The very best of the UAE’s restaurant industry was out in force at the first Gault&Millau UAE Gala.
Held on Tuesday, June 14 at Burj Al Arab Jumeirah’s Al Falak Ballroom, the winners of the first Gault&Millau UAE Awards were announced, as well as the ratings in the first Gault&Millau UAE guide.
Guests first arrived to a champagne reception at the Burj Al Arab’s Gilt, on the iconic hotel’s 27th floor.
There they enjoyed custom Gault&Millau cocktails and canapes including Dibba Bay oysters, caviar from Kaviari and A5 wagyu beef from Country Hill International, with truffle.
The intimate Gala ceremony then took place in Burj Al Arab’s Al Falak Ballroom, where a specially curated five-course menu from chefs Saverio Sbaragli of Al Muntaha and Andrea Migliaccio of Al Mahara’s Ristorante L’Olivo pop-up.
Dishes included a caprese including cream of mozzarella di buffala, tomato foam, toasted focaccia and basil oil, Mediterannean blue lobster with summer pumpkin, Sicilian blood orange, tarragon and Kaviari’s Kristal caviar, saffron risotto and veal fillet mignon.
There were 12 awards handed out on the evening, with categories including Sustainable Kitchen of the Year, Sommelier of the Year and Chef of the Year. The full list of winners is here.
Ossiano was also named Gault&Millau’s first Restaurant of the Year, while its head chef Grégoire Berger was named Chef of the Year.
One of the world’s most established and widely respected fine dining critique brands, Gault&Millau’s revered rating system sees restaurants visited anonymously and then ranked on a scale of 1 to 20, with points awarded based on the quality of the food, service, drinks atmosphere and the restaurant itself.
Depending on that rating, restaurants are able to display between one to five toques (or chef hats), reflecting their standing in Gault&Millau’s guides. All visits by Gault&Millau critics are anonymous and fully paid for.
During the first Gault&Millau UAE Gala, 48 of the UAE’s most impressive restaurants were awarded toques, with 34 receiving one-toque status, seven restaurants receiving an incredible two-toque rating and the UAE’s three highest-rated restaurants by Gault&Millau declared the first holders of three-toque status.
Al Muntaha at Burj Al Arab Jumeirah, Armani/Ristorante at Armani Hotel Dubai and Ossiano at Atlantis, The Palm were each awarded three-toque status.
Following the ratings reveal, guests were invited to return to Gilt where they celebrated with their colleagues and peers.
The first Gault&Millau Guide is now available to order here.