Michelin serves three stars to Indian cuisine

In a quiet corner of The Palm Jumeirah, Dubai, a 20-seater has done what no Indian restaurant in the world has managed before. Trèsind Studio, led by chef Himanshu Saini and restaurateur Bhupender Nath, has become the first Indian restaurant to earn three Michelin stars—the highest honour in the culinary world. For a cuisine, often misrepresented, this is more than an award. It’s a recalibration of how Indian food is perceived on the global stage.

The Michelin Guide describes its top accolade as a recognition of “exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey”. Trèsind Studio is now in the company of only a few restaurants worldwide to hold this distinction—and the only one that tells its story through Indian flavours.

The journey, however, wasn’t linear. Trèsind was founded in 2014 with the goal of presenting Indian cuisine in a more modern, expressive format. Around 2018, Nath and Saini wondered why can’t Indian dining experience be as elevated an experience as many fabled restaurants around the world. They conceived a chef ’s table-style studio within the restaurant—a space where Indian food could be experienced as a performance. Initially priced at AED 250 per person, it was met with skepticism and an empty dining room.


Defying Categories
“We were called mad. There were days when we didn’t have a single diner while on other days we had a mere table or two,” recalls Nath. “But I knew Himanshu’s prowess. I knew what he was serving was truly out of this world.” Their company Passion F&B stayed the course, driven by conviction, even as they burned through funds.

Just as the concept had started gaining popularity and becoming the chosen spot for a celebratory meal, the Covid pandemic brought operations to a halt. When they reopened, Nath recalls walking through an empty restaurant with Saini. “Himanshu asked me how much time we had,” Nath recalls. “I asked him how much time do you need? He said one year. I said done.” Faith and patience finally paid off. When the Michelin Guide arrived in Dubai, Trèsind Studio received its first star. The second followed. And now, the third—a moment that has reverberated across culinary circles worldwide.

The reason for this success, Nath says, is chef Himanshu Saini’s cooking that defies categories. Born in Delhi and trained under modern Indian culinary pioneer Manish Mehrotra, Nath explained, Saini creates dishes that are both deeply rooted and unafraid of reinvention. His take on the Sadhya, a traditional South Indian feast reimagined into a single plate of 20 elements, is now one of Trèsind Studio’s signatures.