Fire & Ice

Lonely Planet review

If Michelin gave stars in Dubai, they'd surely consider bestowing one on Fire & Ice, Raffles hotel's floor-to-ceiling-brick dining room that feels strangely like a styled-out New York warehouse. The menu plays on opposites (hot-cold, sweet-sour etc), and though the highly composed presentations can get too theatrical (think pop rocks on torchon de foie gras ), the culinary acumen is spot-on.

Using French technique, the chef expertly explores the delicate balance point between Eastern and Western ingredients. A tasting menu might include yellow-fin sashimi with tomato salsa, ponzu jelly and wasabi foam, or Wagyu sirloin with pan-fried pistachio-polenta and vanilla jus. Service is among Dubai's best, comparable to top tables in London; likewise the sommelier, who oversees a fantastic collection of New World wines you won't find elsewhere in the Middle East.