99 Sushi Bar &Restaurant: Japanese Haute Cuisine, Now at Creek Harbour

99 Sushi Bar began in Spain in 2005, founded by brothers Fernando and Pedro de León. The name sets the standard: the dishes aim for 99% perfect, on the belief that absolute perfection is never quite reached. After several years in Downtown, the Dubai restaurant has moved to Address Creek Harbour, with a new room built to match the quality of the food.

The move brings it closer to the people who live here. Creek Harbour is a residents’ neighbourhood, and the new 99 is pitched as much at locals as at visitors. It carries the polish of its Abu Dhabi sibling, which holds a MICHELIN Star, into a room now big enough to take up half a floor of the hotel.

The interiors have been rebuilt to match the cooking. Velvet runs through the entire restaurant, giving the space a plush, snazzy glamour, and the scale is generous throughout. Windows look out across the creek to the Downtown skyline, Burj Khalifa included, and the view changes as the evening goes on.

The cooking pairs the discipline of Japanese technique with the warmth of Spanish hospitality. The open kitchen puts the craft on display: sushi is made to order and meant to be eaten straight away, from classic preparations to more inventive plates and seasonal rarities such as sea urchin. The tuna on the menu is bluefin only. A seasonal tasting menu is available for those who’d rather leave the choosing to the chefs.

The menu is shaped by culinary director Rubén Guerrero, whose training includes Quique Dacosta in Spain and Aqua Shard in London. His approach is ingredient-first, and it extends to sourcing closer to home: the group works with Dibba Bay, the UAE oyster farm, and has steadily increased its local purchasing. Chef Thinus van der Westhuizen, who led the Abu Dhabi kitchen to its MICHELIN Star, oversees the brand’s cooking in the UAE.

The new venue goes beyond dinner. An expanded bar and lounge sits alongside a spacious waterfront terrace with skyline views across the creek, so an evening can move from the table to drinks without changing address. Afterlight, a new golden-hour experience, pairs selected drinks and bites as the Burj Khalifa lights up across the water.