18 min
In the ever-evolving landscape of gastronomy, the Middle East and North Africa have emerged as vibrant hubs of culinary innovation and cultural fusion.
As we delve into the realm of culinary excellence, the unveiling of the Middle East & North Africa's 50 Best Restaurants for 2024 promises an exhilarating journey through flavors, techniques, and stories that transcend borders and traditions.
From the bustling streets of Beirut to the ancient medinas of Marrakech, each restaurant on this esteemed list represents a pinnacle of creativity, craftsmanship, and hospitality, offering a tantalizing glimpse into the rich tapestry of culinary heritage woven across the region.
Orfali Bros Bistro
Dubai
This distinctive neighbourhood eatery in Dubai’s Wasl 51 neighbourhood comprises an open, casual space dominated by the two-storey kitchens overlooking diners. From here, through perseverance, brilliant storytelling and a blend of nostalgia and innovation, the Orfalis have captured the imagination of the local and international dining public.
Trèsind Studio
Dubai
Taking inspiration from the popular Indian phrase ‘atithi devo bhava’, directly translated as ‘the guest is god’, astute hospitality lies at the core of Trèsind Studio’s operation. Every service executed by its accomplished team is a masterclass, as they expertly manoeuvre in tandem with each meal's ever-changing scenery and ambience with relative ease.
Ossiano
Dubai
Delivered in ‘waves’ (aka courses), Berger’s dishes are largely focused on the sea or the coast, invariably artfully plated and frequently involve a degree of table theatre. Now in its third iteration, the tasting menu embraces an almost narrative quality, taking diners on a gastronomic international tour via some of Berger’s formative memories.
Moonrise
Dubai
Moonrise is arguably the hottest reservation ticket in a city replete with exciting new restaurants. The brainchild of Dubai-raised chef Solemann Haddad, it offers just eight counter seats per twice-nightly sitting, where diners witness the plating of each dish in the eight-course tasting menu at touching distance from the small but well-drilled team.
Khufu's
Cairo
Cognisant of the importance of veganism and vegetarianism in Egyptian coptic culture, a dedicated vegetarian menu is on offer, alongside three other rotating menus. Of particular note are the pulled beef qatayef and the sayadeya rice, providing international diners with a faithful introduction to the Egyptian kitchen.
3 Fils
Dubai
3 Fils was the first-ever venue to be bestowed the title of The Best Restaurant in Middle East & North Africa in 2022. Its winning combination of Asian fusion dishes, an unflashy and unlicensed venue and super-casual dining style have transformed it into one of the most sought-after places to eat in all the MENA region.
Fakhreldin
Amman
As well as fresh mezzes and grilled meats, mains pull from the Levant’s greatest hits, with its signature kebab of charcoal-grilled minced meat, pine nuts, onions, tomatoes and green peppers, served with chilli paste, proving an evergreen highlight.
Em Sherif
Beirut
The restaurant is known for its signature ‘daily dish’ that, while changing daily, will always showcase the very best of local and seasonal produce sourced from the surrounding area. Have the choice taken out of your hands and opt for the set menu at lunch or dinner, comprising a marathon of more than 30 dishes designed for sharing.
Fusions by Tala
Manama
Bashmi’s love affair with traditional Bahraini dishes started as a child, when her father would take her to the local markets and she would then watch as he transformed ingredients into flavour-packed dishes. It’s a ritual she has carried on to this day, hand-selecting seasonal ingredients unique to Bahrain from local producers and growers.
OCD Restaurant
Tel Aviv
Sustainable practices are at the heart of OCD’s operation, with wastage and offcuts often overlooked by the hospitality sector being willingly transformed within its kitchen. Every inch of produce from skin to stalk is utilised across the operation.
Kinoya
Dubai
Simple, but that’s all it’s meant to be. The interiors hark to a casual Japanese restaurant, from the main seating area and the private dining rooms to the ramen counter where lucky guests can get a view of Misra cooking right in front of them. People return to Kinoya for comfort and consistency – at a great price point.
Kazoku
Cairo
The menu, designed by acclaimed chef Reif Othman, boasts a tantalising selection of sushi and sashimi, as well as excellent gyoza and dessert offerings. To accommodate the local customs, diners are also offered imaginative mocktails designed by mixologist Walid Merhi.
Zuma
Dubai
On offer is a standout range of sushi and sashimi, but the star of the show is its range of grilled meats which deliver both in terms of theatre and flavour. Japanese wagyu seared over a flaming robata grill served with black truffle and ponzu sauce is the darling of Instagram, while the miso-marinated black cod wrapped in hoba leaf delivers a cult hit.
11 Woodfire
Dubai
Fire is the theme of this concept, where diners are likely to find dishes infused with the scents of hickory or pine. Ingredients are of the highest quality, with equal footing given to meat, seafood and vegetables on the menu. Must-try dishes include the wagyu burger (smothered in gouda cheese and sriracha) and the burnt cheesecake made with goat’s cheese.
Sachi Giza
Giza
The well-loved chateaubriand steak sits alongside new additions like the bibimbap for two and duck linguine; both exotic additions to the culinary vocabulary of Sachi. The dessert menu has all the greats; an apple tarte tatin and date pudding, alongside a playful flourish in the tres leches with saffron milk and cotton candy.
Baron
Beirut
Baron, which means ‘man of the street’ in Armeninan, is a celebration of local Lebanese produce. Diverse, eye-catching small plates characterise the seasonal sharing-style menu that changes every few days. Heavy on vegetables, the food is modern and innovative with Mediterranean and Japanese influences.
Boca
Dubai
Flying the flag for sustainability and local produce, Boca was one of the first restaurants in Dubai to serve UAE-grown Dibba Bay oysters. The team works with several local farms to source herbs and produce including strawberries and tomatoes and has strong relationships with desert foragers who supply them with several varieties of native plants.
Shams El Balad
Amman
Shams El Balad is housed in one of Amman’s oldest villas, which was restored with minimal intervention to maintain the charm and character of the original home. The signature exterior features a romantic wraparound balcony overlooking the city and a lush garden complete with beautiful old mulberry trees.
Mimi Kakushi
Dubai
Good restaurants are often defined by whether they have craveable dishes that keep you coming back for more and Mimi Kakushi has a slew of them. Namely, the baked bone marrow topped with beef tartare and the seasonal mushroom donabe rice pot.
George & John
Tel Aviv
A range of delicate fresh seafood dishes form the first half of its menu, including delicate sashimi served on the bone with smoked dashi, daikon, yuzu kosho and black caviar. For a taste of the grill, opt for the slow-roasted lamb, lahuh (flatbread), crispy leaves, peanuts and shifka ketchup.
Jun's
Dubai
When Chef Cheung arrives at your table to explain the dishes, it’s his vibrant personality and the stories behind every dish that adds a little extra to the already buzzing atmosphere.
Marble
Riyadh
The signature Marble burger is popular amongst diners, as is the prime rib – a 400g open-flame ribeye cooked over oak wood, and served with mashed potato, kale chips and a homemade mushroom sauce.
LPM Dubai
Dubai
LPM attracts a crowd that tends to rattle off their favourites, made to be shared with the table, without needing to look at the menu. Top picks include a much copied but never bettered lentil salad, baked whole sea bream with Provençal herbs and lemon, confit duck with orange and hispi cabbage or any of its beloved plates of pasta. The food is unfussy, straddling the Italian-French border, and utterly delicious.
Zooba (Zamalek)
Cairo
For Egyptian-American businessman Chris Khalifa, it was essential to bring his home country into the conversation. In partnershship with Estrella Damm N.A. Chefs’ Choice Award 2023 winner Moustafa Elrefaey, who trained in the US before returning to Egypt, Khalifa opened Zooba in 2012 to bring a refined take on street food that plays with colour and flavour.
Nomi
Monash
Chef-restaurateurs Gadi Bor and Yonatan Danon, veterans of Tel Aviv’s fine dining restaurant scene, left the city in 2021 to open Nomi in Kfar Monash village. Their menu is based on ingredients from Nomi’s garden and adjacent farmers’ fields. The premises functions as a fine dining restaurant at night and a bakery during the day, led by acclaimed pastry chef Tully Naveh.
Animar
Tel Aviv
Chef Hilel Tavakuli grew up in a Jewish Persian-Libyan household, experiencing two cuisines famous for their use of spices. In his restaurant, he combines the flavours of his home, mixed with Mediterranean and Turkish inspiration. The result is elegant, intelligent dishes with surprising complexity and unexpected combinations.
La Grande Table Marocaine
Marrakech
Before the Royal Mansour, Moroccan fine dining rarely stretched beyond much-loved but ubiquitous fare – the same cooked salads, tagines and couscous you’d find anywhere, albeit in a spectacularly lavish setting. Then came La Grande Table Marocaine, where executive chef Karim Ben Baba and his team reimagined Moroccan food as we know, taking it to a level that won it the accolade of The Best Restaurant in Morocco in 2023.
Bait Maryam
Dubai
Bait Maryam offers dishes that pull from the shared Levantine culinary traditions that mothers and grandmothers have been placing on dining tables of homes across Lebanon, Syria and Jordan for generations.
Sufra
Amman
Jordanian cuisine offers flavour-packed home-style cooking and is usually served in huge portions, but at Sufra diners will find this traditional food in smaller sizes, which allows them to try even more delicious dishes.
Reif Kushiyaki
Dubai
From 18-hour slow-cooked silky beef ramen to sushi rolls and sashimi, the seabass claypot and the chicken rice – created as a hat-tip to Othman’s Singaporean background – every dish on the extensive menu is a knock-out. There are also brunch, while vegetarians are fully catered to with inventive plates packed with flavour.
Tawlet Mar Mikhael
Beirut
Rotating weekly, the menu at Tawlet could include any variety of dishes from all corners of Lebanon, such as tabbouleh from Kfardlekous (a village in the north) or fattoush – a salad of mixed greens, radish and tomato – from Ammiq in the west. Each dish is served on a large platter for guests to help themselves.
21 Grams
Dubai
Diners at 21 Grams are presented with the traditional dishes that Stasha grew up eating, plated in a contemporary manner with aesthetics and flavour to the fore. Favourites include include the phyllo pie – cabbage rolls stuffed with minced beef and served with smoked brisket; and the komplet egg – a favourite with the breakfast crowd served sunny-side up in homemade bread with cheese, sour cream and beef jus.
Sachi Cairo
Cairo
Mediterranean cuisine is generously featured on the menu; A whole roast chateaubriand or trussed chicken, carved tableside, are what guests have come to expect from Sachi. The truffle mushroom risotto and salmon salad round out most tables’ selections and pair well with the house Alesana wine. The menu and its recipes have stood the test of time, placing diners’ satisfaction above all else.
Milgo & Milbar
Tel Aviv
Courses are based on fresh seasonal vegetables, fish, seafood and meat. One of the most popular starters is a corned beef bite on a bed of aioli, shallot and horseradish. Other dishes range from lamb T-bone, served with a brown chicken stock, spätzle mushroom and sage to white fish tartare with kohlrabi, cucumber, raisins, spicy almonds and jalapeño cream.
Gaia
Dubai
The seafood selection packs a punch, but so does the rest of the menu, with everything from simple salads through to baby goat slow-roasted in a wood oven. Save room for dessert, especially the loukomades and the restaurant’s take on Greek yoghurt.
Alee
Amman
Expect modern Levantine flavours with playful textures that engage diners with every bite. Each dish tells a different story from Ghzawi’s childhood. Standout items include fermented bell pepper on taboun bread with sujok; Armenian eech salad with pickled grape leaves, puffed bulgur and fermented pomegranate; kibbeh nayeh with pea tendrils, garlic aioli and pickled onions; and his signature dish: cauliflower steak with licorice purée and capers, which crowned Ghzawi the winner of Top Chef Arabia in 2019.
Lowe
Dubai
Lowe has become known as one of the best breakfast spots in the city by applying the same no-rules approach it does to the main menu. Don’t miss the lobster benedict, doused in kale hollandaise, salsa fresca and espelette pepper. Come lunch and dinner time, opt for the smoked organic beef tartare with artichoke crisps and soured onion or whole roasted local sole with curry leaves and caper butter vinaigrette.
Izakaya
Cairo
An izakaya is a Japanese-style pub, serving small plates with a wide selection of alcoholic drinks. Faithful to its moniker, Izakaya’s menus include robata dishes, gyozas and a raw section with highlights such as the ceviche maki roll. The locally sourced grouper two ways is both exotic and familiar with its double marinade of miso and coriander.
LPM Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi
A nod to the UAE’s love of brunch culture, the restaurant recently made its ‘La Vie en Rosé’ Sunday brunch a permanent fixture, promising guests a journey radiating with joie de vivre. It features dishes including poached eggs with crab on toast, along with new dishes created by chef Navaneeth Chandran including pan-fried sea bream with herb sauce and roasted wagyu.
Lunch Room
Riyadh
Popular dishes include sesame-crusted feta with miso caramel tahini, Bombay toast and the brioche French toast with maple, peached pear and vanilla mascarpone. Another creation that has made waves in the community is a simple bread course with gaymar cream and honeycomb – which proved so popular it had people hunting down replicas.
Row on 45
Dubai
The dining experience, accommodating only 22 people at a time, is broken into three acts. Act I: The Finest Welcome sees guests invited to enjoy snacks and an aperitif; Act II: The Pinnacle is the main event in full view of the open kitchen, and Act III: The Grand Finale allows diners to wind down with an aperitif in the chef’s library.
+61
Marrakech
Co-founders Cassandra Karinsky and Sebastian de Gzell commissioned the moss green banquettes, brass sconces and blush pink marble tables from local artisans, creating an illuminated space by day, and candle-lit intimacy at night. Head chef Andrew Cibej made a permanent move from Sydney to head up the kitchen, plating up a greatest-hits tour of Mediterranean cuisines.
Opa
Tel Aviv
One of the Berger’s signatures dishes focuses on dates – an ingredient seldomly used in fine dining venues of Opa’s calibre. After being smoked in-house, the local dates are accompanied by avocado, sourdough crumbs and herbs – the latter grown on the restaurant’s rooftop garden.
13C Bar in the Back
Amman
Inspired by the Mediterranean with hints of the Levant, the menu offers small ‘izakaya-style’ plates. Standout dishes include grape molasses eggplant, lamb chops with salsa verde and dijon mustard chicken. Patrons can purchase a bottle from the wine shop and enjoy it with their meal or they can opt for some of the flights or pairings on the menu.
Sesamo
Marrakech
Chefs Alajmo and Barni bring authentic Venetian influences to the table, serving classics such as Majorelle cappuccino with squid ink and potato puree, Mariapia’s eggplant ‘parmigiana’ and pea and pistachio ravioli with cuttlefish ink and spider crab sauce. A favourite on the menu is the roasted lobster with lettuce millefeuille and apple and hemp sauce.
Alba by Enrico Crippa
Doha
The a la carte offering takes in a host of Italian classics, such as vitello tonnato and maccheroni alla Genovese, as well as more distinctive plates including taglioni with white truffle and Barolo-braised veal cheeks with ‘red cabbage from the desert’.
Cult Bistro
Tunis
Bright, interesting reimaginings of classic dishes – the French influence is evident, but aways tempered by Douiri’s modern flair. Think grilled fillet of ombrine with a coffee-spiked sweet potato puree served with miso-glazed courgettes, oyster mushrooms and beef jus or the tuna bao stuffed with tuna tartare, fermented peach and a touch of kimchi.
Talea by Antonio Guida
Abu Dhabi
Talea’s menu draws on Guida’s distinctive culinary style to create ‘Cucina di Famiglia’, or family-style cooking. The menu includes handmade ravioli, authentic spaghetti alla carbonara and artisanal pizza, as well as osso buco and vitello tonnato - a summer dish of chilled veal in tuna-caper sauce.
Cut by Wolfgang Puck
Manama
Cut’s menu features a wide selection of steakhouse classics, from prime dry-aged beef to premium shellfish. But the steaks are, unsurprisingly, the star of the show, whether Australian black wagyu ribeyes or USDA-prime filet mignon.
Kuuru
Jeddah
Strong starters include the nika panca, wagyu tataku, rococo scallops (a scallop gratin dish with red chilli) the Kuuru ceviche, and the signature Kuuru wagyu beef sliders; the nigiri selection is also popular along with black cod criollo.
Source: www.theworlds50best.com
3 min
