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
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
The biog
Name: James Mullan
Nationality: Irish
Family: Wife, Pom; and daughters Kate, 18, and Ciara, 13, who attend Jumeirah English Speaking School (JESS)
Favourite book or author: “That’s a really difficult question. I’m a big fan of Donna Tartt, The Secret History. I’d recommend that, go and have a read of that.”
Dream: “It would be to continue to have fun and to work with really interesting people, which I have been very fortunate to do for a lot of my life. I just enjoy working with very smart, fun people.”
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl
Power: 153hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: Dh99,000
On sale: now
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Haltia.ai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202023%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECo-founders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Arto%20Bendiken%20and%20Talal%20Thabet%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20AI%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2041%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20About%20%241.7%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Self%2C%20family%20and%20friends%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
THE DETAILS
Kaala
Dir: Pa. Ranjith
Starring: Rajinikanth, Huma Qureshi, Easwari Rao, Nana Patekar
Rating: 1.5/5
The biog:
From: Wimbledon, London, UK
Education: Medical doctor
Hobbies: Travelling, meeting new people and cultures
Favourite animals: All of them
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMascotte%20Health%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2023%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMiami%2C%20US%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Bora%20Hamamcioglu%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EOnline%20veterinary%20service%20provider%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%241.2%20million%20raised%20in%20seed%20funding%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
Super%20Mario%20Bros%20Wonder
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDeveloper%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENintendo%20EPD%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENintendo%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EConsole%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENintendo%20Switch%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
RESULTS
Lightweight (female)
Sara El Bakkali bt Anisha Kadka
Bantamweight
Mohammed Adil Al Debi bt Moaz Abdelgawad
Welterweight
Amir Boureslan bt Mahmoud Zanouny
Featherweight
Mohammed Al Katheeri bt Abrorbek Madaminbekov
Super featherweight
Ibrahem Bilal bt Emad Arafa
Middleweight
Ahmed Abdolaziz bt Imad Essassi
Bantamweight (female)
Ilham Bourakkadi bt Milena Martinou
Welterweight
Mohamed Mardi bt Noureddine El Agouti
Middleweight
Nabil Ouach bt Ymad Atrous
Welterweight
Nouredine Samir bt Marlon Ribeiro
Super welterweight
Brad Stanton bt Mohamed El Boukhari
The biog
Year of birth: 1988
Place of birth: Baghdad
Education: PhD student and co-researcher at Greifswald University, Germany
Hobbies: Ping Pong, swimming, reading
The Specs
Price, base Dh379,000
Engine 2.9-litre, twin-turbo V6
Gearbox eight-speed automatic
Power 503bhp
Torque 443Nm
On sale now
CHELSEA'S NEXT FIVE GAMES
Mar 10: Norwich(A)
Mar 13: Newcastle(H)
Mar 16: Lille(A)
Mar 19: Middlesbrough(A)
Apr 2: Brentford(H)
The five pillars of Islam
2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Regional Qualifier
Saturday results
Qatar beat Kuwait by 26 runs
Bahrain beat Maldives by six wickets
UAE beat Saudi Arabia by seven wickets
Monday fixtures
Maldives v Qatar
Saudi Arabia v Kuwait
Bahrain v UAE
* The top three teams progress to the Asia Qualifier
Studying addiction
This month, Dubai Medical College launched the Middle East’s first master's programme in addiction science.
Together with the Erada Centre for Treatment and Rehabilitation, the college offers a two-year master’s course as well as a one-year diploma in the same subject.
The move was announced earlier this year and is part of a new drive to combat drug abuse and increase the region’s capacity for treating drug addiction.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg
Roma 4
Milner (15' OG), Dzeko (52'), Nainggolan (86', 90 4')
Liverpool 2
Mane (9'), Wijnaldum (25')
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Turkish Ladies
Various artists, Sony Music Turkey
World Cricket League Division 2
In Windhoek, Namibia - Top two teams qualify for the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, which starts on March 4.
UAE fixtures
Thursday February 8, v Kenya; Friday February 9, v Canada; Sunday February 11, v Nepal; Monday February 12, v Oman; Wednesday February 14, v Namibia; Thursday February 15, final
Results
%3Cp%3E%0D%3Cstrong%3EElite%20men%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E1.%20Amare%20Hailemichael%20Samson%20(ERI)%202%3A07%3A10%0D%3Cbr%3E2.%20Leornard%20Barsoton%20(KEN)%202%3A09%3A37%0D%3Cbr%3E3.%20Ilham%20Ozbilan%20(TUR)%202%3A10%3A16%0D%3Cbr%3E4.%20Gideon%20Chepkonga%20(KEN)%202%3A11%3A17%0D%3Cbr%3E5.%20Isaac%20Timoi%20(KEN)%202%3A11%3A34%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EElite%20women%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E1.%20Brigid%20Kosgei%20(KEN)%202%3A19%3A15%0D%3Cbr%3E2.%20Hawi%20Feysa%20Gejia%20(ETH)%202%3A24%3A03%0D%3Cbr%3E3.%20Sintayehu%20Dessi%20(ETH)%202%3A25%3A36%0D%3Cbr%3E4.%20Aurelia%20Kiptui%20(KEN)%202%3A28%3A59%0D%3Cbr%3E5.%20Emily%20Kipchumba%20(KEN)%202%3A29%3A52%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Omar Yabroudi's factfile
Born: October 20, 1989, Sharjah
Education: Bachelor of Science and Football, Liverpool John Moores University
2010: Accrington Stanley FC, internship
2010-2012: Crystal Palace, performance analyst with U-18 academy
2012-2015: Barnet FC, first-team performance analyst/head of recruitment
2015-2017: Nottingham Forest, head of recruitment
2018-present: Crystal Palace, player recruitment manager
More from Aya Iskandarani
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Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
Match info
Who: India v Afghanistan
What: One-off Test match, Bengaluru
When: June 14 to 18
TV: OSN Sports Cricket HD, 8am starts
Online: OSN Play (subscribers only)
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
If you go
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.
The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.
Rooney's club record
At Everton Appearances: 77; Goals: 17
At Manchester United Appearances: 559; Goals: 253
