Last night, the auditorium of the iconic Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, Abu Dhabi, hummed with anticipation.

Hundreds of chefs, restaurateurs, and media professionals from across the Middle East, North Africa, and indeed beyond, gathered within its gilded walls, all waiting for the high-stakes reveal: the official ranking of MENA’s 50 Best Restaurants for 2026. In the lower circle, closest to the stage, restaurateurs and chefs from across the region sat waiting for the rankings to be unveiled, each with the famous 50 Best red scarves softly draped around their necks.

While every guest in the room arrived knowing they had secured a spot on the prestigious list, the final rankings remained a closely guarded secret. Aside from a few whispers of educated guesswork, the true order of the top 50 remains unknown until the moment the names are read aloud.

MENA 50 Best Lynda 1

MENA 50 Best Lynda 2

MENA's 50 Best Restaurants Award Ceremony at Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, Abu Dhabi

Sixteen newcomers broke into the ranks this year, showcasing the dynamism of the culinary industry in the region. But none made a bigger splash than Beihouse in Beirut: the restaurant defied the odds to debut at an incredible number five, marking it as the highest-ever entry for a new addition this season.

Beyond the primary rankings on the official list for 2026, the ceremony also celebrated excellence through ten prestigious individual awards. These awards celebrated standout individuals and restaurants' significant achievements such as the Art of Hospitality Award (won by La Grande Table Marocaine), the One to Watch Award (won by Middle Child, Dubai), MENA's Best Female Chef for 2026 (won by Sara Aqel) and the Chef's Choice Award, an award chosen by the chefs themselves which was presented by the head chef of the World's Number One restaurant, Mitsuharu ‘Micha’ Tsumura of Maido in Peru.

The Saudi Winners

This year, just three restaurants hailing from Saudi Arabia placed on the 50 Best Restaurants list for the MENA region.

Kuuru, Jeddah - 5 (Best Restaurant in Saudi Arabia)
Marble, Riyadh - 12
Myazu, Riyadh - 45

Best 50 Restaurants in the Middle East and North Africa for 2026

Table 3 Casa Blanca Morocco 1

Chez wam Dubai

Table 3, Casa Blanca (L) and Chez Wam, Dubai (R)

50. Matbakhi, Kuwait City *New

49. Farmers, Marrakech (Winner: Sustainable Restaurant Award) *New

48. Lyra, Manama (Winner: Best Restaurant in Bahrain) *New

47. LPM, Abu Dhabi

46. Le Golfe, La Marsa (Winner: Best Restaurant in Tunisia)

45. Myazu, Riyadh

44. Idam by Alain Ducasse, Doha (Winner: Best Restaurant in Qatar) *New

43. Girl and The Goose, Dubai *New

42. 3 Fils, Abu Dhabi

41. Boca, Dubai

40. Chez Wam, Dubai *New

39. Buco, Beirut *New

38. Niri, Abu Dhabi

Lyra Restaurant Manama

Beihouse Beirut 1

Beihouse, Beirut (L) and Lyra Restaurant, Manama (R)

37. Sachi Cairo, Cairo

36. Row on 45, Dubai

35. Mimi Kakushi, Dubai

34. Zuma, Dubai

33. Gaia, Dubai

32. Zooba (Zamalek), Cairo

31. +61, Marrakech

30. Dara Dining by Sara Aqel, Amman (Winner: Best female chef in MENA)

29. Three Bros, Dubai *New

28. Alee, Amman

27. LPM, Dubai

Girl and the Goose Dubai 3

TakaHisa Dubai

TakaHisa (L) and Girl and the Goose (R)

26. Shams Al Balad, Amman (Winner: Best Restaurant in Jordan)

25. Kazoku, Cairo

24. Sesamo, Marrakech

23. TakaHisa, Dubai

22. FZN, Dubai *New

21. Le Petit Cornichon, Marrakech

20. Reif Kushiyaki, Cairo (Winner: Highest climber award)

19. La Grande Table Marocaine, Marrakech (Winner: Art of Hospitality Award)

18. Cantina, Kuwait City (Winner: Best Restaurant in Kuwait) *New

17. 3 Fils, Dubai

Marble 2

Tresind Studio Dubai 1

Marble, Riyadh (L) and Tresind Studio (R)

16. Marmellata Bakery, Abu Dhabi

15. Kokoro, Dubai

14. 11 Woodfire, Dubai

13. Em Sherif, Beirut

12. Marble, Riyadh

11. Table 3, Casablanca (Winner: Best restaurant in Morocco) *New

10. Moonrise, Dubai

9. Manāo, Dubai *New

8. Jun's, Dubai

Start with potato au caviar at Three Bros

Sufret Maryam Dubai 1

Three Bros (L) and Sufret Maryam (R)

7. Sufret Maryam, Dubai

6. Kuuru, Jeddah (Winner: Best restaurant in Saudi Arabia)

5. Beihouse, Beirut (Winner: Highest new entry & Best Restaurant in Lebanon)

4. Orfali Bros, Dubai

3. Trèsind Studio, Dubai

2. Kinoya, Dubai (Winner: Best Restaurant in the UAE)

1. Khufu's, Giza (Winner: Best Restaurant in Egypt)

Khufus Giza egypt

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Khufu's Restaurant, Giza (MENA No 1 Best Restaurant)

Overall Best Restaurants in MENA for 2026

Best Restaurant in Egypt: Khufu's, Giza
Best Restaurant in Saudi Arabia: Kuuru, Jeddah
Best Restaurant in Lebanon: Beihouse, Beiruit
Best Restaurant in Morocco: Table 3, Casa Blanca
Best Restaurant in Kuwait: Cantina, Kuwait City
Best Restaurant in Jordan: Shams Al Balad, Amman
Best Restaurant in Qatar: Idam by Alain Ducasse, Doha
Best Restaurant in Tunisia: Le Golfe, La Marsa
Best Restaurant in Bahrain: Lyra, Manama

To view the full list, click here
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