Row on 45

Verdict: One of Dubai's Most Serious Fine Dining Commitments; Book It If You're Ready to Invest

Row on 45 is the answer if you want the highest concentration of credentials, service depth, theatrical format in Dubai's fine dining tier. Holding two Michelin stars (2024 and 2025), ranked #17 at World's 50 Best Restaurants MENA 2024, scoring 92 points on La Liste's 2026 Leading Restaurants ranking, awarded Leading Service at the Tatler Leading Restaurants Middle East 2025; no other restaurant in Dubai Marina matches this credential stack. At a $$$$ price point with a 17-course tasting menu and only 22 covers per service, this is a deliberate, expensive evening. Come prepared for that, it delivers.

The Format: Three Acts, 22 Seats, No Shortcuts

The structure here is not incidental, it's the product. The meal unfolds across three separate spaces within the 45th floor of Grosvenor House, a Luxury Collection Hotel, making the physical movement between rooms part of the experience itself. The evening opens in an art deco champagne lounge, transitions to a main dining room built around an open chef's kitchen with a marble island, closes in a Victorian-inspired library where cognac and whisky trolleys make an appearance. Jason Atherton, a British chef with documented training alongside some of Europe's most decorated kitchens, reflected in the creative DNA running through restaurants like Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen and Arpège, brings a modern European framework with Japanese inflections to each of the 17 courses.

The sourcing signals the ambition: the database record references Hokkaido scallop, A5 Saroma wagyu, deep-sea carabinero, 100-year-old balsamic vinegar, Noirmoutier potato with Osetra caviar. A full 17-course vegetarian menu runs parallel to the main menu. For guests comparing this format to peers in the creative tasting menu category, Jordnær in Copenhagen, Cocina Hermanos Torres in Barcelona, or JAN in Munich, Row on 45 operates in the same register of technical seriousness with a Dubai-specific theatricality layered on leading.

The Wine Program: The Detail That Separates Row on 45

For a value-seeker weighing whether the price is justified, the beverage program is where Row on 45 earns outsized points. Star Wine List has ranked the program across multiple tiers (positions #1 through #4 in both 2024 and 2025), which is not typical recognition, it signals a list built with genuine depth rather than a curated-for-Instagram selection. Head sommelier Lorenzo Abussi has constructed pairing menus anchored in premium and rare European wines alongside Japanese sake. For non-drinkers, a dedicated non-alcoholic pairing menu includes options described in the data as pinot noir processed cold-press with merlot and morello cherry and liquorice notes, not the token juice pairings that Dubai's high-end scene often defaults to. If wine pairing is important to your calculus at this price tier, Row on 45 is the strongest option currently operating in Dubai Marina, one of the more serious programs in the city alongside Ossiano.

What You're Paying For

The 22-cover capacity exists because the experience is built around service density. Tatler's 2025 Best Service award for the Middle East is the external confirmation of what that ratio produces. At $$$$ across a 17-course menu with multi-room progression, tiered wine pairing options, a kitchen team executing at Michelin two-star standard, the per-head cost is significant, but the components that drive it are real and verifiable, not marketing. For context on value positioning within Dubai's top tier: Trèsind Studio offers comparable theatrical ambition at the same price tier but with an Indian creative focus; Ossiano competes on spectacle and seafood depth; moonrise and TERO - The Experience by Reif Othman are worth considering if you want comparable creativity at a lower ceiling. Row on 45 is the choice if service consistency and wine program depth are non-negotiables.

Booking: Near Impossible Without Lead Time

With only 22 seats per service, booking difficulty is near impossible, classified accordingly. This is not a venue where you check availability a week out. Reservations are required, given the Michelin two-star status and limited covers, plan for significant lead time. For comparison, tasting menu restaurants at this credential level in Dubai typically require weeks of advance planning; Row on 45 should be treated the same way as two-star bookings in Europe. Check the official website for current reservation availability.

Explore More in Dubai and Beyond

If Row on 45 is fully booked or you want to compare options before committing, see our full Dubai restaurants guide, our full Dubai bars guide, our full Dubai hotels guide, our full Dubai wineries guide, and our full Dubai experiences guide. For high-end dining elsewhere in the UAE, Erth in Abu Dhabi is worth the trip. For creative tasting menu comparisons internationally, Noma in Copenhagen and Enrico Bartolini in Milan operate in the same tier. Closer to home for a more accessible evening, Late Eatery offers a different energy at a lower price point.