Kraken

Kraken in Dubai is best understood as a Modern Emirati-inspired seafood grill with a premium price point and a tightly defined set of details. The restaurant is associated with Grégoire Berger as Executive Chef and Creative Director, with Ozgur Gurkan explaining dishes and Robin Höfler involved in dish evolution.

The clearest reason to consider it is the cooking brief: seafood interpreted through a modern Emirati lens, with dishes such as octopus taco with seaweed mole, shrimp chicharrón with black lemon labneh, blue crab tom kha, tuna sausage and mash with mustard sauce, dry-aged kingfish, squid koshihikari rice. At $190 per person, Kraken is a serious spend, so it makes the most sense for diners who are specifically looking for a chef-associated seafood meal in Dubai rather than a casual grill night.

The chef involvement is part of the appeal

Kraken’s chef structure is a meaningful part of the decision. Berger is listed as Executive Chef and Creative Director, Ozgur Gurkan is associated with explaining dishes, Robin Höfler is involved in the evolution of dishes. That combination points to a restaurant where the cooking and the way dishes are introduced may be part of the experience.

What can be stated with confidence is narrower than some destination-restaurant descriptions suggest. details support the cuisine, chef involvement, price, hours, dress code, recognition, several signature dishes. They do not verify a specific seating format, counter experience, beverage program, table count, or tasting-menu structure. For planning purposes, treat Kraken as a premium seafood booking in Dubai and confirm any preferred format directly before reserving.

Smart casual is the dress code. Dinner service is listed Thursday through Sunday from 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM, with lunch service from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM during the festive season from 25–30 December.

Seafood, fire, the modern Emirati idea drive the decision

The most useful way to read Kraken is through its confirmed dishes. Octopus taco with seaweed mole and shrimp chicharrón with black lemon labneh suggest a menu that is not presenting classic seafood in a plain format. Blue crab tom kha, tuna sausage and mash with mustard sauce, dry-aged kingfish, squid koshihikari rice all point to a kitchen interested in reinterpretation, texture, cross-cultural technique while staying anchored in seafood.

The through-line is not traditional Emirati cooking in a literal sense; it is a Modern Emirati-inspired seafood grill. That distinction matters for diners choosing between Kraken and other dining in Dubai. Book it if that specific combination of seafood, chef authorship, contemporary regional inspiration is what you want. Choose a more casual Dubai seafood spot if the priority is a simpler meal or a lower spend.

Kraken is also a Gault & Millau UAE Selected Restaurant for 2026, which gives the restaurant a confirmed point of recognition. That accolade should be treated as supporting context rather than the whole reason to book: the stronger practical question is whether the $190 per person price fits the occasion and whether the listed dishes sound compelling to your group.

Who should choose Kraken, who should not

First-time diners should review the current menu when booking and ask directly about the available format for their date.

Kraken is most likely to fit diners who want a premium, chef-associated seafood dinner in Dubai, are comfortable with a $190 per person spend, are interested in dishes such as dry-aged kingfish, blue crab tom kha, squid koshihikari rice.