Manāo

What Manāo Is

Manāo sits inside Wasl Vita Mall in Jumeirah 1, a neighbourhood that has quietly become one of Dubai's most interesting dining corridors. The restaurant is the result of a collaboration between chef Abhiraj Khatwani, who trained in the UK and then spent time working in Thai kitchens, Syrian chef Mohamad Orfali. The concept they landed on is specific: Thai flavours filtered through an Emirati sensibility, built for a Dubai audience rather than for nostalgia or authenticity theatre.

That positioning matters for the value question. This is not a restaurant trying to replicate Bangkok. If you want a reference point for what the Thai contemporary format looks like at its most rigorous, venues like Baan Tepa, R-Haan, and Wana Yook in Bangkok set the global benchmark. Manāo is doing something different: it is the only restaurant in Dubai operating at Michelin level within this specific cuisine lane. That makes it genuinely hard to compare locally, which is part of why Tatler noticed it.

The Jumeirah 1 location gives Manāo a neighbourhood anchor that works in its favour. Wasl Vita is a lower-key address than Downtown or DIFC, which means the room attracts diners who are there for the food rather than the postcode. For a $$$$-tier restaurant, that shift in clientele often translates to a more focused dining experience. If you are comparing the energy of this room against At.Mosphere at the Burj Khalifa or the social theatre of Zuma in DIFC, Manāo reads as the quieter, more ingredient-focused option.

The Michelin recognition arrived in 2025, the same year as the Tatler Leading New Restaurant award. That double validation in a debut year is meaningful evidence. Dubai's Michelin Guide is selective, earning a star while simultaneously being called out by a regional editorial panel suggests the kitchen is performing consistently, not just on inspection nights. For context, other Michelin-starred contemporaries in Dubai's current scene include Trèsind Studio and FZN by Björn Frantzén; both operating at a similar price tier. Manāo is the only starred Thai contemporary option in the city.

For the value-conscious diner at $$$$ spend, the relevant question is: what are you actually getting? A Michelin-starred tasting format at this price in Dubai is consistent with the market rate for starred dining across the region. Compare it against Avatara (Indian, $$$$, also starred) or Al Mahara (Seafood, $$$$) and Manāo's cuisine angle is the most distinctive of the three. If you are spending at this level once and want the format that is hardest to replicate elsewhere in the city, Manāo has the clearest case.

The Thai contemporary category globally is a useful comparator for calibrating expectations. The format at its finest, as seen at 80/20, NAWA, and Charmgang in Bangkok, involves precise technique applied to Thai flavour logic, with sourcing and balance doing most of the heavy lifting. Khatwani's background in working Thai kitchens before returning to Dubai suggests that the kitchen understands the category from the inside rather than interpreting it at a distance. Aunglo by Yangrak and moonrise in Dubai offer adjacent creative reference points if you want to cross-compare the regional scene.

One note on logistics: Jumeirah 1 is accessible from most Dubai neighbourhoods but is not walking distance from the main hotel clusters in Downtown or Marina. Factor in travel time when planning, particularly if you are staying further north. For a fuller picture of what else is worth booking in the city, see our full Dubai restaurants guide, and if you are planning a trip around dining, our Dubai hotels guide covers the leading bases near the Jumeirah corridor. Dubai bars, experiences, and wineries round out the full trip picture. If you are extending to Abu Dhabi, Erth is the regional comparison worth making.

Bottom line: Manāo is the strongest argument currently available in Dubai for Thai contemporary at the Michelin tier. Book it if you are in the city and the price point is within range. The harder question is timing, not whether to go.