I had the honor of attending the most eagerly anticipated F & B event in the Middle East- the award ceremony of the fifth edition of the Middle East & North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants.
The award ceremony was on Tuesday, 3rd February evening at Emirates Palace, Mandarin Oriental in Abu Dhabi, UAE. It was a grand affair with pre-awards reception, awards ceremony, post-awards reception and Official 50 Best After party.
A day prior to the awards ceremony, there was an exclusive round table Q & A event- Meet the Chefs- offering a great opportunity to engage with the most exciting gastronomic talent from within the region and #50BestTalks : a live thought-leadership forum exploring the powerful connection between food, memory and heritage, under the theme: ‘Turning points that define a career’. Both these events were held at Sofitel Abu Dhabi Corniche.
About Middle East & North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants
Following the success of the The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, and the establishment of both Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants and Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants since 2013, 50 Best launched Middle East & North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2022, shining a much-deserved spotlight on the region as a world-class culinary destination.
The list is created from the votes of 250 experts from across the MENA region. The Middle East & North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants event programmes-including the awards ceremony and unveiling of the list-provide a unique opportunity to unite chefs, gourmets and journalists from all over the region at a shared celebration of cuisine, hospitality, passion and talent.
1 Khufu’s in Giza, Egypt is named the Best Restaurant in Middle East & North Africa 2026 and it is also the best restaurant in Egypt. The list includes 16 new entries and winners from 14 different cities across MENA region, from Dubai to Marrakech to Giza, Casablanca, Doha and Amman.
2 Kinoya, Dubai is number 2 on the list and the best restaurant in UAE.
3 Tresind Studio in Dubai is number 3.
4 Orfali Bros, Dubai is number 4.
5 Beihouse, Beirut is number 5.
Reif Kushiyaki Cairo wins the Highest Climber Award, rising from 27 spots to No. 20, Beihouse in Beirut is the recipient of the Highest New Entry Award, after debuting on the list at No. 5.
The other special awards:
Sara Aqel- MENA’s Best Female Chef
Salam Dakkak- Icon Award for her contributions to the region’s culinary identity
Himanshu Saini of Tresind Studio- Chef’s Choice Award voted by his peers
Wassim and Omar Orfali- Best Pastry Chef Award
Farmers in Marrakech, Morocco- Sustainable Restaurant Award
Muna Haddad- Champions of Change Award
La Grande Table Marocaine- Art of Hospitality Award
Middle Child, Dubai- One to Watch Award
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