Champagne Wishes and Caviar Dreams — Inside a Dubai Adventure Fit For Royalty

Exactly six days before MICHELIN Guide Dubai announced its annual honorees, I dined at FZN by Björn Frantzén. Located within the proverbial belly of the beast that is Atlantis, The Palm, the restaurant led by lauded Chef Frantzén buzzed with expectation. The best-in-class FZN team spoke reservedly about The Big M, perhaps not wanting to jinx their good fortune. Less than one week later, though, MICHELIN Guide Dubai awarded FZN by Björn Frantzén with the elusive, revered, triumphant three-star designation— a remarkable achievement for a restaurant that only opened six months prior. Chef Frantzén, the Swedish savant, now stands alone as the only chef in the world leading three restaurants that all have the three-star designation.

With ease, I could write 1,000 words about my experience at FZN. The restaurant occupies two floors, yet offers only 27 intimate seats at its capacity. Upon arrival (and with the ring of a doorbell), guests can enjoy canapés and aperitifs in a Scandinavian-influenced living room before moving downstairs for dinner service in the magnificent open kitchen. Throughout the night, I marveled at the symphonic movement of the chefs. Every team member felt integral to FZN’s whole. No one screamed like Carmy and Cousin, but Executive Chef Torsten Vildgaard certainly possessed the magnetic je ne sais quoi of The Bear‘s handsome protagonist.

FNZ’s meteoric ascent, of course, serves as the ideal metaphor for the city of Dubai. It perfectly encapsulates how, in all things, Dubai seeks notoriety on the global stage. Striving for excellence in Dubai isn’t enough. It (whatever “it” is) must be the biggest, the tallest, the most luxurious. Imagine the world one could build with unlimited resources and unbridled imagination. In Dubai, the city makers seek three stars from inception.

For Texas’ jet set, a trip to Dubai stands out as an essential bucket list adventure to prioritize, which is why we’ve previously published a first-timer’s guide to Dubai. The fact that you can board a direct flight on Emirates in Dallas or Houston, and, 14 hours and 45 minutes later, arrive in Dubai is a remarkable feat in and of itself. (No magic carpet required.) For my first visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), I divided my time evenly between Atlantis, The Palm and Atlantis The Royal. The beauty of these two properties is that they are worlds in and of themselves; you do not need to step foot off-property to experience Dubai in the heights of its grandeur.

The MICHELIN Stars Are Big and Bright in Dubai

Never forget, in 2023, when The New York Times published an article with the headline, “For Diners With Deep Pockets, Dallas Is the New Dubai.” Of course, this designation delighted us endlessly, and we wrote about the nod and our city’s affection for Big Name Chefs. Upon arriving in Dubai, I understood this comparison immediately.

Rising majestically out of the Arabian Ocean, Atlantis, The Palm spans 34 hectares and includes 34 restaurants, lounges, and bars. In addition to the aforementioned FZN by Björn Frantzén, I also dined at Ossiano and Hakkasan, both of which maintained their one-star MICHELIN Guide designations. Hakkasan presents traditional Cantonese recipes in a moody, glamorous setting that mirrors its London flagship. Unsurprisingly, the Peking duck stood out, even amidst the spectacular, decadent menu. At Ossiano, guests descend a grand staircase 10 meters down to the bottom of The Lost Chambers Aquarium, one of the world’s largest aquariums, dining amongst the mystical, illuminating glow of the water and its majestic inhabitants. (Sipping a mocktail as a stingray swims by— its human-like mouth, dare I say smiling? — it’s hard not to marvel and remark, “Where am I?”)

On that note, I must praise mocktail culture in Dubai. At every restaurant, the menu included a robust selection of interesting and thoughtful alcohol-free offerings. Dubai is a very easy place to skip the booze without ever feeling that you’re missing out.

If you’re traveling with children, I recommend you stay at Atlantis, The Palm primarily because it’s home to Aquaventure World, an aquatic theme park featuring the world’s largest waterpark with 105 slides, rides, and attractions. Atlantis, The Palm offers unlimited options for adventure. High on Dubai, I even acquiesced to an experience known as “Aquatrek Xtreme.” (Thankfully, no photo evidence exists.)

In addition to, well, *all the eating,* my personal highlights from Atlantis, The Palm include a particularly sublime “underwater” morning yoga session at the base of The Lost Chambers Aquarium, as well as a proper beach club experience at WHITE Beach. If traveling in middle age has taught me one thing, it’s that I’ll never regret renting the private cabana. (Time your cabana reservation with a scenic Mediterranean lunch at WHITE Beach, too. Not to sound repetitive, but the food is divine.)

Ultra-Luxury Accommodations Fit For ‘Royal’ty

For the second half of my Dubai adventure, I shuttled next door to Atlantis The Royal, which, I must report, ruined me for life. Designed by the world’s leading designers, architects, and artists, the ultra-luxury experiential resort “challenge[s] the boundaries of your imagination.”

You probably heard about Atlantis The Royal when it opened in January 2023. Her first performance in four years, native Texan Beyoncé performed for the opening in front of the Skyblaze fountain, raised 16 feet in the air and surrounded by fire and water. (Rumors swirl about the sum Beyoncé was paid. When I asked if the reported $24 million was correct, the Atlantis The Royal team wisely pled the fifth.) I *did* tour the hotel room where Queen B and Jay-Z stayed. Cited as “the most expensive hotel room in the world,” the Royal Mansion penthouse’s starting rate is $100,000 per night. It has a Louis Vuitton ping pong table if that says anything. Oh, and it’s almost always booked.

Even my not-so-humble king room provided amenities like a weighty, golden toothbrush that I squirreled away. Atlantis The Royal treats every guest like royalty, and some of them, like, actually are. After checking in, I headed to Nobu By The Beach. As Nobu’s debut adults-only pool and beach club, it’s not your average Nobu. After an always exceptional meal at Nobu, I relaxed in a private luxury cabana (some of which have their own plunge pools). The only thing that could tear me away from Nobu By The Beach? A massage appointment at AWAKEN Spa, which housed perhaps the most elegant treatment rooms I’ve experienced.

Continuing the culinary tour, I savored every bite at La Mar, a Peruvian restaurant led by acclaimed Chef Gastón Acurio. My favorite meal of the trip caught me by surprise, though. With the perfect table overlooking Atlantis The Royal’s Skyblaze fountain, I enjoyed a sensational golden hour dinner at Chef Costas Spiliadis’ Milos. The vibrant flavors of the Mediterranean popped with every zesty bite of the Greek fare. In a week full of caviar and tartare, it turns out that all I needed to cleanse my palate was a little tzatziki.

During my week in Dubai, the only time I ventured off-property was for a desert tour I booked through Platinum Heritage. My half-day, before-dawn adventure included a desert safari in a vintage Land Rover before I dabbled in a little falconry and ended with a camel ride. (I simply could not come to the Middle East and not ride a camel.) It was a Main Character moment that I’ll cherish forever.

I spent my last day in Dubai at Cloud 22, an Italian-inspired experience presented by Dolce and Gabbana. From a gleaming sky pool overlooking the glittering Dubai skyline, I confirmed that I do not, in fact, need a man to show me the world. Who knew I’d need to travel to the Middle East to learn that lesson?