In the glittering Middle Eastern city of Dubai, where luxury is good and over-the-top opulence is even better, there is no shortage of fine dining.
Some spots are more lavish than others. Here is our top 9 for travellers craving the very best of Dubai's high-end cuisine.
Get ready for exquisite dishes from Michelin-starred chefs, complete with matching price tags.
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Billionaire Mansion Dubai
The view from a table at Billionaire Mansion Dubai, a newly opened venue owned by Italian Formula 1 mogul Flavio Briatore, feels a little like a safari.
Long-legged women roam in packs, while men show off outfits from big-name brands.
And absolutely everything, from the staff in white suits and black ties to the tree growing in the middle of the restaurant, is designed to grab your attention.
Set in the city centre inside the Taj Dubai hotel, this glamorous spot only truly comes alive after 9 p.m., when the short performances begin, such as dances with silk ribbons or sultry jazz singing.
The menu is split between Japanese and Italian cuisine. The dishes (think tuna tartare with white truffle sauce or salt-crusted sea bass) are larger and less fussy than you might expect.
As the evening rolls on, guests should brace themselves for dancers trailing sparks between the tables or staff in bull masks gliding around on hoverboards. As on any safari, the more exotic creatures come out at night.
Max out the credit card: 125 grams of Volzhenka beluga caviar ($640).
Worth the splurge: Wasabi prawns with mango and golden passion fruit salsa. This lightly breaded dish is salty, sweet, crunchy and, with five large prawns, exactly the right size ($40).
Cavalli Club Dubai
Swarovski crystal chandeliers hang from the ceiling of this purple-lit nightspot, while fashion shows are projected onto a large screen on the wall.
It is not subtle, but given that it was created in collaboration with the extravagant designer Roberto Cavalli, that is hardly a surprise.
Even the elevators are lined with zebra-print fabric walls, and the gold ladies' room is dotted with private backlit vanity mirrors.
While Cavalli Club is definitely a party venue, it still serves a solid four-course Italian dinner. Mains such as meaty monkfish tail cooked in squid ink, or Mediterranean sea bass wrapped in courgette, are visually stunning, if a touch under-seasoned.
By 11 p.m. the DJ's music will be thumping.
Max out the credit card: 850 g of Wagyu grade 9+ New York steak ($681).
Worth the splurge: The red prawn carpaccio with celery, cheese and watermelon soaked in Aperol spritz ($41).
Social by Heinz Beck
Heinz Beck, the chef behind the three-Michelin-starred Roman restaurant La Pergola, has brought his unconventional Italian cuisine to the Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah.
With flawless wooden floors, retro photographs and a glass-fronted kitchen, the decor at Social by Heinz Beck is classic luxury with a modern twist, a mantra that also carries over to the menu.
Expect to see Italian classics like tiramisu and carbonara turned completely on their heads.
The interior aims for a European high-society vibe. The more typical Dubai atmosphere is found on the terrace, which offers views of the resort grounds and the futuristic Marina skyline across the water.
Max out the credit card: A refined five-course tasting menu paired with wines from around the world ($226 per person).
Worth the splurge: Heinz Beck's signature dish, Fagottelli Carbonara. Delicately soft pasta parcels filled with hot pools of buttery sauce ($23).
Pierchic
Set at the end of a pier, this romantic over-water restaurant offers epic views of the sunset over the Persian Gulf.
Corner tables on the terrace enjoy an unobstructed view of the shimmering "seven-star" Burj Al Arab Jumeirah.
The food here is refined and elaborate, with a matching price tag. The Mediterranean menu is dominated by oysters, caviar and lobster, dressed up with delicacies like truffle and foie gras. Portions are pleasantly generous.
A rich Alaskan king crab starter, topped with caviar and saffron hollandaise, could easily pass as a main course, while the elegant Chilean sea bass main with smoked sweet potato could feed two.
Max out the credit card: 50 grams of Beluga Imperial caviar ($776), a whole line-caught sea bass ($245), or a seafood tower with oysters, lobster, prawns, crab, salmon and much more ($245).
Worth the splurge: The venue's signature smoked sweet potato. Served alongside the Chilean sea bass, it is rich, sweet, caramelised and impossibly decadent ($68 for the full dish).
Nobu Dubai
Ask Dubai locals about a good Japanese restaurant and they will name one of the holy trinity: Okku, Zuma or Nobu.
All three are equally impressive, but Nobu, set inside the castle-like Atlantis hotel on Dubai's artificial Palm island, wins on location alone.
This chain restaurant (one of 33 worldwide) is well known for its fantastic food. Gone are the traditional sleek, minimalist Japanese interiors.
Everything in this popular restaurant is decorated with mesh screens and curved wooden beams, giving you the feeling of stepping into a giant fishing net with an incredibly sexy twist.
The food is a rich take on Japanese fusion with Arabic notes, from spicy salmon miso tacos to creamy cheesecake with yuzu sorbet.
Max out the credit card: The Australian Wagyu Grade A9 beef ($223) is incredible. Diners can pick from a range of styles, but the "anticucho" comes highly recommended.
Worth the splurge: Nobu is famous for its Black Cod in miso ($60); while that dish never disappoints, the lighter lobster ceviche salad with quinoa ($53) is fantastic.
At.mosphere Burj Khalifa
It is hard to miss the Burj Khalifa, the tallest tower in the world, on any visit to Dubai.
While most people head up to the observation deck (from $35) for stunning sky-high views of Dubai, the more luxurious option is to book dinner at At.mosphere. This fine-dining restaurant is as super-sleek and expensive as you might expect.
Tables beside the floor-to-ceiling windows serve up city sunsets, while the multi-course tasting menu delivers pure luxury. There is wasabi root from Japan, Australian Wagyu beef, lobster and much more, all offered alongside recommended wine pairings.
Max out the credit card: The seven-course tasting menu with wine pairings will set you back $436 per person.
Worth the splurge: The hand-cut beef tartare, served with caviar and delightfully rich (part of the tasting menu priced at $185 per person).
Enigma
Theatrics and incredible food are the main stars at Enigma, a newly opened venue inside the lavish Palazzo Versace Dubai that is creating a real buzz.
The chefs rotate every four months, bringing with them fixed menus that are revealed on the evening of your visit.
First came Quique Dacosta (whose Spanish restaurant holds three Michelin stars), creating smoky truffle creations.
Until 20 June 2016, it is Bjorn Frantzen (known for his fine-dining Restaurant Frantzen, which earned two Michelin stars just two years after opening) with a 12-course Scandinavian-style tasting menu.
The dishes are intricate, decadent and incredibly creative. Meals can stretch beyond three hours.
For an extra treat, cocktails can be enjoyed on the column-lined terrace as the sun sets over Dubai Creek.
"Essentially, it is a pop-up in a five-star deluxe hotel with chefs changing four times a year," says Samantha Wood, founder of the restaurant review website foodiva.net.
Max out the credit card: "The Full Story", a 12-course tasting menu, costs $231 on weekends.
Worth the splurge: A beautifully presented scallop in its own shell, served with dried caviar on a cushion of spruce branch (not priced individually).
La Cantine du Faubourg
A favourite among Dubai's in-the-know crowd, this French restaurant is one of those places people come to see and be seen.
Snow-white linen and high ceilings create an inviting cafe atmosphere.
In the cooler months, the venue's terrace fills up with well-groomed fashionistas in high heels.
Like Le Petite Maison, another chic cafe beloved by locals, Cantine serves well-prepared French cuisine.
Dishes include blini with smoked salmon and caviar, as well as buttery sea bass served on a bed of black quinoa.
Optional add-ons of seared foie gras ($16 for 30 g), black truffle ($19 for 2 g) or caviar ($20 for 5 g) let you dial in your level of luxury.
Max out the credit card: Enjoy 250 g of Imperial caviar ($1,361), or order a 500 g chateaubriand steak ($133).
Worth the splurge: "Les coquillettes de mon enfance", a refined macaroni and cheese with truffle and gruyere ($25).
Al Muntaha
Like the Burj Khalifa, the luxurious "seven-star" Burj Al Arab Jumeirah is one of those buildings that define Dubai's skyline.
Although this booking-only venue has recently added several new offerings (including an open-terrace restaurant by the beach and Gold on 27, an incredibly decadent bar serving whisky cocktails with foie gras), its main destination for a luxurious meal remains Al Muntaha.
This contemporary European restaurant sits 200 metres above sea level, offering breathtaking views of the Persian Gulf alongside deliberately refined food.
The atmosphere is restrained, with the clink of silver cutlery and elegant diners.
Max out the credit card (and worth the splurge): Expect to pay a few hundred dollars per person.
Danae Mercer is a freelance travel journalist who lived in Dubai for more than two years.
