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The MENA 50 Best Restaurants Collection
- Arabic Restaurants, Bib Gourmand, Dubai Restaurants, Eat, Fine Dining, Italian Restaurant, MENA 50 Best
- October 1, 2022
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The Middle East launched its Middle East and North Africa's 50 Best Restaurants List and Awards. The region's good and the great assembled in Abu Dhabi to celebrate the industry, don red scarves and cross their fingers. You can find the full 2023 list here. You can read my full reviews of some of those restaurants listed in the MENA 50 Best List in the table below.
Written by Liam Collens // See other reviews here.
The Highs
The Lows
The Highs
The Lows
The Middle East & North Africa 50 Best Restaurants Collection: Full Reviews
You can read my restaurant reviews about those named in MENA 50 Best Restaurants List I’ve visited and written about:
Orfali Bros, #1 MENA’s 50 Best Restaurants. Orfali Bros is a compelling story of triumph for three brothers inhabiting a small space garnering local, regional and international acclaim. Come and eat for yourself. A contemporary outlook for Middle Eastern food leaning on their Syrian origins with Turkish and wider world inspirations. Corn bombs, pides, celeriac croquettes and Come to Aleppo stand out. Make sure to save room for desserts. Yes, plural. You can’t help but feel Orfali Bros will outgrow this space quickly.
Read more about Orfali Bros, Dubai here.
D94, Wasl 51, Al Wasl Road, Jumeirah, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Orfali Bros website.
Tresind Studio, #2 MENA’s 50 Best Restaurants. Tresind Studio is, frankly, the yardstick by which other fine dining restaurants are judged in the UAE. Chef Himanshu and his team, including the superbly capable Vipin, curate a sojourn in Indian contemporary fine dining that delights guests time and time again. If you only have one night out to eat somewhere special, let it be here. Tresind Studio was also the MENA 50 Best Art of Hospitality Winner in 2022.
Read more about Tresind Studio, Dubai here.
Tresind Studio, Nakheel Mall Rooftop East, The Palm Jumeirah, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Tresind Studio website.
Fusions by Tala, #3 MENA’s 50 Best Restaurants. Fusions by Tala was also the MENA 50 Best Highest Climber. Tala Bashmi leads boldly looking towards the Bahraini cuisine’s past for inspiration but without constrain and loyalty as she mondernises Bahraini cuisine. Her efforts land her as the highest female chef on the MENA 50 Best list and a firm third place. No trip to Bahrain is complete without eating the spiced machboos crackers, supply ghoozi tacos or the shiny lacquered homage to Bamia. Read more about Fusions by Tala here.
Fusions by Tala, Gulf Bahrain Hotel, Manama, Bahrain. Fusions by Tala’s Instagram.
Ossiano, #4 MENA’s 50 Best Restaurants (HIGHEST NEW ENTRY). Ossiano’s seafood degustation menu seriously impresses; stretching beyond its Atlantis cohorts, solidifying Chef Gregoire Berger as one of Dubai’s best chefs. A series of high-profile collaborations and two impressive degustation menus skyrocketed Ossiano into a hot no 4 position in their first year.
Read more about Ossiano, Dubai here.
Ossiano, Atlantis Dubai, The Crescent, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Tel. +971 4 426 2626. Ossiano Website
Kinoya, #7 MENA’s 50 Best Restaurants. Kinoya arrived as one of the most eagerly anticipated openings in 2021. Neha opened Kinoya after years of capably running Dubai’s most talked about supper club due to the popularity of her handmade ramen from her home’s kitchen. Her focus on casual is evident in this izakaya restaurant serving gyozas, miso aubergine and more at admirably restrained prices. As 2022’s “One to Watch”, we waited for its placement on the 2023 MENA 50 Best Restaurant List. With Kinoya’s announcement about expanding to Harrods in London, Kinoya is more than a story of food but one of realised success despite it all.
Read More About Kinoya here.
Kinoya, Floor P2, The Onyx Tower 2, The Greens, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Kinoya’s website.
Reif Japanese Kushiyaki, #11 MENA’s 50 Best Restaurant (Dubai) & #45 MENA’s 50 Best Restaurant (Egypt). Reif Othman can be credited for the rise of Japanese and Asian dining in Dubai, but few (if any) capture lightning in a bottle as well as the master. This same magic was transplanted to Cairo winning him two spots on the 2023 list Reif Japanese Kushiyaki remains in my top five best restaurant recommendations for anyone visiting Dubai. You will find me here (or in one of his restaurants) almost every month. There is an ease to his food and the restaurant’s service. Still, joy in abundance is found whether its in mushroom rice clay pots or wagyu sandos. His seasonal omakase menu, The Experience by Reif Othman, is also hosted here as an intimate chef’s table.
Read more about Reif Japanese Kushiyaki, Dubai here.
Reif Japanese Kushiyaki, Dar Wasl Mall, Al Wasl Road, Al Wasl, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Reif Japanese Kushiyaki website.
Orfali Bros, #1 MENA’s 50 Best Restaurants. Orfali Bros is a compelling story of triumph for three brothers inhabiting a small space garnering local, regional and international acclaim. Come and eat for yourself. A contemporary outlook for Middle Eastern food leaning on their Syrian origins with Turkish and wider world inspirations. Corn bombs, pides, celeriac croquettes and Come to Aleppo stand out. Make sure to save room for desserts. Yes, plural. You can’t help but feel Orfali Bros will outgrow this space quickly.
Read more about Orfali Bros, Dubai here.
D94, Wasl 51, Al Wasl Road, Jumeirah, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Orfali Bros website.
Tresind Studio, #2 MENA’s 50 Best Restaurants. Tresind Studio is, frankly, the yardstick by which other fine dining restaurants are judged in the UAE. Chef Himanshu and his team, including the superbly capable Vipin, curate a sojourn in Indian contemporary fine dining that delights guests time and time again. If you only have one night out to eat somewhere special, let it be here. Tresind Studio was also the MENA 50 Best Art of Hospitality Winner in 2022.
Read more about Tresind Studio, Dubai here.
Tresind Studio, Nakheel Mall Rooftop East, The Palm Jumeirah, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Tresind Studio website.
Fusions by Tala, #3 MENA’s 50 Best Restaurants. Fusions by Tala was also the MENA 50 Best Highest Climber. Tala Bashmi leads boldly looking towards the Bahraini cuisine’s past for inspiration but without constrain and loyalty as she mondernises Bahraini cuisine. Her efforts land her as the highest female chef on the MENA 50 Best list and a firm third place. No trip to Bahrain is complete without eating the spiced machboos crackers, supply ghoozi tacos or the shiny lacquered homage to Bamia. Read more about Fusions by Tala here.
Fusions by Tala, Gulf Bahrain Hotel, Manama, Bahrain. Fusions by Tala’s Instagram.
Ossiano, #4 MENA’s 50 Best Restaurants (HIGHEST NEW ENTRY). Ossiano’s seafood degustation menu seriously impresses; stretching beyond its Atlantis cohorts, solidifying Chef Gregoire Berger as one of Dubai’s best chefs. A series of high-profile collaborations and two impressive degustation menus skyrocketed Ossiano into a hot no 4 position in their first year.
Read more about Ossiano, Dubai here.
Ossiano, Atlantis Dubai, The Crescent, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Tel. +971 4 426 2626. Ossiano Website
Kinoya, #7 MENA’s 50 Best Restaurants. Kinoya arrived as one of the most eagerly anticipated openings in 2021. Neha opened Kinoya after years of capably running Dubai’s most talked about supper club due to the popularity of her handmade ramen from her home’s kitchen. Her focus on casual is evident in this izakaya restaurant serving gyozas, miso aubergine and more at admirably restrained prices. As 2022’s “One to Watch”, we waited for its placement on the 2023 MENA 50 Best Restaurant List. With Kinoya’s announcement about expanding to Harrods in London, Kinoya is more than a story of food but one of realised success despite it all.
Read More About Kinoya here.
Kinoya, Floor P2, The Onyx Tower 2, The Greens, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Kinoya’s website.
Reif Japanese Kushiyaki, #11 MENA’s 50 Best Restaurant (Dubai) & #45 MENA’s 50 Best Restaurant (Egypt). Reif Othman can be credited for the rise of Japanese and Asian dining in Dubai, but few (if any) capture lightning in a bottle as well as the master. This same magic was transplanted to Cairo winning him two spots on the 2023 list Reif Japanese Kushiyaki remains in my top five best restaurant recommendations for anyone visiting Dubai. You will find me here (or in one of his restaurants) almost every month. There is an ease to his food and the restaurant’s service. Still, joy in abundance is found whether its in mushroom rice clay pots or wagyu sandos. His seasonal omakase menu, The Experience by Reif Othman, is also hosted here as an intimate chef’s table.
Read more about Reif Japanese Kushiyaki, Dubai here.
Reif Japanese Kushiyaki, Dar Wasl Mall, Al Wasl Road, Al Wasl, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Reif Japanese Kushiyaki website.
Scroll down for more!
I've eaten at 17 of the 50 restaurants featured in the 2023 Middle East and North Africa 50 Best Restaurant List. I wrote detailed reviews about 11 ! This listicle serves as a reference guide updated periodically as I make my way through this list in real time.
Lowe, #15 MENA’s 50 Best Restaurant. Lowe Dubai churns out reliably delicious, flavour-packed dishes worked over fire. Inching outside Dubai’s city gates, it’s worth the journey for the simplicity and focus behind Lowe’s dishes. You cannot come here without tearing through the duvet-soft wood-fired sesame bread with burnt aubergine dip (among others). The menu changes frequently adding to the mystic of what you’ll get this time. A restrained, nearly industrial decor coupled with knowing service leads you towards focusing on the food. There’s a lot to love at Lowe, but you could start with its reasonably-priced wine list. Lowe was also MENA’s 50 Best Sustainability Award Winner in 2022.
Read more about Lowe here.
Lowe Dubai: KOA Canvas, Legends, Al Barari, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Lowe website.
Hoseki, #26 MENA 50 Best Restaurant. Hoseki lies quietly within the otherwise palatial Bulgari Hotel Resort in Jumeirah Bay Island. Fresh seafood is flown in daily from Japan and then beautifully prepared by skilled chefs for a multi-course omakase menu. The library-like quiet draws you in as Hoseki’s chefs create nigiri, sashimi and more before you. It’s ceremonious, reassuring and the only restaurant of its kind that I’ve tried in Dubai. Hoseki’s prices mean that it is very much in the ‘special treat’ category vs everyday dining, but, like a friend says, it is far cheaper than flying to Japan.
See a Reel About Hoseki here.
Hoseki, Jumeira Bay Island, Jumeira 2, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Hoseki website.
11 Woodfire, #35 MENA 50 Best Restaurant. 11 Woodfire lands on-trend and delivers Chef Akmal’s most complete restaurant, so far. A crackling woodfire kitchen punches out delicious results especially with the kashimiri sea bass, the wagyu duxelle burger and the sour fruits dessert. With a Michelin star and now a MENA’s 50 Best place, 11 Woodfire’s made a strong impression in the region in a very shorty period of time.
Read a full review about 11 Woodfire here.
11 Woodfire, Villa 11 75B Street, Jumeirah, Jumeirah 1, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Tel. +97144919000. 11 Woodfire website.
Jun’s, #44 MENA 50 Best Restaurant. Hoseki lies quietly within the otherwise palatial Bulgari Hotel Resort in Jumeirah Bay Island. Fresh seafood is flown in daily from Japan and then beautifully prepared by skilled chefs for a multi-course omakase menu. The library-like quiet draws you in as Hoseki’s chefs create nigiri, sashimi and more before you. It’s ceremonious, reassuring and the only restaurant of its kind that I’ve tried in Dubai. Hoseki’s prices mean that it is very much in the ‘special treat’ category vs everyday dining, but, like a friend says, it is far cheaper than flying to Japan.
See a full review about Jun’s here.
Jun’s, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard, Downtown Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Tel. +97144576035. Jun’s website.
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