StreetXO 68.544
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Rank 3. Leña Dubai
Spanish
Dry-aged cuts sit on display in glass cabinets as you walk in, which tells you most of what you need to know about Leña. It's a grilled meats and fish restaurant on The Palm, the Dubai outpost of Spanish chef Dani García, where the black-and-orange room is meant to evoke charcoal embers. Croquetas come in tempura rather than breadcrumbs, the signature burger makes an appearance mid-meal, and dessert rolls out on a trolley. Grab the terrace when the weather cooperates.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
A Tie
Four places have the exact same Score, so they share #3. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #3 JARA by Martín Berasategui 68.544
- #3 José by Pizarro 68.544
- #3 Leña Dubai (this place) 68.544
- #3 StreetXO 68.544
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Rank 3. StreetXO
Contemporary Spanish
Graffiti covers the walls, neon lights the bar, and the staff arrive in punk jackets with a friendliness that defuses all the attitude. Dabiz Muñoz, the Madrid chef behind DiverXO, dreamed up this loud, open-plan street food restaurant where the counter seats overlooking the kitchen are the ones to grab. The menu pulls from Europe, Asia, and South America in equal measure, and the molten white chocolate lava cake is not an afterthought.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
A Tie
Four places have the exact same Score, so they share #3. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #3 JARA by Martín Berasategui 68.544
- #3 José by Pizarro 68.544
- #3 Leña Dubai 68.544
- #3 StreetXO (this place) 68.544