One&Only One Za'abeel Restaurants & Dining -- The Complete Review
By the DubaiSpots Editorial Team
Why This Dining Guide Exists
For the complete hotel guide, see One&Only One Za'abeel Complete Luxury Guide.
One&Only One Za'abeel does not treat its restaurants as hotel amenities -- the property has positioned its dining portfolio as a standalone destination capable of pulling guests from across Dubai, not just feeding the ones sleeping upstairs. This is a bold strategy, and based on our comprehensive evaluation of every restaurant and bar on the property, it is a strategy that largely succeeds. The hotel houses five distinct dining venues plus a lobby lounge and pool bar, spanning Japanese-Peruvian fusion, modern Korean-Japanese, contemporary European on a sky bridge, and Italian comfort food. The quality ceiling is genuinely high, but so are the prices, and not every venue delivers equal value for your dirham.
The DubaiSpots editorial team dined at every restaurant on the property over multiple visits, ordering extensively from each menu, testing both dinner and lunch services where available, and making detailed notes on food quality, service speed, portion sizing, wine markup, and the intangible experience factor that separates a good restaurant from a destination-worthy one. This is the honest breakdown: where to eat, where to skip, what to order, and what the hotel's own marketing carefully avoids telling you about the pricing.
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Tapasake: Japanese-Peruvian Fusion That Justifies the Hype
Tapasake is the restaurant that put One&Only on the culinary map -- the original location at One&Only Royal Mirage has been a Dubai institution for years, and the One Za'abeel outpost takes the concept and elevates it with a design overhaul and an expanded menu that leans harder into the Nikkei (Japanese-Peruvian) fusion identity.
The space is stunning. Tapasake occupies a double-height dining room in Tower One with an open kitchen at its heart, surrounded by sleek timber screens, bronze metalwork, and a lighting scheme that somehow manages to be both dramatic and intimate. The design language echoes the Japanese minimalism found throughout the hotel, but adds warmth through Peruvian textiles and earthy ceramics that soften the modernist edges. Seating accommodates approximately 120 guests, with a sushi counter (book this if available -- it is the best seat in the house), standard dining tables, and a semi-private tatami-style area for groups of six to eight.
The menu opens with an extensive raw bar section that is the strongest part of the offering. The tiradito -- yellowtail with yuzu, aji amarillo, and truffle oil -- is a standout dish that we would rank among the top five ceviches or tiraditos available in Dubai right now. Each slice of fish is cut with surgical precision, the yuzu dressing is calibrated to enhance rather than mask the fish, and the truffle oil is applied with restraint that shows genuine confidence. The salmon tartare with crispy shallots and wasabi soy is another winner -- generously portioned and built on visibly pristine fish.
The hot section is more uneven. The miso black cod is excellent -- caramelized deeply on the outside, silky within, with a sweet miso glaze that has genuine depth. But the wagyu tataki at AED 280 is the most overpriced single dish we encountered during our entire evaluation. The beef quality is good but not extraordinary, the portion is modest, and at that price point you are paying primarily for the word "wagyu" on the menu rather than for a preparation that justifies the premium. For the same money at AKIRA BACK downstairs, you get a more interesting and more generous wagyu experience.
The sushi omakase option (AED 650 per person, approximately $177) is Tapasake at its best -- the chef selects the finest fish of the day and presents it in a twelve-piece progression that demonstrates genuine technique and sourcing. If you are going to eat at Tapasake, this is the way to do it. Pair it with the sake flight (AED 180) and you have one of the best Japanese dining experiences available in Dubai.
The verdict: Tapasake delivers a genuinely excellent raw bar and a world-class omakase experience, but the hot dishes are inconsistent and the a la carte pricing on premium items is aggressive even by Dubai hotel restaurant standards. Budget AED 500-700 per person for dinner with drinks. Book the sushi counter and order the omakase.
The Link Restaurant: Dining on a Sky Bridge
The Link restaurant occupies a central position within the hotel's signature cantilevered sky bridge, and for once, a restaurant's location is not just marketing -- it fundamentally defines the experience. You are dining in a structure suspended 100 meters above ground between two towers, with floor-to-ceiling windows on both sides providing simultaneous views of Dubai Frame, the downtown skyline, and Zabeel Park. At sunset, when the golden light streams through at a low angle and the city begins to glitter, it is one of the most spectacular dining rooms in the Gulf region.
The menu is contemporary European with Mediterranean influences, designed by a culinary team that clearly understands the restaurant's role is to complement the views rather than compete with them. This means refined but not fussy dishes that work as conversation accompaniments rather than demanding your full attention.
Standout dishes include the whole roasted sea bass with herb butter and charred lemon -- a generous portion served on a copper tray that arrives with theatrical steam and an aroma that silences adjacent tables momentarily. The risotto with black truffle and aged Parmesan is another strong performer, with the rice cooked to a textbook al dente and the truffle shaved tableside. For red meat, the bone-in lamb rack with pistachio crust and harissa jus is the best main course on the menu -- the lamb is sourced from Australia, cooked to a perfect medium-rare, and the harissa provides a heat that nods to the regional palate without overwhelming.
Dessert at The Link is worth saving room for, which is not something we say often about hotel restaurants. The chocolate soufle with salted caramel ice cream arrives perfectly risen and dramatically cracked tableside, with a molten interior that manages to be rich without being cloying.
The wine list is extensive, with a markup of approximately 3.5x retail -- aggressive by global standards but actually moderate by Dubai hotel restaurant standards, where 4-5x is common. The sommelier team is knowledgeable and refreshingly honest about steering you toward value picks rather than simply pushing the most expensive bottles.
Pricing reality: Budget AED 600-900 per person for a full dinner with wine. Lunch is available on weekends and runs approximately 30% less. Book the window tables on the Dubai Frame side for sunset (request table numbers 12-18 specifically when reserving). This is a restaurant worth visiting even if you are not staying at the hotel.
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AKIRA BACK: Modern Korean-Japanese That Competes with the City's Best
AKIRA BACK is the internationally acclaimed brand from Korean-American chef Akira Back, and the One&Only One Za'abeel outpost is one of the strongest locations in the global portfolio. The restaurant occupies a moody, dramatically lit space on the lower level of Tower One, with an aesthetic that is darker and more energetic than the serene minimalism found elsewhere in the hotel.
The menu blends Korean and Japanese cuisines with occasional Western technique, and it works because the kitchen executes with precision rather than relying on novelty. The signature tuna pizza -- a crispy tortilla base topped with sashimi-grade tuna, truffle oil, and ponzu -- is a dish that should be gimmicky but is genuinely delicious. The contrast between the shattering crunch of the base and the silky raw fish on top, bound together by the aromatic truffle and citrus bite of the ponzu, is addictive. Order two -- one is never enough for a table of two or more.
The wagyu here outperforms Tapasake's offering by a significant margin. The AKIRA BACK wagyu tataki with jalapeño ponzu and garlic chips (AED 220) delivers more generous slicing, better marbling, and a dressing that adds genuine flavor complexity. The Korean fried chicken bao buns (AED 95) are a crowd favorite for good reason -- the chicken is shatteringly crispy, the bao is pillowy, and the gochujang mayo provides exactly the right amount of heat.
For mains, the miso-glazed Chilean sea bass is comparable to Tapasake's black cod but more delicately handled. The bibimbap stone pot with wagyu (AED 190) is comfort food elevated to fine dining -- the rice develops a perfect crust against the hot stone, the vegetables are individually seasoned rather than thrown in as an afterthought, and the egg is cooked to the exact degree of runniness that creates a sauce when broken.
The verdict: AKIRA BACK is our top dining recommendation at One&Only One Za'abeel. The food is consistently excellent across the menu (no weak spots like Tapasake's overpriced hot dishes), the atmosphere is the most energetic on the property, and the pricing, while firmly in luxury territory, offers better value per dirham than any other restaurant here. Budget AED 400-600 per person for dinner with cocktails. The cocktail program deserves mention -- the bartenders here are among the most skilled on the property, and the signature drinks (AED 75-95) are theatrical without being silly.
Ondo and the Lobby Lounge: The Supporting Cast
Not every meal needs to be an event, and One&Only One Za'abeel wisely includes venues for the moments when you want quality without ceremony.
Ondo is the hotel's all-day dining restaurant, located on the ground floor of Tower One adjacent to the lobby. The breakfast here is included for most room categories and it is excellent -- an extensive international buffet supplemented by a live cooking station that turns out made-to-order eggs, pancakes, and a rotating daily special (the shakshuka on Thursdays is outstanding). The cold section features smoked salmon, Middle Eastern mezze, fresh-squeezed juices, and a pastry selection that rivals standalone bakeries. For an included hotel breakfast, this is genuinely impressive.
Ondo's lunch and dinner service pivots to an Italian-Mediterranean menu that is pleasant if unremarkable. The wood-fired pizza is good (thin crust, quality mozzarella, properly hot oven), the pasta is competent, and the grilled seafood platter is generous. Nothing here will make you cancel a reservation at AKIRA BACK or The Link, but for a low-key evening when you do not want to dress up or wait for a table, it fills the role perfectly. Budget AED 250-400 per person for dinner with wine.
The Lobby Lounge is where One&Only One Za'abeel delivers an unexpectedly excellent afternoon tea experience. The space is architecturally dramatic -- a soaring atrium between the two towers with natural light pouring through the glass ceiling and views up toward The Link bridge above. The afternoon tea (AED 350 for two, approximately $95) is presented on a custom ceramic tower and includes delicate finger sandwiches, warm scones with clotted cream and seasonal jam, and a pastry tier that changes weekly. The tea selection itself is curated by Jing Tea and includes several single-origin options that are genuinely worth exploring.
In the evening, the Lobby Lounge transforms into a cocktail bar with live acoustic music Thursday through Saturday. The atmosphere shifts from serene daytime elegance to warm evening sophistication, and it is one of the best spots in the hotel for a pre-dinner drink or a nightcap. The cocktails are well-crafted (AED 70-90), and the bar snacks -- particularly the truffle fries and the tuna tartare -- are excellent.
Strategic Dining Plan: How to Eat at One&Only One Za'abeel
Here is our recommended dining plan based on a three-night stay, designed to hit the highlights without redundancy or budget exhaustion.
Night One: AKIRA BACK for dinner. Order the tuna pizza, wagyu tataki with jalapeño ponzu, Korean fried chicken bao buns, and the stone pot bibimbap. Split two signature cocktails. This is the best food on the property and the most energetic atmosphere. Budget: AED 500 per person.
Night Two: The Link for sunset dinner. Book for 6:00 PM to catch golden hour from table 12-18. Order the whole roasted sea bass or the lamb rack, preceded by the risotto to share. Save room for the chocolate soufle. Bring your best camera -- the views are extraordinary. Budget: AED 700 per person with wine.
Night Three: Tapasake for the omakase experience at the sushi counter. This is the most refined dining experience on the property and the best way to experience Tapasake's strengths while avoiding the weaker a la carte hot dishes. Pair with the sake flight. Budget: AED 830 per person ($230).
Daytime: Breakfast at Ondo daily (included), afternoon tea at the Lobby Lounge on one day, and a casual lunch at Ondo if you want to stay on property.
For non-guests visiting for dinner only: AKIRA BACK is the restaurant that justifies the trip from anywhere in Dubai. The Link is worth the visit for a special occasion, particularly at sunset. Tapasake is excellent but not unique enough to draw you from Zuma or Nobu if those are more conveniently located.
For the complete One&Only One Za'abeel guide covering rooms, spa, activities, and location, see One&Only One Za'abeel -- Complete Luxury Guide.
