Best Tasting Menus in Dubai

Updated 6 October 2026

A tasting menu is a format, not one fixed kind of night. In Dubai, the choices here run from Jun’s seven-course Short Story at AED295 to KIGO’s eight-course kaiseki at AED1,500; Ossiano’s nine-course underwater menu sits at AED1,350 before drinks. Pairings can be included, separately priced or folded into a higher menu total. Compare what each figure actually covers, then check taxes, shared-table rules and booking terms. This guide focuses on bookable menus with current operator or reservation details.

Compare the menu before you book

Jun’s — Short Story, Volume IV

Seven courses · Cantonese-rooted third-culture cooking

If you want the chef’s way of telling a story without committing to an ultra-long dinner, Jun’s Short Story is the neatest entry here. The seven-course Volume IV moves from lobster pani puri and sea bream to a choice of wagyu or lobster with handmade noodles, then raw-mango chaat and olive-oil ice cream. There is a vegetarian version at the same price. The drinks pairing is optional, and the menu PDF says prices include VAT and service but are subject to the 7% municipality fee. Jun’s wider homepage still describes a different, longer tasting menu, so choose the Short Story by name when booking.

Book / confirm: Official menu and reservation details

Hutong, DIFC

Premium or Deluxe Chinese tasting menu

Hutong gives you a useful choice before you sit down: its current dinner list names a Premium Tasting Menu at AED350 and a Deluxe version at AED550. The operator describes its cooking as contemporary and occasionally fiery, but does not publish course counts or pairing details in the menu text. That makes the two price tiers the honest comparison; ask what each currently includes before choosing the upgrade. Dinner is served daily, 6pm to midnight, at Gate Building 6 in DIFC.

Book / confirm: Official menu and reservation details

Cala Vista — Viaggio di Vino

Five-course Italian menu with wine included

For a meal where the pairing is part of the plan, Cala Vista’s Viaggio di Vino spells out the spend: five Italian courses, each matched with a glass of wine, for AED550 per person. A sommelier guides the vintages and pairing notes, so the offer is structured as a food-and-wine experience rather than a base menu with an uncertain drinks bill. It runs daily from 5pm to 10:30pm and is for guests aged 21 and over. The operator says it can accommodate vegetarian preferences. The price includes service and VAT, with municipality tax still applicable; the offer is listed through 31 December 2026.

Book / confirm: Official menu and reservation details

Umi Kei, Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab

Chef-led sushi-counter omakase

Umi Kei is the pick when you would rather hand the sequence to the chef than select a fixed list of dishes yourself. Its bookable sushi-counter omakase is AED795 per person and is offered daily from 6:30pm. The reservation listing does not publish a course count or meal duration, so there is no honest basis for comparing its length with a numbered kaiseki or multi-course menu. Tell the restaurant about allergies or dietary needs at least 48 hours ahead.

Book / confirm: Official menu and reservation details

Ossiano, Atlantis The Palm

Nine-course seasonal tasting menu · underwater dining room

Ossiano joins a nine-course seasonal menu to its celebrated underwater dining room, where marine life remains in view through the glass. The food menu is AED1,350 per person; the pairing is a separate decision, not an included extra. The non-alcoholic pairing is AED385, while the listed wine pairings rise from AED1,195 to AED5,200. That spread can change the total more than the difference between many restaurants’ tasting menus, so choose the food experience first and price the drinks deliberately. Book through the operator’s reservation link.

Book / confirm: Official menu and reservation details

Il Ristorante — Niko Romito, Bvlgari Resort Dubai

Italian degustazione · the whole table commits

Il Ristorante makes one booking term matter more than the menu length: everyone at the table has to choose the degustazione. The current menu moves through Italian ingredients and regional references, including blue-lobster salad, handmade spinach tortelli and beef tenderloin, for AED1,000 per person before drinks. Pairing-inclusive totals are AED2,000 with Italian wines or AED2,500 with international wines; water and coffee are complimentary. Unlike many menus that add tax at the end, Bvlgari says these prices already include service, municipality fees and VAT. It suits a table ready to share the same format, not a mixed group where some guests want à la carte.

Book / confirm: Official menu and reservation details

KIGO, Four Seasons Hotel DIFC

Seasonal Japanese kaiseki · eight courses

KIGO’s current menu reads as a seasonal Japanese progression rather than a collection of signature plates: broth and sashimi lead into fish, beef, crab, chirashi sushi and wagashi. The operator’s current menu page lists eight courses for AED1,500 per person and says pairings start at AED750. It also notes that course ingredients vary and that some allergies may not be accommodated. The price includes service and VAT but is subject to the 7% DIFC Authority Fee. Another page on KIGO’s site advertises a nine-course Premium Kaiseki for AED2,000; since the main menu page does not confirm this as a bookable upgrade, ask the restaurant before choosing it.

Book / confirm: Official menu and reservation details

Choose by the kind of evening

• Keep the set-menu spend lower: Jun’s Short Story, AED295 for seven courses, with vegetarian and pairing options.

• Have wine built into the meal: Cala Vista’s five courses include five matched glasses; municipality tax still applies.

• Hand over the choices: Umi Kei’s sushi-counter omakase is AED795; its operator does not publish a course count.

• Plan a long special occasion: Ossiano’s nine courses cost AED1,350 before any pairing.

• Check the group first: Il Ristorante requires the whole table to order the degustazione.

• For Chinese tasting-menu tiers: Hutong lists AED350 and AED550 choices, but does not publish course counts in its menu text.

• For seasonal Japanese courses: KIGO lists eight courses, with a separate fee and allergy caveat.

Before you reserve

The prices here are not directly interchangeable. Some are food-only; Cala Vista includes wine; Jun’s, Ossiano and KIGO list pairings separately; Il Ristorante lists higher totals that include wine. At Jun’s, Cala Vista and KIGO, listed prices are subject to an additional municipality/DIFC fee. Bvlgari says its degustazione prices include all stated taxes and service. Hutong, Umi Kei and Ossiano do not clarify whether all regular-menu taxes and service are included, so treat those figures as published menu prices, not confirmed all-in totals. Read the specific menu and date in the booking flow: seasonal dishes and offers change, and booking terms can apply to the whole table or to dietary requests.

FAQs

Which Dubai tasting menu is the least expensive in this guide?

Jun’s Short Story is AED295 per person for seven courses. Its vegetarian version is listed at the same price. The menu lists optional zero-proof and wine pairings separately, and a 7% municipality fee still applies.

Which tasting menu includes wine?

Cala Vista’s Viaggio di Vino includes a glass of wine with each of its five courses for AED550 per person. It is for guests aged 21 and over, and a 7% municipality tax applies in addition to the stated inclusions.

Do tasting-menu prices include drinks?

Not usually. Cala Vista’s offer includes five glasses. Jun’s, Ossiano and KIGO list pairing options separately; Il Ristorante gives higher totals that include Italian or international wine pairing. Hutong and Umi Kei do not publish pairing terms in their current menu/booking text.

Does everyone at the table need to order the same menu?

Il Ristorante explicitly says the degustazione must be ordered for the entire table. For other menus, check the restaurant’s current booking terms rather than assuming individual guests can mix formats.