A DJ spins upbeat tunes, while delectable bite-size dishes — think pan-seared foie gras finished with dark chocolate and Australian mutton rogan josh — are passed around.
The gala celebration of this year's Mena's 50 Best Restaurants awards ceremony was held at Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers on Monday night, with Dubai's Orfali Bros Bistro named the No 1 restaurant in the Mena region this year.
The capital played host to the event for the second time in two years, following the release of the first Mena list by the World's 50 Best group last February. The restaurants are chosen by a panel of 250 anonymous voters, who can select seven restaurants each from across the region.
The evening, hosted by Egyptian-Australian presenter and entrepreneur Shereen Mitwalli, had regional and international chefs — dressed in customary scarlet scarves — restaurateurs, food critics and other culinary experts raising a glass to the best in the business at the glittering event. In attendance were Italian chef Massimo Bottura of three-Michelin-star restaurant Osteria Francescana, Asia’s 50 Best Pastry Chef 2022 Maira Yeo, Peruvian chef Mitsuharu Tsumura, ramen chef Neha Mishra of Kinoya Dubai, cookbook author Anissa Helou and Jordanian celebrity chef Ali Ghzawi.
Orfali Bros was followed by Tresind Studio, also from Dubai; Fusions by Tala from Manama, Bahrain; and Ossiano, Dubai. 3 Fils, which won top honours in the previous list, came in at No 5 this year.
See the full list below
Orfali Bros, which rose to the top spot after coming sixth on the previous list, is a modern, minimalist venue in Jumeirah. Its menu is an exercise in boundary-pushing, experimenting with taste, textures and ingredients to create something unique, from red umami prawns to fluffy pides in various creative flavours.
Nineteen out of 50 restaurants on last year's list were in the UAE, and this year 18 restaurants from the Emirates secured a spot. This was followed by six restaurants from Israel; five each from Egypt and Jordan; four from Morocco; three each from Bahrain, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia; two from Kuwait; and one from Tunisia.
Elsewhere, Karim Bourgi was named Mena's Best Pastry Chef and Moustafa Elrefaey won the Chef's Choice Award. Opa in Tel Aviv won the One to Watch Award, given to restaurants that have the potential to be included in the 50 Best list in the near future.
Last month, Palestinian-Jordanian chef Salam Dakkak, who runs Bait Maryam in Dubai, was named Mena's Best Female Chef 2023, while Lebanese-Syrian cookbook author Anissa Helou was announced as the recipient of the Foodics Icon Award this month.
"We were gratified by the response we got from the industry when we launched the Mena list last year," says William Drew, director of content at 50 Best. "People embraced what we're trying to do, which is to promote restaurants as a whole. It's not only about the 50 best restaurants, but also about creating a buzz for others in the region, giving the talent behind them the recognition they work really hard for and deserve.
"Of course, the ultimate aim is to attract more travellers to the Middle East and North Africa region for the food, and to understand the scene better than before," Drew adds. "Food is a window to culture, and this is a great opportunity for the world to discover more about the region in that sense."
Mena’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023
- Orfali Bros Bistro, Dubai, UAE
- Tresind Studio, Dubai, UAE
- Fusions by Tala, Manama, Bahrain (also named Best Restaurant in Bahrain and won Highest Climber Award)
- Ossiano, Dubai, UAE (also won the Highest New Entry Award)
- 3 Fils, Dubai, UAE
- George & John, Tel Aviv, Israel (also named Best Restaurant in Israel)
- Kinoya, Dubai, UAE
- Fakhreldin, Amman, Jordan (also named Best Restaurant in Jordan)
- Zooba, Cairo, Egypt (also named Best Restaurant in Egypt)
- Moonrise, Dubai, UAE
- Reif Kushiyaki, Dubai, UAE
- Kazoku, Cairo, Egypt
- Zuma, Dubai, UAE
- OCD, Tel Aviv, Israel (also won the Sustainable Restaurant Award)
- Lowe, Dubai, UAE
- Baron, Beirut, Lebanon (also named Best Restaurant in Lebanon)
- Gaia, Dubai, UAE
- Myazu, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (also named Best Restaurant in Saudi Arabia)
- Tawlet Mar Mikhael, Beirut, Lebanon
- Em Sherif, Beirut, Lebanon (also won the Art of Hospitality Award)
- LPM, Dubai, UAE
- Sachi, Giza, Egypt
- Marble, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- A by Yuval Ben Neriah, Tel Aviv, Israel
- CUT by Wolfgang Puck, Manama, Bahrain
- Hoseki, Dubai, UAE
- La Grande Table Marocain, Marrakech, Morocco (also named Best Restaurant in Morocco)
- Coya, Dubai, UAE
- Shams El Balad, Amman, Jordan
- Sachi, Cairo, Egypt
- Masso, Manama, Bahrain
- Animar, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Coya, Abu Dhabi, UAE
- La Closerie, Tunis, Tunisia (also named Best Restaurant in Tunisia)
- 11 Woodfire, Dubai, UAE
- Sufra, Amman, Jordan
- Iloli, Casablanca, Morocco
- LPM, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Sesamo, Marrakech, Morocco
- Milgo Milbar, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Alee, Amman, Jordan
- White Robata, Kuwait City, Kuwait (also named Best Restaurant in Kuwait)
- Zuma, Abu Dhabi, UAE
- Jun's, Dubai, UAE
- Reif Kushiyaki, Cairo, Egypt
- +61, Marrakech, Morocco
- 13C Bar in the Back, Amman, Jordan
- HaBasta, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Hakkasan, Abu Dhabi, UAE
- Bonjiri, Salmiya, Kuwait
