Restaurant in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Michelin-starred Portuguese. Book early.
Tasca by José Avillez holds a Michelin star — two years running — making it Dubai's clearest answer for Portuguese fine dining at the $$$ price tier. The tasting menu format suits special occasions and deliberate celebrations rather than casual dinners. Book three to four weeks ahead for weekend tables; Thursday and Friday slots fill fastest.
Tasca by José Avillez is not a showcase of Iberian nostalgia dressed up for a Gulf audience. It is a Michelin-starred Portuguese restaurant that has held one star consecutively in 2024 and 2025 — a signal that the Dubai dining circuit is taking it seriously on its own terms. If you are looking for a special-occasion dinner along Jumeirah Beach Road that steps outside Dubai's dominant Japanese and steakhouse gravity, Tasca is the clearest answer at the $$$ price tier. Book it. But read the caveats below before you do.
The common misconception about Tasca is that it trades on Avillez's Lisbon reputation to fill seats with Portuguese expats and curious tourists. The two-year Michelin run suggests something more consistent than that. Portuguese cuisine at this level is built on technique applied to a specific pantry: salt cod, piri piri, rich olive oils, cured meats, and a culinary grammar that rewards restraint over spectacle. At Tasca, the tasting menu format is the right lens through which to read the kitchen's ambitions. The progression of a Portuguese tasting menu is not about dramatic climaxes or avant-garde provocation; it moves in a more measured arc, building from lighter, brined flavors toward heavier, fat-rich preparations before pulling back to something clean and sweet. That architecture rewards patience, which means this is not the right room if you want to be in and out in ninety minutes.
For a special occasion, the format works well. The meal's rhythm gives a celebration structure: there is a natural mid-point where the table pauses, refills drinks, and takes stock, and a clear close that does not feel rushed. Compare this to Trèsind Studio, where the tasting menu is more theatrically staged and the pacing is faster and more surprising. Tasca is quieter, more intimate in its progression. If the occasion calls for conversation rather than performance, Tasca has the edge. If you want spectacle alongside the food, Trèsind Studio is the stronger choice.
The Jumeirah Beach Road address places Tasca in a part of Dubai that is more residential and less saturated with dining tourists than Downtown or DIFC. That affects the atmosphere: the room skews toward couples and small groups who have made a deliberate reservation rather than walk-in diners looking for somewhere impressive to eat. For a date or an anniversary, that demographic tends to keep the energy at a register that suits the occasion.
Tasca is a hard book. A Michelin-starred restaurant at the $$$ price point in Dubai's Jumeirah corridor fills quickly, particularly on Thursday and Friday evenings, which function as the city's weekend. Plan to book a minimum of three to four weeks in advance for weekend slots. If you are flexible on timing, a Tuesday or Wednesday dinner is your leading chance of securing a table with less competition. The Google rating of 4.4 across 87 reviews is solid without being inflated, which suggests the restaurant is not gaming its reception, and that the experience is consistent rather than spiking on good nights and dipping on off ones. For the most reliable special-occasion experience, avoid the early weeks after any public holiday in the UAE, when staffing patterns can vary across the city's restaurant industry.
No phone number or booking URL is publicly listed in Pearl's database at the time of writing, so your leading route is to search directly for the restaurant's current reservation channel or contact Jumeirah-area concierge services if you are staying locally. Dubai's hotel concierge network is genuinely useful here: if you are a guest at a major Jumeirah-area property, a concierge call often moves faster than an online waitlist.
Tasca is clearest as a choice for two profiles. First, the couple or small group celebrating something specific — an anniversary, a promotion, a visit from overseas , who want a Michelin-credentialed meal that does not feel like a production. Second, the business dinner where Portuguese cuisine is a deliberate differentiator; it signals taste without being difficult to explain to a table of guests unfamiliar with Lisbon's dining scene. Solo diners can work here too, particularly if bar or counter seating is available, though the tasting menu format is more naturally social than solitary.
If you are traveling specifically to explore Portuguese cuisine across different international interpretations, Tasca sits in a broader context worth knowing. The cuisine also appears in destinations including Chiado in Macau, Adega in San Jose, and Vinha in Vila Nova de Gaia. Among those, Tasca's Michelin recognition gives it the clearest quality credential outside Portugal itself.
At the $$$ tier, Tasca is positioned below Dubai's top-end restaurants like Al Mahara and Avatara, which sit at $$$$. For Michelin-starred cooking, $$$ in Dubai represents reasonable value: you are getting a recognised kitchen without paying the premium of the city's most expensive rooms. The two consecutive stars confirm that the quality is not a one-year anomaly. For context, FZN by Björn Frantzén and Row on 45 are the other names in Dubai's creative fine-dining conversation; Tasca's Portuguese specificity is its clearest differentiator from both. If the cuisine itself appeals, the price-to-award ratio is hard to argue with.
For a broader look at where Tasca fits in Dubai's dining scene, see our full Dubai restaurants guide. If you are planning the full trip, our guides to Dubai bars, Dubai experiences, and Dubai wineries cover the rest of the itinerary.
Small groups of two to four are the natural fit for Tasca's format, and the tasting menu structure works well at that size. Larger groups should contact the restaurant directly to confirm capacity and whether a private dining arrangement is available. The Jumeirah Beach Road address and the restaurant's scale suggest it is not configured for large corporate parties, but a group of six to eight around a shared menu is plausible with advance notice. No booking phone number is currently listed in Pearl's database, so reach out via the restaurant's reservation channel or through a local hotel concierge.
For Michelin-level tasting menus in Dubai, Trèsind Studio is the most direct competitor if you want a more theatrical format at a comparable price tier. moonrise and 11 Woodfire are strong alternatives at $$$ if you want modern cuisine with a different culinary identity. If budget is not a constraint, Avatara at $$$$ offers a completely different cuisine profile with strong award recognition. For Portuguese cuisine specifically, no close Dubai peer exists at Tasca's Michelin level, which makes it the default answer in that category.
Yes, at the $$$ price tier with two consecutive Michelin stars, Tasca represents sound value for Dubai fine dining. You are paying for a kitchen with a verified track record, not a restaurant coasting on its opening press. Compared to the city's $$$$ options, you get Michelin-level cooking with less financial risk. The 4.4 Google rating across 87 reviews adds a layer of consistency confirmation. If Portuguese cuisine is what you want, there is no comparable alternative in Dubai at this quality tier.
It is well-suited for it. The tasting menu format gives a celebration natural structure and pacing. The Jumeirah Beach Road setting attracts a quieter, more intentional crowd than Dubai's busier dining districts, which keeps the atmosphere calibrated for conversation. At $$$, it is accessible enough for a meaningful splurge without requiring the full commitment of a $$$$ room. For an anniversary or a date where the food should be the anchor rather than the backdrop, Tasca works. If you want a more theatrical experience, look at Trèsind Studio instead.
Portuguese cuisine's core pantry includes shellfish, salt cod, and cured pork products, which means it is not naturally accommodating for guests avoiding seafood, shellfish, or pork. If you or someone in your party has significant dietary restrictions, contact the restaurant directly before booking to confirm what the kitchen can adjust within the tasting menu. No specific dietary policy is listed in Pearl's current database. Do not assume a tasting menu restaurant at this level will be fully flexible without advance notice.
Bar or counter seating availability is not confirmed in Pearl's current data for Tasca. In Dubai's licensed restaurant environment, bar areas are common but the format varies by venue. If solo dining or a shorter, less formal experience at the bar is what you are after, contact the restaurant directly to ask. Pearl's database does not currently include seat configuration or bar-dining specifics for this venue.
If Portuguese cuisine is your reason for booking, yes. The tasting menu is the format through which the kitchen demonstrates its Michelin-level range, moving through the cuisine's characteristic arc from lighter preparations to richer ones. At the $$$ price point, the value is reasonable for two consecutive stars. If you are ambivalent about Portuguese cuisine and are primarily looking for a fine-dining experience in Dubai, there are other tasting menus in the city with stronger personal appeal depending on your cuisine preference , FZN by Björn Frantzén for modern Scandinavian-influenced cooking, or Row on 45 for creative tasting formats.
Possible, but not the optimal setup. Tasting menus are inherently social in their pacing, and the investment at $$$ feels more justified when shared. That said, if you are a solo traveler who actively prefers tasting menus and the cuisine appeals, Tasca is still worth booking. Ask specifically about counter or bar seating when you reserve, as solo diners typically have a more comfortable experience at a counter than at a table set for two. The 87 Google reviews suggest a room that is not enormous, so solo presence should not feel conspicuous.
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tasca by José Avillez | Portuguese | Michelin 1 Star (2025); Michelin 1 Star (2024) | Hard | — |
| 11 Woodfire | Modern Cuisine | Michelin 1 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Avatara Restaurant | Indian | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| Al Mahara | Seafood | World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Zuma | Japanese - Asian, Japanese, Japanese Contemporary | World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| City Social | Modern British, Modern Cuisine | Unknown | — |
What to weigh when choosing between Tasca by José Avillez and alternatives.
Small groups of two to four are the natural fit for a Michelin-starred restaurant at the $$$ price point. Larger parties should check the venue's official channels to discuss availability and configuration, as counter and intimate dining formats typically limit flexible group seating. This is not the venue for a party of eight looking for a casual shared experience.
For Michelin-starred cooking at a similar or lower spend, 11 Woodfire is worth comparing. If you want to stay in the $$$ tier but shift cuisine, Zuma delivers reliable quality with easier booking. Al Mahara and Avatara sit at $$$$ and represent a step up in price rather than a direct alternative. Tasca is the only Michelin-starred Portuguese option in Dubai, so cuisine-specific alternatives don't exist locally.
At $$$, Tasca sits below Dubai's $$$$ tier restaurants like Al Mahara and Avatara, making it one of the more accessible entry points for consecutive Michelin-starred cooking in the city. Two Michelin stars across 2024 and 2025 confirm the kitchen is consistent, not a one-season anomaly. If Portuguese cuisine resonates with you and you're already spending at this tier, the value case is clear.
Yes, and it's a stronger call than most Dubai options at this price. The Michelin recognition — held in both 2024 and 2025 — gives it the credibility a celebratory dinner needs, without requiring the $$$$ spend of Al Mahara. It works best for couples or small groups marking something specific: an anniversary, a business milestone, or a visit that warrants a proper sit-down meal.
No specific dietary accommodation policy is documented in the available venue data. At a Michelin-starred restaurant in the $$$ category, kitchen flexibility is generally higher than at a casual venue, but check the venue's official channels before booking if restrictions are a factor. Don't assume; confirm in advance.
Bar seating availability is not confirmed in the venue data. Given that Tasca holds a Michelin star and operates in the $$$ tier on Jumeirah Beach Road, it is likely table-service focused. check the venue's official channels if a bar or walk-in option matters to your decision.
Specific menu format and pricing are not listed in the venue data, so a direct cost-per-course comparison isn't possible here. At a back-to-back Michelin-starred restaurant in the $$$ bracket, tasting menus typically represent the kitchen's clearest argument for the price. If you're booking Tasca for the first time, a tasting format is usually how this calibre of kitchen is meant to be experienced.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
