The capital flexes serious flavour as local favourites land top spots at MENA’s 50 Best Restaurants awards ceremony
Abu Dhabi didn’t just attend the party. It walked in confident and walked out with bragging rights at the Middle East and North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants awards. At MENA’s 50 Best Restaurants awards, held at Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, the capital earned four spots on the coveted list.
Marmellata Bakery led the local charge at number 16, followed by Niri at number 38. Homegrown favourite 3 Fils Abu Dhabi came at number 42, and LPM Abu Dhabi landed the 47th spot.
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The ceremony pulled in chefs, restaurateurs and food obsessives from across 14 cities. By the end of the night, the UAE walked away with 25 restaurants on the list, more than any other country in the region.
Dubai, as expected, came in strong and loud. Three restaurants landed in the top four. Kinoya landed at number two and Trèsind Studio claimed the third spot. The fourth spot went to Orfali Bros. Sufret Maryam, Jun’s, Manāo, Moonrise and Kokoro also secured top 15 places, turning the city into a kind of culinary playground for anyone with an appetite.
But the biggest cheer of the night belonged to Egypt. Cairo’s Khufu’s took the number one crown, the first Egyptian restaurant to ever do so. Elsewhere, Beirut proved its staying power with Beihouse at number five, while Saudi Arabia’s Kuuru took number six and was named the country’s best. Marrakech, Amman and beyond all made strong showings, with restaurants from Morocco, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Tunisia and Qatar rounding out the list.
And for Abu Dhabi, it’s clear. The city isn’t just hosting the party anymore. It’s cooking.
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