Returning for its third and most exciting edition yet, the MICHELIN Guide Food Festival Abu Dhabi 2025 will once again transform the Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental into a world stage for gastronomy. From 21–23 November 2025, this annual culinary gathering brings together a constellation of MICHELIN-starred chefs, celebrated restaurants, and food lovers for three days of immersive dining, creativity, and collaboration.
Organised in partnership with Experience Abu Dhabi, with Eira and Nespresso as Official Partners, the festival celebrates culinary excellence through shared experiences, from chef collaborations and live cooking sessions to hands-on workshops for families. More than a showcase of fine dining, it is a living, breathing expression of Abu Dhabi’s growing role as one of the world’s most dynamic food destinations.
A Culinary Playground for All Ages
The festival’s third edition promises to be its most expansive yet, featuring 20 renowned restaurants, including 10 international MICHELIN-starred establishments making their Abu Dhabi debut. The event is designed to welcome everyone from devoted gourmands and aspiring young chefs to families seeking an inspired weekend by the sea.
Visitors can expect an enticing mix of exclusive tasting menus, live entertainment, chef masterclasses, and family-friendly activities such as the Kids Masterclasses and Plant & Pot herb workshops. For those seeking a moment of calm between tastings, the MICHELIN Guide Café offers premium à la carte dining and takeaway options, while local artisans and producers showcase their ingredients in dedicated market zones. Every detail is crafted to celebrate food as both craft and connection.
New Experiences: MICHELIN Guide @ Home
Among the highlights this year is MICHELIN Guide @ Home, a new concept designed to bring guests closer to the creative process. Chefs from MICHELIN Guide–recommended restaurants will lead live, intimate sessions where they share their techniques, inspirations, and philosophies. These interactive workshops invite visitors to look beyond the plate, to discover the stories, discipline, and experimentation that define the world’s most respected kitchens.
From precision knife work to the nuances of fermentation and plating artistry, these sessions bridge professional skill and personal passion, demystifying what it means to cook at a MICHELIN-worthy level.
Inspiring the Next Generation
For budding food enthusiasts, the Kids Masterclasses promise to be a festival favourite. Under the guidance of professional chefs, young participants will roll gnocchi, temper chocolate, and plate desserts, learning not only the basics of cooking but also the joy of creativity and teamwork. In a region where culinary culture is evolving rapidly, these sessions are as much about sparking curiosity as they are about teaching skills.
The MICHELIN Stars Table
At the heart of the festival are the much-anticipated MICHELIN Stars Table Dinners, hosted across the festival’s signature venues. These exclusive six- and eight-hands collaborations unite some of the most celebrated chefs from across continents in a shared kitchen, each bringing their own flavour philosophy to the table. The result is an extraordinary series of tasting experiences with each menu a dialogue of techniques, traditions, and terroirs.
This year’s roster reads like a roll call of international excellence, with chefs representing MICHELIN-starred restaurants from Shanghai, Singapore, Switzerland, Vietnam, the United States, Argentina, and Japan. Together, they embody the diversity and artistry that define the modern culinary landscape.
A World of Flavour: The 2025 Line-Up
Chef Stefan Stiller – Taian Table (Three MICHELIN Stars, Shanghai)
A veteran of more than four decades in fine dining, German-born Stefan Stiller is the visionary behind Taian Table, a restaurant renowned for its counter-style intimacy and precision-driven European-Asian fusion. Since relocating to China in 2004, Stiller has become a leading figure in the country’s contemporary dining movement, blending technical mastery with heartfelt storytelling. His appearance in Abu Dhabi marks a rare opportunity for regional diners to experience the artistry of a Three-Star chef up close.
Chef Mano Thevar – Thevar (Two MICHELIN Stars, Singapore)
Drawing from his Indian heritage and Malaysian roots, Mano Thevar brings to life a modern interpretation of South Asian flavours. His restaurant, Thevar in Singapore has become a culinary landmark, recognised for its bold use of spices and its seamless blend of tradition and innovation. At the festival, Thevar’s dishes promise to ignite the senses, a fusion of nostalgia and contemporary finesse.
Chef Mitja Birlo – The Counter (Two MICHELIN Stars, Switzerland)
Known for his expressive, seasonally inspired approach to Alpine cuisine, Mitja Birlo co-founded The Counter, a restaurant that embraces creativity and restraint in equal measure. His philosophy centres on locality and storytelling, translating the Swiss landscape into elegant, painterly plates. In Abu Dhabi, Birlo will showcase how simplicity, when executed with emotion, can be the highest form of sophistication.
Chef Peter Cuong Franklin – Ănăn Saigon (One MICHELIN Star, Vietnam)
A pioneer of modern Vietnamese cuisine, Peter Cuong Franklin reimagines the flavours of his childhood through the lens of contemporary fine dining. Inspired by his mother’s humble home cooking in Da Lat, Franklin combines memory and modernity in every dish. His work at Ănăn Saigon is a testament to culinary identity, one that is deeply personal yet universally resonant.
Chef John Bates – InterStellar BBQ (One MICHELIN Star, Texas)
Bringing smoke and soul from Austin, Texas, John Bates is celebrated for redefining American barbecue. As the chef and pitmaster behind InterStellar BBQ, Bates blends tradition with technical precision, crafting dishes that are as emotive as they are flavourful. His festival showcase will celebrate the art of fire, patience, and the storytelling power of smoke.
Chef Ron Hsu – Lazy Betty (One MICHELIN Star, Atlanta)
At Lazy Betty, named in affectionate tribute to his mother, Ron Hsu turns heartfelt memories into refined modern tasting menus. Rooted in the values of love, resilience, and hospitality learned in his family’s restaurant, Hsu’s approach to fine dining is as soulful as it is meticulous. His participation in Abu Dhabi reflects the festival’s spirit, global yet deeply human.
Chef Augusto García – Zonda Cocina de Paisaje (One MICHELIN Star, Mendoza)
From the vineyards of Argentina, Augusto García brings a sense of place to every dish. Working closely with the land surrounding the historic Lagarde winery, his cuisine draws on fresh produce and herbs to express the terroir of Mendoza. Expect vibrant, produce-driven creations that celebrate the earth itself as both ingredient and inspiration.
Chef Abe Tomohiko – Yakitori Abe (Bib Gourmand, Tokyo)
Precision, patience, and respect for tradition define Abe Tomohiko’s approach to yakitori. At Yakitori Abe, every skewer is an act of balance, smoke, texture and flavour in perfect harmony. His participation adds a touch of Japanese minimalism to the festival, reminding audiences that mastery lies in simplicity.
A Reflection of Abu Dhabi’s Global Palate
Beyond the chefs and dishes, the MICHELIN Guide Food Festival Abu Dhabi 2025 captures something bigger, the city’s growing cultural confidence as a destination where global excellence meets local authenticity. The festival not only celebrates international talent but also champions Abu Dhabi’s own homegrown dining scene, which continues to attract recognition in the MICHELIN Guide.
In a city defined by diversity, this event offers a rare moment where the world’s culinary stars share the same kitchen, stage and story. For visitors, it’s a chance to savour not just exquisite flavours, but the inspiration, emotion and craftsmanship behind them.
Festival Details
Dates: 21–23 November 2025
Location: Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, Abu Dhabi
Partners: Experience Abu Dhabi, Eira, Nespresso
Highlights: 20 restaurants | 10 MICHELIN-starred chefs | Family zone | Live entertainment | MICHELIN Stars Table dinners