Mena’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023 list to be announced in January in Abu Dhabi

The second Mena's 50 Best Restaurants list will be announced at a grand ceremony in Abu Dhabi on January 30.

The UAE capital has been selected as the host city for a second time, following the release of the debut Mena list by the World's 50 Best group at Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers in February.

Scroll through the gallery above to see the UAE restaurants that were part of Mena's 50 Best Restaurants list 2022

Speaking to media at 11 Woodfire restaurant in Dubai on Thursday, William Drew, director of content for the World's 50 Best group, said: "The follow-up Mena list will shine a further spotlight on the Mena region, its diverse cuisines and culinary culture, with the aim to be a positive force for gastronomy and gastro-tourism across borders.

"The restaurants are chosen by a panel of 250 anonymous voters from across the Middle East and North Africa, who get to select seven restaurants each."

William Drew at the awards ceremony in Abu Dhabi in February. Victor Besa / The National

Next year will also see a line-up of foodie-friendly events in the lead-up to the awards ceremony, including a dinner hosted by Italian chef Massimiliano Alajmo, Singaporean pastry chef Maira Yeo and Japanese chef Hiroyasu Kawate. The 50 Best Signature Sessions will end with the popular #50BestTalks, which will be held a day before the awards ceremony.

From the debut list, 19 restaurants from the UAE made the cut, as well as five each from Saudi Arabia and Lebanon, four from Egypt, three from Morocco and Jordan, two from Bahrain, and one each from Kuwait, Tunisia and Qatar. Six restaurants in Israel were awarded.

Dubai restaurant 3 Fils won top honours, followed by Zuma in Dubai and OCD Restaurant in Tel Aviv.

While it remains to be seen which restaurants make the cut next year, Drew says it is not uncommon for at least 75 per cent of the restaurants to appear on the list in consequent years — at least in other parts of the world.

However, with new restaurants opening weekly in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, we wouldn’t be surprised if the 2023 list offered foodies and gastro-tourists a whole new range of options to add to the bucket list.

Scroll through the gallery below to see all the restaurants on Mena's 50 Best Restaurants 2022 list

T20 World Cup Qualifier

October 18 – November 2

Opening fixtures

Friday, October 18

ICC Academy: 10am, Scotland v Singapore, 2.10pm, Netherlands v Kenya

Zayed Cricket Stadium: 2.10pm, Hong Kong v Ireland, 7.30pm, Oman v UAE

UAE squad

Ahmed Raza (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Rameez Shahzad, Darius D’Silva, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zawar Farid, Ghulam Shabber, Junaid Siddique, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Waheed Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Zahoor Khan

Players out: Mohammed Naveed, Shaiman Anwar, Qadeer Ahmed

Players in: Junaid Siddique, Darius D’Silva, Waheed Ahmed

11 cabbie-recommended restaurants and dishes to try in Abu Dhabi

Iqbal Restaurant behind Wendy’s on Hamdan Street for the chicken karahi (Dh14)

Pathemari in Navy Gate for prawn biryani (from Dh12 to Dh35)

Abu Al Nasar near Abu Dhabi Mall, for biryani (from Dh12 to Dh20)

Bonna Annee at Navy Gate for Ethiopian food (the Bonna Annee special costs Dh42 and comes with a mix of six house stews – key wet, minchet abesh, kekel, meser be sega, tibs fir fir and shiro).

Al Habasha in Tanker Mai for Ethiopian food (tibs, a hearty stew with meat, is a popular dish; here it costs Dh36.75 for lamb and beef versions)

Himalayan Restaurant in Mussaffa for Nepalese (the momos and chowmein noodles are best-selling items, and go for between Dh14 and Dh20)

Makalu in Mussaffa for Nepalese (get the chicken curry or chicken fry for Dh11)

Al Shaheen Cafeteria near Guardian Towers for a quick morning bite, especially the egg sandwich in paratha (Dh3.50)

Pinky Food Restaurant in Tanker Mai for tilapia

Tasty Zone for Nepalese-style noodles (Dh15)

Ibrahimi for Pakistani food (a quarter chicken tikka with roti costs Dh16)

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

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Stars: Clint Eastwood, Dwight Yoakam

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Islamophobia definition

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5pm: Rated Conditions (PA) Dh85,000 (Turf) 1,600m
Winner: AF Mouthirah, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)

5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m
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6pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,400m
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6.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m
Winner: Tair, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel

7pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m
Winner: Wakeel W’Rsan, Richard Mullen, Jaci Wickham

7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 2,400m
Winner: Son Of Normandy, Fernando Jara, Ahmad bin Harmash

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