There are chefs who influence trends. And then there is Björn Frantzén, the chef who creates them. With the recent crowning of FZN Dubai as his third restaurant to receive three Michelin stars — joining Frantzén in Stockholm and Zén in Singapore — Frantzén has done more than make history: he’s reminded the world that his is the blueprint so many have followed, consciously or not.
Ask any chef operating at the top of their game about the figures who have shaped their culinary worldview, and chances are he will be mentioned in the same breath as Thomas Keller, Heston Blumenthal, Ferran Adrià, or René Redzepi. But while others may be known for disruption, the Swedish Frantzén has quietly become the reference — a rare example of innovation that has since been adopted in kitchens from Cape Town to Kyoto.
What sets him apart? It’s not just the food, though the food is extraordinary: Nordic in discipline, Japanese in precision, French in technique. It’s the entire experience involving signature Frantzén-isms, such as displaying ingredients — be it a jar-lined hallway or an array of fresh ingredients that precede the meal — offering a visual taste of what’s to come while demonstrating the restaurant’s commitment to premium, high-quality ingredients. Then there is the progression across numerous spaces and even the playlist, which runs the gamut from rock and funk to pop. These may seem like tropes that are now fairly commonplace in fine-dining restaurants but, the thing is, Frantzén did it first.
You don’t have to copy Frantzén to be influenced by him. His signature is subtler than that. It’s a commitment to coherence. To detail. To intention. That’s why so many chefs today talk about story, arc, progression — words that weren’t always in the fine-dining lexicon. Frantzén didn’t just change how we plate food; he changed how it’s served, how it’s presented, how dinner as an experience plays out — not with drama or theatrics, but with a quiet confidence that guides guests through the meal.
And now, with Dubai’s FZN joining the three-star Michelin club, Frantzén becomes the only chef in the world with a trio of triple-starred restaurants — across three continents, no less. It’s not just a career milestone, it’s a global moment: the recognition of a culinary reference that may have redefined contemporary dining more than we give it credit for.
FZN is a marvel: a stunning, multi-level space in Atlantis, The Palm. From first bite to final pour, it carries that unmistakable Frantzén cadence — clean, confident, quietly explosive.
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The menu consists of nine courses and features a host of new creations alongside Frantzén signatures. It’s luxury through and through, from the chawanmushi topped with a generous serving of Frantzén-selection caviar, bolstered by a deep yet delicate beef broth, to the nigiri, which is taken to the edge of decadence with a perfectly cooked langoustine atop koshihikari rice, the rich, buttery meat giving way to the crispy rice beneath it.
Far too often, in far less confident kitchens, such luxury ingredients are used as a distraction, aiming to impress with flash. Yet, at FZN, the restraint with which they’re served is perhaps even more daring than going without them.
Frantzén has taught a generation that inspiration doesn’t have to be loud. That refinement isn’t sterile. That emotion can live in a perfectly dressed crustacean or a whisper of an umami-rich broth.So yes, three stars. Again. And deservedly so. Because while many chefs are admired, very few become benchmarks. Frantzén hasn’t just raised the bar — he is the bar.
From the August edition of Wanted, 2025
