MENA’s 50 Best Awards the Region’s Top Restaurants and Culinary Minds

 

We are incredibly proud to have been the official food distribution partner of MENA’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023 where we continued to show our dedication to supporting and empowering the talented chefs and restaurants of the Middle East. We were thrilled to see the region receive true recognition at the MENA’s 50 Best awards ceremony held at the Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers.

 

The gala evening witnessed the coming together of the world’s top chefs, culinary experts, beverage professionals, critics, and more to bond over their love for everything the world of F&B has to offer.

Orfali Bros Bistro took the No.1 spot as the Middle East & North Africa’s 50 best Restaurant and we couldn’t be more proud to have them as one of our key customers! Their menu features dishes with a core Middle Eastern theme paying homage to the founders’ Aleppian roots, while capturing the multiculturalism and avant-garde spirit of Dubai. As one of the most distinctive restaurants in the UAE, Orfali Bros Bristro has now earned the highly coveted ranking as the best restaurant in the MENA region. Coming up second is the fine dining Indian restaurant Trèsind Studio in The Palm Jumeirah, Dubai, headed by Chef Himanshu Saini.

 

Over and above the awards that were handed out to the best restaurants, the event also commemorated the talent of noteworthy individuals in the region who are shaping the MENA’s culinary scene – Karim Bourgi (MENA’s Best Pastry Chef 2023), Salam Dakkak (Best Female Chef 2023), Ossiano (Highest New Entry Award 2023) – to name a few. Read more about the individual awards here.

 

The event was absolutely riveting as we shared our expertise from our unique stand where we invited different members of the industry to experience and interact with our high-quality products and innovative solutions. The menu at Conrad’s event was crafted using ingredients from our portfolio, ensuring that each gourmand’s palate was catered to.

 

Manning our one-of-kind experiential area were our in-house experts, Chef Georges Chihane, Chef Amine Hmani and Mixologist Tauland Hyka who showcased innovative dishes such as “Unveiled”, a Tartare of Beef Tenderloin with Capers Gel, Mustard Caviar in a Bacon Blanket Veil and mysteriously named “Under the Cloud” featuring a Yogurt Espuma, Red Fruit Sphere and Lime Cloud to a delectable beverage aptly named “Molecular Peach Bellini”, crafted with an Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Chardonnay, Elderflower Soda, and a Peach Puree Sphere. We are delighted to always bring new innovations to support such highly anticipated events.

 

We would like to take this opportunity to extend our huge congratulations to the top restaurants and the amazing talents behind them in the UAE that have won the prestigious title of being the MENA’s 50 Best Restaurants.

 

Ranking	Restaurant	City/Town
1	Orfali Bros Bistro	Dubai
2	Trèsind Studio	Dubai
4	Ossiano	Dubai
5	3 Fils	Dubai
7	Kinoya	Dubai
10	Moonrise	Dubai
11	Reif Kushiyaki	Dubai
13	Zuma Dubai	Dubai
15	Lowe	Dubai
17	Gaia	Dubai
21	LPM Dubai	Dubai
26	Hoseki	Dubai
28	Coya Dubai	Dubai
33	Coya Abu Dhabi	Abu Dhabi
35	11 Woodfire	Dubai
43	Zuma Abu Dhabi	Abu Dhabi
44	Jun’s	Dubai
49	Hakkasan	Abu Dhabi

 

 

The winners are determined by a panel comprising an influential group of 250 key leaders in the restaurant industry across the region, each selected for their expert opinion of the Middle East and North Africa’s restaurant scenes. The Academy is divided into six regions: the Gulf; Saudi Arabia; Levant-plus; Israel, North Africa (East) and North Africa (West). Each region has its own panel of members including a chairperson, called the Academy Chair, to head it up. The panel is made up of food writers and critics, chefs, restaurateurs, and highly regarded gourmets.

 

To learn more about the faces and talents behind these awards that will strive to be the best of the best in 2023, click here.