Fine-dining à la Française: 5 of Dubai's Top French Spots

We're bringing Paris to you with this round up of our favorite places for haute French cuisine and romantic ambiance. Here are some of the city's best French eateries to tempt your tastebuds with; from old-school classics to upscale contemporary dishes and Michelin level fine-dining, we've got you covered this week when it comes to everything French.

La Petite Maison
A staple on Dubai's fine-dining scene, this provençal-inspired bistro restaurant in the heart of the DIFC is famed for being enduringly popular and constantly busy ever since it first opened its doors in 2010. And rightly so! Their winning combination of Southern French cuisine, charismatic service and upmarket atmosphere make it a real winner. No matter how busy it gets at this place, the floor staff and kitchen crew are as cool as ice, handling a mind boggling flow of hungry diners that never seems to let up. These guys have been raking in the accolades, adding another handful every year. Their most recent have been Time Out Dubai's Best French Restaurant, and last year they clinched Best Restaurant Overall.

The food offering is inspired by the Genoese cooking style of Nice, where French, Mediterranean and Ligurian cuisines have blended together to make for some of the tastiest dishes to come out of Europe. The menu is just the right length, and everything on it is seriously delicious. They're big on local produce, notably artichokes, courgettes, lemons, olives, tomatoes, peppers and girolles. If we had to give a recommendation, after much deliberation, we'd have to say that the burrata is sublime, and the lamb chop is the perfect combination of charred and succulent textures!

Make an online reservation at Le Petite Maison

Brasserie Quartier
Brasserie Quartier's interior conveys an authentic French bistro atmosphere thanks to its wood finishings, green seat colour theme and monochromatic checkered floor. It's a big place, with a main dining area, buffer, patisserie and a sophisticated bar area! Besides the great venue, the French food with a contemporary twist is as good as it comes.

Executive Chef Sofiane Kaced, who has previously worked at two michelin starred restaurant La Palm D'or and alongside culinary greats including Jason Atherton and Gordon Ramsey, is the man behind the gastronomic grub at Brasserie Quartier. The menu is full of French classics such as escargots, soupe à l’oignon with gruyère toast and tomato tart tartin with brie to name just a few. The more carnivorous among you would do well to check this place out; the steak tartare is one of the best in Dubai, as is the St. Regis côte de boeuf. If you're after a combination of classic Gallic flavours and redefined French favourites then hit up the Brassier Quartier; you won't be disappointed!

Make an online reservation at Brasserie Quartier

Bistro Des Arts
Dubai meets Paris at this Marina-based eatery, giving you the chance to sample some classic home-style French cuisine while overlooking the gorgeous Dubai Marina views. The outdoor terrace is a fantastic space that combines petite round tables and oversized red awnings for a Parisian street vibe, while inside it's a cozy French cafe feel. This joint is usually pretty packed with patrons and the atmosphere is bustling! And who can blame them with a food offering that includes Provençal aioli, beef bourguignon, rabbit ragout, duck confit and ratatouille!

The menu is all about rustic character and a focus on regional specialities. They're open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and the à la carte is complimented by a range of hors d'oeuvres, plats du jour, a raw seafood selection and freshly baked goods. Try out the truffle scrambled eggs for something a bit different, or the table-side flambé-ed classic crêpe Suzette.

Make an online reservation at Bistro Des Arts

STAY by Yannick Alleno
It doesn't get more fine-dining than hitting up STAY, one of French master-chef and celebrity restaurateur Yannick Alleno's Dubai restaurant. With three Michelin stars to his name and three eateries at the One&Only The Palm, Alleno is potentially one of the most exciting chefs to set up shop in the Emirates in recent times. The house-style is rooted in classic French cooking, but combined with some contemporary techniques that make it unique; think along the lines of fantastic French fine-dining flavours with none of the pretentiousness. The venue itself is as suave as the food; high timber walls, white pillars and black chandeliers hanging from a vaulted ceiling make for quite the atmosphere.

Dinner really is a complete sensory experience here; many of the dishes have an element of table-side assembly that lets you watch the creation of these masterpieces. The food offering is just all-round culinary excellence, ranging from seafood ravioli to melt-in-your-mouth wagyu beef. If you have some space left for dessert then head on over to the patisserie area, known as the dessert Library, where the pastry chefs will whip you up some sweet magical thing.

Make an online reservation at STAY by Yannick Alleno

Tolosa Bodéga
Tucked away in the Souk Al Bahar, Tolosa Bodéga mixes it up with a combination of sumptuous traditional French and some Spanish culinary influences. The result is a delightful mish-mash of some of the best Basque region dishes, sprinkled in with some Mediterranean options too. The space has a swanky Parisian feeling to it and is done up in a tavern-esque exposed brick theme, with wooden tables and metal chairs, with occasional performances of manouche and gypsy jazz.

We like the short and sweet menu, made up of a selection of pintxos starters, tartare dishes, some salads and main course options, all of which has a Southern French twist to them. Some of the more popular choices include the salmon tartare thy, the duck rillettes, the shrimp croquettes and famous Tolosa burgers!

Make an online reservation at Tolosa Bodéga