What makes a good Champagne list? Is it about price or product, rarity or variety? Or it is a combination of all of the above?
For 50 years, Gault&Millau has applied a stringent criteria to the restaurants it anonymously reviews and, as well as critiquing the food, there’s a big emphasis on the service, location, ambience and the drinks offering – specifically the wine and champagne available.
In the inaugural Gault&Millau UAE guide, 44 restaurants received between one and three toques. Of those, two – 11 Woodfire and Moonrise – are unlicensed and were not included in our judging.
We looked at the Champagnes on offer in the remaining 42 eateries in more depth to create the UAE Champagne Index, with 37 different Champagne houses represented and an average of 15 different bottles of Champagne on offer in each.
When interrogating what matters in Champagne lists, we looked at variety, the number of houses represented, the availability of large formats and vintages and, of course, the price. While true oenophiles are prepared to spend on the best bottles available, there’s little question value for money has a role to play too, and there are often huge variations in prices of the same bottle from venue to venue.
While Gault&Millau’s research looked at each restaurant’s offering in detail, with criteria ranging from vintage selection to Gault&Millau’s own rating of the restaurant, to determine overall ranking we focused on two key metrics: variety and value.
Variety has been determined based on the number of different Champagnes each restaurant offers.
Value has been determined based on the price of every bottle each restaurant offers, as compared with other restaurants in our overall Champagne Index.
Based on these two criteria, each restaurant received a total score. Now, having crunched those numbers, we present the ten restaurants with the best Champagne offerings in the UAE right now.
1. CLAP
Located in DIFC, one-toque rated Clap offers 63 individual bottles of Champagne – the highest number of any of the restaurants assessed. A total of 16 houses are represented on Clap’s list, ranging from household names such as Bollinger and Louis Roederer through to the sought-after Salon.
Average Champagne Index placement across 63 Index entries: 2
Non-vintage Champagnes: 2
Vintage Champagnes: 32
Large formats: 11
Lowest-priced bottle: AED725 (US$197)
Highest-priced bottle: AED24,000 (US$6,535)
Gault&Millau’s Clap review 2022
2. LPM Restaurant & Bar
Having just reopened its doors in Dubai’s DIFC, LPM Restaurant & Bar offers 51 different Champagnes from 19 different maisons. With a range of both vintage and non-vintage blanc and rosé wines, LPM’s list includes affordable and acclaimed small houses such as Legras & Haas alongside household brands such as Dom Pérignon.
Average Champagne Index placement across 51 Index entries: 2
Non-vintage Champagnes: 27
Vintage Champagnes: 13
Large formats: 11
Lowest-priced bottles: AED630 (US$172)
Highest-priced bottle: AED9,800 (US$2,668)
Gault&Millau’s LPM Restaurant & Bar review 2022
3. Zuma
Another of DIFC’s big hitters, Zuma’s curated list offers some of the city’s lowest prices on Champagnes from big-name brands such as Bollinger. The restaurant offers a total of 29 different bottles, with ten houses represented.
Average Champagne Index placement across 29 Index entries: 1
Non-vintage Champagnes: 12
Vintage Champagnes: 9
Large formats: 8
Lowest-priced bottle: AED650 (US$177)
Highest-priced bottle: AED11,250 (US$3,063)
Gault&Millau’s Zuma review 2022
4. Il Borro Tuscan Bistro
Set by the turtle lagoon at Jumeirah Al Naseem, one-toque rated Il Borro Tuscan Bistro offers a list of 25 different Champagnes from 11 different maisons. While household names such as Laurent Perrier are represented, the menu also includes some of the city’s harder-to-find vintages from houses including Armand de Brignac and Salon.
Average Champagne Index placement across 25 Index entries: 2
Non-vintage Champagnes: 12
Vintage Champagnes: 9
Large formats: 4
Lowest-priced bottle: AED750 (US$204)
Highest-priced bottle: AED12,700 (US$3,458)
Gault&Millau’s Il Borro Tuscan Bistro review 2022
5. Gohan & La Cantine du Faubourg
While included in the Index as two separate restaurants, Gohan and La Cantine du Faubourg actually share an address and a cellar. Their identical Champagne lists are concise but offer good value across nine Champagne houses, with nine of the restaurants’ bottles offered in both standard and large formats.
Average Champagne Index placement across 32 Index entries: 2
Non-vintage Champagnes: 18
Vintage Champagnes: 5
Large formats: 9
Lowest-priced bottle: AED723 (US$197)
Highest-priced bottle: AED39,000 (US$10,619)
Gault&Millau’s Gohan review 2022 and La Cantine du Faubourg review 2022
6. L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon
Offering a concise but interesting edit of 18 bottles from nine renowned Champagne houses, two toque-rated L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon offers both a reasonable entry level on pricing and some sought-after vintages from brands including Louis Roederer Cristal, Armand de Brignac and Dom Pérignon.
Average Champagne Index placement across 18 Index entries: 3
Non-vintage Champagnes: 8
Vintage Champagnes: 6
Large formats: 4
Lowest-priced bottle: AED645 (US$176)
Highest-priced bottle: AED18,000 (US$4,901)
Gault&Millau’s L’atelier de Joël Robuchon review 2022
7. Alici
Offering a diverse mix of 33 bottles from 17 different Champagne houses, Alici’s cellar on Bluewaters also offers something for every budget. Diners at the one toque-rated restaurant can pick up bottles from a range of big-name brands, while boutique maisons including Ayala, Henriot and Gosset are also represented.
Average Champagne Index placement across 33 Index entries: 3
Non-vintage Champagnes: 13
Vintage Champagnes: 17
Large formats: 3
Lowest-priced bottle: AED590 (US$161)
Highest-priced bottle: AED12,700 (US$3,458)
Gault&Millau’s Alici review 2022
8. L’Amo Bistro Del Mare
A total of fifteen Champagne houses are represented in the vintage-heavy edit of 28 bottles at L’Amo Bistro Del Mare – including Delamotte, Krug and Ruinart. Oenophiles can also treat themselves to a salon vertical experience with four vintages (plus a magnum) of renowned Salon on offer.
Average Champagne Index placement across 28 Index entries: 2
Non-vintage Champagnes: 4
Vintage Champagnes: 18
Large formats: 6
Lowest-priced bottle: AED890 (US$242)
Highest-priced bottle: AED49,000 (US$13,342)
Gault&Millau’s L’Amo Bistro Del Mare review 2022
9. Ossiano
Offering 26 bottles from 11 different Champagne houses, Gault&Millau UAE’s Restaurant of the Year 2022 also caters for a wide variety of budgets. The list contains multiple vintages of Moët & Chandon and Louis Roederer Cristal, alongside offerings from smaller houses such as Delamotte and Henriot.
Average Champagne Index placement across 26 Index entries: 3
Non-vintage Champagnes: 15
Vintage Champagnes: 8
Large formats: 3
Lowest-priced bottle: AED695 (US$189)
Highest-priced bottle: AED8,080 (US$2,200)
Gault&Millau’s Ossiano review 2022
10. Tasca by José Avillez
Located in Jumeirah’s Mandarin Oriental, the Champagne list at Tasca by José Avillez runs to 22 bottles from 11 of the industry’s most sought-after houses, with big names such as Ruinart and Louis Roederer represented alongside boutique maisons including Thiénot and Delamotte.
Average Champagne Index placement across 22 Index entries: 3
Non-vintage Champagnes: 11
Vintage Champagnes: 7
Large formats: 4
Lowest-priced bottle: AED595 (US$162)
Highest-priced bottle: AED23,000 (US$6,262)
Gault&Millau’s Tasca by José Avillez review 2022
Gault&Millau’s Champagne rankings in full
The Gault&Millau UAE Champagne Index examined the wine lists of all 42 toque-rated licensed eateries in our 2022 guide, with 37 different Champagne houses represented and an average of 15 different bottles of Champagne on offer in each.
To prepare our final ranking, we looked at variety, the availability of vintages and, of course, price range. Folly and Punjab Grill were removed from our final ranking as each offers fewer than five bottles. The remaining restaurants are ranked below according to the strength of their Champagne offering.
1. CLAP
2. LPM Restaurant & Bar
3. Zuma
4. Il Borro Tuscan Bistro
5. Gohan & La Cantine du Faubourg
6. L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon
7. Alici
8. L’Amo Bistro Del Mare
9. Ossiano
10. Tasca by José Avillez
11. Gaia
12. Il Ristorante Niko Romito
13. BB Social Dining
14. COYA
15. Al Muntaha
16. Pierre’s TT
17. Fouquet’s
18. Talea by Antonio Guida
19. Mimi Kakushi
20. Celebrities by Mauro Colagreco
21. Martabaan by Hemant Oberoi
22. Pierchic
23. Indego by Vineet
24. STAY by Yannick Alléno
25. Indya by Vineeet
26. Hakkasan
27. The Artisan Il Ristorante
28. Trèsind Studio
29. At.mosphere Restaurant & Lounge
30. Mina Brasserie
31. Hoseki
32. Bull&Bear
33. Armani/Ristorante
34. Brasserie Boulud
35. Hutong
36. Carnival by Trèsind
37. Marea
38. Social
39. Scalini
Do you see a price or a bottle on our Index that needs to be updated? Get in touch at champagneindex@gaultmillauae.com