In Dubai, a large hotel with extraordinary suspended restaurants has opened

Six top chefs are launching their restaurants at the One Za'abeel hotel in Dubai. Just opened a few days ago, it seems poised to claim a prominent place in the Olympus of the world's most coveted hotels. While rankings may be sensitive to a different kind of charm – that of historic, smaller establishments with personalized service for each guest (see The 50 Best Hotel to believe) – it is undeniable that the significant entities, especially the grand means found in the Emirates as in the Far East, carry weight.

For example, among the recent openings in Dubai, a city with futuristic architecture and an ever-evolving skyline, are the two towers of One Za'abeel, designed by the Nikken Sekkei studio. Two skyscrapers – one at 235 meters with private residences, the other at 305 meters with two independent hotels, Siro and One&Only, connected by an elevator system – and a approximately 230-meter-long promenade suspended at 100 meters in height, called The Link.

In the entertainment hub of the Emirates, where high-end wellness, cutting-edge design, luxury boutiques, and grand restaurants abound, there is no opening without a substantial pedigree. And One&Only One Za'abeel is no exception. While the Siro hotel caters to wellness-conscious guests, an increasingly growing market according to trends, the vertical urban resort One&Only focuses on gourmet dining. International culinary giants have been called upon to plant their flags in a city famous not only for its architecture but also for its vibrant nightlife, where restaurants are pivotal. Dubai already boasts a prominent dining scene, albeit still young, and this new super resort promises to shake things up.

Eleven dining points

In the recently opened structure, there are currently eleven dining points, including those around the infinity pool, the stunning rooftop pool of The Link, bars, and all-day dining venues offering diverse cuisines. However, the spotlight is on celebrity chefs to further transform this hotel into a culinary destination.

The Link takes center stage – its configuration is a kind of long suspended gallery, housing alternating top-notch restaurants. There's La Dame de Pic by Anne-Sophie Pic, an establishment already present in London, Singapore, and Paris (Two Stars in the former, and One in the latter). It is the secondary format of the Maison Pic chef in Valence, a Michelin Three-Star, renowned for her plant-based approach and refined, fresh, harmonious cuisine. Her empire boasts establishments worldwide and 10 Michelin stars. At least for now.

The inevitable Japanese presence is Sagetsu by Tetsuya Wakuda, also a celebrity. Wakuda, Japanese by birth and Australian by adoption, also has restaurants worldwide, including the Two-Star Waku Ghin in Singapore and Wakuda in Las Vegas. His style is contemporary Japanese cuisine that occasionally harmonizes with French techniques. Representing Bangkok, one of the new capitals of haute cuisine, is DuangDy by Bo.Lan, the duo Bo Songvisava and Dylan Jones, creators of Bo.Lan in the Thai capital, where they returned after a long experience in London.

There's also Spain – an inevitable reference when it comes to creative cuisine – with two very different proposals. The first is at The Link, where Paco Morales is located, a fresh Michelin Three-Star for his Noor in Cordoba. Morales interprets the history of Andalusia through a work of gastronomic archaeology that delves into the region's roots to highlight its complexity and celebrate the blending of cultures at its core. In Dubai, he arrives with Abu, a restaurant and bar.

At The Link, which houses a total of 8 dining points, there are also more popular establishments such as Arrazuna for Arabian and Levantine cuisine, conceived as a food hall by chef Mehmet Gürs, Aelia with Italian inspiration, and the spectacular Sphere bar. Exiting The Link, on the fourth floor of One&Only, Dabiz Muñoz has arrived like a tornado to shake up the lush tropical garden of The Garden, where there is also the Indonesian restaurant Andaliman. The former Spanish enfant terrible, with his crest and irreverent attitude, arrives in Dubai with his more casual and kaleidoscopic format: StreeXO, which blends street food from around the world in a proposal challenging to define, rich in suggestions, references, ingredients, and colors.

Dabiz Muñoz's most explosive format combines different ingredients and techniques in an impossible balance where more is more. And the venue adapts to this controlled madness: wild, rule-breaking, kitschy (more than enough), and dramatic. It is the place where the Best Chef of the World stages his gastronomic show with the sole aim of making a strong impact – on the palate, especially, while also courting the imagination and cultural baggage that everyone brings with them. If DiverXO – the three-starred flagship restaurant in Madrid – has curtains to isolate tables, flying pigs here and there, and a vaguely dreamlike atmosphere, StreeXO Dubai features a large red counter, suspended statues, vibrant colors, and an energy that defies rules as soon as you pass through the restaurant's entrance tunnel, with a wow effect that is sure to captivate Dubai's audience.