Khufu's in Giza, Egypt was named the best restaurant in the Mena region on Tuesday night during a lavish awards ceremony at the Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental in Abu Dhabi.
While it missed out on the top spot, 25 restaurants from the UAE did make the list for 2026, with Kinoya and Tresind Studio in Dubai taking home second and third place, respectively.
The evening opened with the ceremony's host, Layal El Halabi, noting that while it “remains a difficult time for many in the region”, the role of the awards is to “recognise, support and promote the hospitality sector at such times”.
Throughout the night, restaurants from 14 cities were included on the list of the 50 best places to eat in the region. New entries from Dubai and Abu Dhabi this year included Sufret Maryam, Kokoro, Manao, FZN, Three Bros, Chez Wam, 3Fils Abu Dhabi and Girl and the Goose.
Commenting on Khufu's win, a spokesperson for Middle East & North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants said: "We are thrilled to recognise Khufu’s as the No.1 restaurant ... the first time a restaurant in Egypt takes the top spot. Its culinary philosophy, rooted deeply in Egyptian culture yet executed with contemporary finesse, represents the very best of what the region has to offer."
Special awards
A handful of special awards were also dished out on the evening. Middle Child in Dubai took home the One to Watch title, and the Sustainable Restaurant Award went to Farmers, which opened in Marrakech in late 2024. Recognising fantastic service, the Art of Hospitality Award went to La Grande Table Marocaine at the Royal Mansour Marrakech hotel.
Individual chefs were also recognised throughout the night, starting with Sara Aqel, who leads Dara Dining by Sara Aqel in Amman. She was named the Best Female Chef for 2026. Omar and Wassim Orfali, part of the Orfali Bros trio, were named the Best Pastry Chefs this year. The Sevenroom Icon Award went to Salam Dakkak, the brains behind Sufret Maryam, for her work in Arabic cuisine and introducing Palestinian food to the world.
The only peer-voted award of the night, the Chef's Choice Award, was presented to Himanshu Saini, the head chef of the three-time-Michelin-starred Indian restaurant Tresind Studio.
This year's ceremony also introduced a new award category, with Muna Haddad, founder of Baraka Destinations, receiving the inaugural Champion of Change Award, which applauds restaurants working towards positive change and celebrates "unsung heroes".
The winner of the Highest Climber Award was Cairo restaurant Reif Kushiyaki, while Beihouse in Beirut is the recipient of the Highest New Entry Award, after debuting on the list at number five.
Best in countries went to the following: Lyra in Bahrain; Le Golfe in Tunisia; Idam in Qatar; Shams El Balad in Jordan; Cantina in Kuwait; Table 3 in Morocco; Kuuru in Saudi Arabia; Beihouse in Lebanon; Kinoya in the UAE; and finally Khufu's the best in Egypt, as well as the Middle East and North Africa.
The crown was taken from Dubai's Orfali Bros, which won last year's award ceremony, making it the third consecutive year the restaurant run by Syrian brothers Omar and Wassim Orfali had won the prize. This year, the restaurant was ranked fourth in the region.
In 2025, 21 restaurants in the UAE were recognised on the list.
Mena’s 50 Best Restaurants 2026
- Khufu's, Giza
- Kinoya, Dubai
- Tresind Studio, Dubai
- Orfali Bros, Dubai
- Beihouse, Beirut - new entry
- Kuuru, Jeddah
- Sufret Maryam, Dubai - new entry
- Jun's, Dubai
- Manao, Dubai - new entry
- Moonrise, Dubai
- Table 3, Casablanca - new entry
- Marble, Riyadh
- Em Sherif, Beirut
- 11 Woodfire, Dubai
- Kokoro, Dubai - new entry
- Marmellata Bakery, Abu Dhabi
- 3 Fils, Dubai
- Cantina, Kuwait City - new entry
- La Grande Table Marocaine, Marrakech
- Reif Kushiyaki, Cairo
- Le Petit Cornichon, Marrakech
- FZN, Dubai - new entry
- Takahisa, Dubai
- Sesamo, Marrakech
- Kazoku, Cairo
- Shams El Balad, Amman
- LPM, Dubai
- Alee, Amman
- Three Bros, Dubai - new entry
- Dara Dining by Sara Aqel, Amman
- +61, Marrakech
- Zooba Zamalek, Cairo
- Gaia, Dubai
- Zuma, Dubai
- Mimi Kakushi, Dubai
- Row on 45, Dubai
- Sachi, Cairo
- Niri, Abu Dhabi
- Buco, Beirut - new entry
- Chez Wam, Dubai - new entry
- Boca, Dubai
- 3Fils, Abu Dhabi - new entry
- Girl and the Goose, Dubai - new entry
- Idam, Doha - new entry
- Myazu, Riyadh
- Le Golfe, La Marsa
- LPM, Abu Dhabi
- Lyra, Manama - new entry
- Farmers, Marrakech - new entry
- Matbakhi, Kuwait City - new entry
How rankings work
Each year, restaurants are ranked by over 250 anonymous restaurant experts, including chefs, restaurateurs and well-travelled gourmets from 19 countries across the region.
There is no set criteria for the votes, say the organisers, and “what constitutes best is up to each one to decide. Of course, the quality of food is going to be central, as is the service – but the style of both, the surroundings, atmosphere and indeed the price level are each more or less important for each different individual”.
