RFK Cuisine · Omakase · Dubai
Best Omakase Restaurants in Dubai 2026
Sushi counters & chef's tables · Dubai · 6 rooms ranked · Updated June 2026
Compiled by the Restaurants for Kings editorial team · Published June 27, 2026 · Updated June 27, 2026
Dubai had no Michelin guide until 2022, and even now the city holds exactly one sushi counter with a star — yet the omakase scene that has grown up around it is one of the most ambitious outside Asia. Fish is flown in from Toyosu several times a week, the counters are small and the bills are large, and the field splits cleanly in two: a handful of true edomae sushi rooms where the itamae serves nigiri piece by piece, and a set of chef's-counter tasting menus, two of them Michelin-starred, that follow the omakase principle of trusting the kitchen without serving sushi in the strict sense. These are the six Dubai omakase and chef's-counter rooms worth the spend in 2026 — ranked on the cooking, the room and what the bill buys, with what to expect and how to book at each.
1.Hoseki
The Middle East's first starred sushi counter and its purest omakase; book Hoseki for edomae nigiri when the budget allows.
Hoseki, on Jumeira Bay Island inside the Bulgari Resort, is the closest thing Dubai has to a Ginza sushi counter — a tiny room, fewer than twenty seats, where chef Masahiro Sugiyama serves a daily-changing edomae omakase with fish flown from Japan. It was the first sushi restaurant in the Middle East to win a Michelin star, awarded when the Dubai guide launched in 2022 and held every year since. This is traditional sushi at its most exacting: aged tuna, nikiri-brushed nigiri, a quiet counter and a price to match, near AED 2,500 a head. For a diner who wants the real edomae experience rather than a tasting-menu spectacle, this is the one. Book through the Bulgari site a week or more ahead, and sit at the counter.
Reserve direct; the full edomae omakase, the aged tuna flight, a counter seat in front of the itamae.
2.Row on 45
Jason Atherton's two-star, 17-course journey on the 45th floor; book Row on 45 for the grandest chef's-counter night in Dubai.
Row on 45, on the 45th floor of Grosvenor House in Dubai Marina, is Jason Atherton's most ambitious project in the city — a 22-seat, 17-course menu staged in three acts across separate rooms, which won two Michelin stars in July 2024, less than a year after opening. It is not a sushi omakase; it is a French-Japanese chef's-counter tasting that borrows the omakase logic of handing the evening to the kitchen, with the central act played out at a marble counter watching the chefs work. The cooking is precise and luxurious, the views across the Marina part of the theatre. This is a grand-occasion spend, well into four figures in dirhams. For the most decorated counter experience in Dubai, book it; reserve through the restaurant site well ahead.
Reserve direct; the full 17-course menu, the chef's-counter act, the wine or sake pairing, a window seat.
3.TakaHisa
Twin counters for sushi and Ozaki wagyu; book TakaHisa when you want edomae and A5 beef in one omakase sitting.
TakaHisa, at the Banyan Tree on Bluewaters Island, runs two counters under one roof — chef Takashi Namekata at the sushi bar and chef Hisao Ueda at a wagyu counter built around Ozaki beef — which makes its omakase the most complete Japanese counter experience in the city short of a star. The kitchen sources uni and fish from Toyosu and serves A5 Ozaki wagyu at the peak of the marbling scale; the Champion Beef omakase is the splurge. It sits in the Michelin guide as a recommended Selected restaurant and took a high place on MENA's 50 Best in 2026. Omakase starts around AED 1,300 and climbs toward AED 3,000. For sushi and wagyu in one sitting, book it through OpenTable a few days out.
Reserve on OpenTable; the sushi omakase, the Ozaki wagyu counter, the uni course, a seat at the beef bar.
4.Ronin
A theatrical, modern omakase at FIVE LUXE; book Ronin for chef-led courses at the friendliest price on this list.
Ronin, inside FIVE LUXE on Jumeirah Beach Residence, is the modern, theatrical end of Dubai omakase — chef Sin Keun Choi runs a chef-led counter where the format is looser and more playful than a traditional sushi bar, with signatures like otoro and caviar, a wagyu short-rib course and a lobster-miso cappuccino. It is the most accessible serious counter in the city, with omakase from around AED 599 for two guests, which makes it the entry point for diners testing the format before committing to Hoseki money. The room is dark, energetic and beachside. For a first omakase or a lower-stakes counter night, this is the pick. Reserve through OpenTable or the restaurant site with 24 hours' notice for the omakase.
Reserve on OpenTable; the chef's omakase, the otoro and caviar, the wagyu short rib, a sake flight.
5.Moonrise
Solemann Haddad's one-star rooftop counter of Emirati-Japanese cooking; book Moonrise for the most personal table in Dubai.
Moonrise, on the rooftop of Eden House near Satwa, is the most personal seat in this guide — a 12-to-15-cover counter where chef Solemann Haddad, a Dubai native and a Michelin Young Chef winner, cooks an Emirati-Japanese tasting menu that holds one star in the 2025 guide. It is not sushi omakase; it is a chef's-counter tasting in the omakase spirit, where dishes like a pani-puri grilled cheese or kubz with miso butter fuse the two cultures Haddad grew up between. The intimacy and the personal narrative are the point, which is why it books out fast. For a homegrown, deeply local take on the chef's-counter format, this is the booking. Reserve through the restaurant site well ahead; the counter is tiny.
Reserve direct; the full tasting menu, the pani-puri grilled cheese, the chef's storytelling, a counter seat.
6.99 Sushi Bar
The value omakase in Downtown Dubai; book 99 Sushi Bar's business-lunch counter for the cheapest serious sushi in the city.
99 Sushi Bar, in The Address Downtown beside the Burj Khalifa, is the entry-level serious omakase — a Michelin Selected room that runs a nine-course omakase business lunch from around AED 199, by some distance the most affordable way to eat a chef-led sushi menu in Dubai. The full menu adds a robata grill and longer tasting options, but the lunch counter is the smart move: a tidy run of nigiri and sashimi at a price that undercuts everything else on this list. The room is polished hotel-Japanese rather than a hushed sushi den, which suits the midweek-lunch crowd it draws. For omakase on a budget or a quick Downtown counter, book it through SevenRooms. Lunch is the value to chase.
Reserve on SevenRooms; the nine-course omakase business lunch, the robata skewers, a counter seat at noon.
How Dubai does omakase
Dubai's omakase scene is young — almost all of it has opened since the city got its first Michelin guide in 2022 — and it sits in the luxury hotels rather than in standalone sushi dens. The starred and two-starred rooms, Hoseki at the Bulgari, Row on 45 at Grosvenor House, Moonrise above Eden House, anchor the top; the serious counters, TakaHisa and Ronin, sit just below; and 99 Sushi Bar holds down the accessible end. Fish comes in from Toyosu several times a week, which is what makes a credible edomae counter possible this far from Japan, and the bills reflect both the air freight and the hotel settings. The one distinction worth holding in mind is sushi versus chef's counter: Hoseki and TakaHisa are the closest to a traditional sushi bar, while Row on 45 and Moonrise are tasting menus in the omakase spirit rather than nigiri counters.
Practically, the small counters book out a week or more ahead for weekends and several take a deposit, so reserve early and confirm the cancellation terms. Lunch at 99 Sushi Bar is the value play; the starred rooms are dinner occasions. For the broader Japanese map of the city — the izakayas, the robata rooms, the celebrity-chef Japanese — see our best Japanese restaurants in Dubai guide, and the full Dubai dining guide covers the rest by neighbourhood.
Where not to look for it
Not omakase, whatever the marketing says
The big-room Japanese izakayas and robata bars. Zuma, Roka and the Ritz-Carlton's one-star Netsu are excellent restaurants, but they cook from a menu at tables, not an itamae's omakase at a counter — Netsu in particular is a robata grill, not sushi. Go to them for a buzzy Japanese dinner; come here for a counter where the chef chooses every course.
The hotel sushi conveyor and mall "omakase" set menus. A printed eight-piece "omakase" platter brought to a table is a tasting set, not the real format. If the menu is fixed and written down and the chef never speaks to you, you are not eating omakase. Book one of the six rooms above, where the counter and the chef are the whole point.
Frequently asked
What is the best omakase in Dubai?
For traditional edomae sushi omakase, Hoseki at the Bulgari Resort is the benchmark — chef Masahiro Sugiyama's nine-to-eighteen-seat counter was the Middle East's first sushi restaurant to win a Michelin star, which it has held since 2022. For the grandest chef's-counter experience, Jason Atherton's Row on 45 on the 45th floor of Grosvenor House holds two Michelin stars for a 17-course journey. TakaHisa and Ronin round out the serious counters. Choose Hoseki for pure sushi, Row on 45 for the occasion.
Does Dubai have a Michelin-starred omakase?
Yes. Hoseki at the Bulgari Resort holds one Michelin star — the Middle East's first starred sushi restaurant, awarded when the Dubai guide launched in 2022 and held since. Row on 45 by Jason Atherton, a 17-course chef's-counter experience, won two Michelin stars in July 2024. Moonrise, chef Solemann Haddad's Emirati-Japanese chef's-counter tasting, holds one star from 2025. TakaHisa and 99 Sushi Bar appear in the guide as recommended Selected restaurants rather than star holders.
How much does omakase cost in Dubai?
It runs from accessible to extravagant. 99 Sushi Bar offers a nine-course omakase business lunch from around AED 199, and Ronin's omakase starts near AED 599 for two guests. TakaHisa's omakase begins around AED 1,300 and climbs through wagyu tasting menus toward AED 3,000. Hoseki sits at the top, near AED 2,500 a head for its edomae counter, and Row on 45's 17-course menu is a grand-occasion spend well into four figures in dirhams. Most counters require booking and a deposit.
What is the difference between the omakase counters in Dubai?
Hoseki and TakaHisa are the closest to a traditional Japanese sushi counter, where the itamae serves edomae nigiri piece by piece. Ronin and 99 Sushi Bar run omakase in a more theatrical, modern register. Row on 45 and Moonrise are chef's-counter tasting menus rather than sushi omakase in the strict sense — Row is French-Japanese in three acts, Moonrise is Emirati-Japanese — but both follow the omakase principle of leaving the menu to the chef. This guide flags which is which so you book the right kind of evening.
Do you need to book omakase in Dubai?
Yes, and often with a deposit. Hoseki, Row on 45 and Moonrise have small counters and book out a week or more ahead for weekends; most take reservations through their own sites or platforms like SevenRooms, and several require a card to hold the seat. TakaHisa and Ronin take bookings through OpenTable and direct, with Ronin asking 24 hours' notice for the omakase. 99 Sushi Bar's omakase lunch is the easiest to walk into midweek. For a special occasion, lock Hoseki or Row on 45 first.
More omakase, by city
More from RFK
Browse the full Dubai dining guide, compare the global picks in the best omakase restaurants worldwide, see the city's wider Japanese scene in the best Japanese restaurants in Dubai, book a counter to impress clients, mark a birthday or anniversary at Hoseki or Row on 45, or open the full RFK cuisine index.
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