Dubai's avant-garde Indian restaurant debuts on World's 50 Best at No.13

Tresind Studio, the progressive Indian restaurant in Dubai steered by Delhi-born chef Himanshu Saini, has become the newest entrant into the World's 50 Best restaurants list announced in Las Vegas on Wednesday night (US Time).

It is four notches below Gaggan, the Bangkok restaurant led by Kolkata-born Gaggan Anand, which is ranked No. 9. Anand is considered to be a pioneer of avant-garde Indian cuisine.

The list is topped by the Barcelona restaurant, Disfrutar, which is the baby of chefs Oriol Castro, Eduard Xatruch and Mateu Casanas. It just celebrated its 10th anniversary. The chefs presiding over the restaurant's kitchens are all graduates of El Bulli, long-time No.1 restaurant (now closed) of the visionary, Ferran Adria.

Saini trained under the maestro, Manish Mehrotra of Delhi's Indian Accent restaurant and considers his guru to be the most decisive influence in his life. He moved to Dubai in 2014 and opened Tresind Studio as the progressive version of the Tresind restaurant in 2018. Apart from its latest recognition, Tresind Studio already has two Michelin stars.

Announcing the arrival of Tresind Studio, the London-based Restaurant magazine, which created and still runs this list based on recommendation of judges from all over the world, writes: "An ode to India's rich and diverse culinary heritage, Himanshu Saini and his team guide diners with the most personal service possible through a nuanced yet approachable exploration of 17 dishes."

Describing the restaurant, it says, "The 20-seater restaurant resembles an intimate theatre where the open kitchen is the stage. Natural elements such as fresh flowers, leaves, shells and butterflies play the main characters of a four-act show that highlights the best of every region."

The restaurant is located at St. Regis Gardens, Dubai. The 17-course degustation (tasting) menu at Tresind Studio represents each part of India. As Restaurant magazine puts it, "From the humble pani puri, to the ceremonial Sadhya and a Studio version of a comforting curry, all bases are covered."

Responding to the honour bestowed upon Tresind Studio, Saini said in a press statement: "This recognition is a testament to our team's dedication and passion for elevating Indian cuisine. We are honoured to bring this accolade to Dubai and proud to represent Indian culinary arts on the global stage."