MENA's 50 Best Restaurants 2025: The Complete List

Orfali Bros is Dubai's most credentialled restaurant at the $$$ price point: three consecutive years at the top of the MENA 50 Best list, a Michelin star, a menu built from Syrian culinary tradition and global technique. The food justifies the price; the main obstacle is getting a table. Book well in advance.

Trèsind Studio is a serious $$$$ Indian splurge on Palm Jumeirah, led by chef Himanshu Saini and backed by major Michelin and global restaurant recognition. Go for a milestone dine-in meal where pacing and presentation matter; skip it for delivery, casual comfort food, or a large group trying to manage budget.

Kinoya is Dubai's most-decorated affordable Japanese restaurant; a Michelin Bib Gourmand holder and MENA 50 Best #3 (2024) in The Greens. The izakaya format means ramen, robata, sashimi, a loud, energetic room at a single-dollar price point. Book the counter well in advance; walk-in chances are slim and the room fills fast most nights.

Khufus sits inside the Giza Pyramid Complex with a direct view of the Great Pyramid and a kitchen producing modern Egyptian cuisine under Chef Mostafa Seif. Ranked #4 on the World's 50 Best Restaurants MENA 2024 and rising on La Liste, it is the strongest case for a special-occasion dinner in Egypt; but book months ahead. Booking difficulty is Near Impossible.

Ossiano holds a Michelin star, a World's 50 Best MENA #5 ranking, one of Dubai's most serious wine lists; all inside an aquarium-walled dining room at Atlantis, The Palm. The 10-course Culinary Voyage is the format; dinner only, 54 seats, smart elegant dress. Book as far ahead as possible; availability is tight and the room fills fast for special occasions.

Ranked #6 on the World's 50 Best Restaurants MENA 2024, Fusions by Tala is the strongest case for a serious tasting menu meal in Manama. Based inside the Gulf Hotel Bahrain, it is near-impossible to book at short notice. Plan ahead; this is the table your Manama trip should be built around.

Jun's is a Michelin-recognised, chef-driven Asian restaurant in Downtown Dubai with a #7 ranking at MENA's 50 Best 2024; strong kitchen credentials at $$$ pricing. Book four to six weeks out minimum; this is one of the harder reservations in the city. The right choice for a late dinner or special occasion where quality matters more than spectacle.

Ranked #8 on the World's 50 Best Restaurants MENA 2024, Shams El Balad is Amman's hardest table to book and one of its most considered dining experiences. A family-run cultural space serving creative, seasonal Levantine food in an intimate setting on Mu'Ath Bin Jabal Street. Book weeks out; this one fills fast and for good reason.

Ranked #9 at the World's 50 Best Restaurants MENA 2024, Em Sherif is Beirut's strongest choice for occasion dining; a formal room with glittering chandeliers, live Arabic music, traditional Lebanese home cooking. Booking is near impossible, so reserve weeks ahead. Best for celebrations and business dinners where the setting needs to carry as much weight as the food.

Moonrise is the hardest reservation in Dubai and, based on back-to-back Michelin Stars and a top-10 World's 50 Best MENA 2024 ranking, it earns that difficulty. Chef Solemann Haddad runs a 12-seat counter with a 12-course creative tasting menu; precise, intimate, priced at $$$$. Book as far ahead as possible; this is not a last-minute option.

Ranked #11 in MENA by the World's 50 Best Restaurants 2024, Fakhreldin is the most decorated table in Amman and the hardest to get. Chef Rafic Nakhle runs a kitchen that delivers at international standard without the stiffness that ranking might imply. Book as early as possible; this reservation fills well ahead of peak travel periods.

Boca is one of DIFC's most consistent restaurants; Michelin Plate 2024 and 2025, ranked #12 in the World's 50 Best Restaurants MENA 2024, operating with credible Spanish-inspired Mediterranean cooking since 2014. At $$$, it rewards repeat visits more than a single booking. Reservations are Near Impossible, so plan ahead.

A Michelin Plate-recognised Nyonya restaurant in a heritage George Town shophouse, Richard Rivalee delivers precise, homespun Peranakan cooking at $$ pricing. Post-Michelin demand makes this a near-impossible reservation; book before you arrive. For food-focused travellers serious about Penang-Nyonya cuisine, it earns the planning effort.

Dubai's most decorated casual Japanese restaurant holds double Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition and a #14 MENA ranking while charging a fraction of what comparable venues ask. Chef Shun Shiroma's contemporary Japanese kitchen at Jumeirah Fishing Harbour is unlicensed and deliberately low-key. Book weeks ahead; this is one of the hardest tables in the city.

Bait Maryam is one of Dubai's strongest value cases in award-recognised dining: back-to-back Michelin Bib Gourmand (2024–2025), ranked 15th at World's 50 Best MENA 2024, priced at a single dollar sign. Chef Salam Dakkak's Middle Eastern kitchen in JLT draws serious demand; book at least three to four weeks out, or you will be looking at thin options.

Chef Abdulrahman Alsowailem's homegrown Riyadh restaurant (#16 on World's 50 Best MENA) trades fine-dining formality for focused execution and a lively neighborhood energy. The kitchen delivers consistent craft across a flexible menu, making it a strong choice for special occasions or solo counter dining. Book two weeks ahead; tables fill fast, the late hours (until 3:30 AM) suit post-event celebrations.

Row on 45 is Dubai's most credentialed tasting menu restaurant: Michelin two stars (2024–2025), World's 50 Best MENA #17, a Star Wine List-ranked program with serious non-alcoholic pairing options. The 17-course, three-room format across 22 covers justifies the $$$$ price if structured fine dining and wine depth are your priorities. Book weeks ahead minimum.

Ranked #18 in the World's 50 Best Restaurants MENA 2024, Dara Dining by Sara Aqel is Amman's most credentialed table; a restored villa with a garden, a Mediterranean menu with strong Levantine character, a wine shop focused on regional producers. Booking is difficult and advance planning is essential, but for a special occasion dinner in Amman, nothing else in the city competes on the same terms.

Zuma in Dubai's DIFC is a high-energy, sharing-format contemporary Japanese restaurant with a Michelin Plate, a MENA 50 Best ranking of #19, a booking difficulty that demands three to four weeks' lead time for weekend dinners. Best suited to groups of three or more who want robata grill, sashimi, a room that runs late; not for intimate or solo dining.

Ranked #20 on the World's 50 Best Restaurants MENA 2024, Sufra on Rainbow Street is Amman's most credentialed table for Jordanian and Levantine cooking. Chef Hassan Mezal runs a kitchen. Book well in advance; this is not a walk-in restaurant; and it earns the effort for a special occasion or a serious group dinner.

Zooba Zamalek is Cairo's most credentialled Egyptian street food address, ranked #21 on the World's 50 Best Restaurants MENA 2024 list. The food travels well for delivery, but first-timers should eat in to understand the menu. Book ahead; walk-ins during peak hours are difficult, the venue's international profile has pushed demand up significantly.

The strongest case for Moroccan fine dining in Marrakesh. Chef Karim Ben Baba holds a MENA 50 Best ranking (No. 22, 2024), Les Grandes Tables du Monde status, a 97-point La Liste score; credentials that place this kitchen well ahead of any direct local competitor. Book 4 to 6 weeks out, dress formally, set a serious budget. This is the correct choice for a high-stakes dinner in Morocco.

La Petite Maison in DIFC holds a Michelin Plate, a #23 ranking on the World's 50 Best MENA 2024 list, one of Dubai's deepest French-focused wine lists; 470 selections with a 2,000-bottle cellar. At $$$ per head it earns its price, but tables are near impossible to get without booking two to three weeks out minimum.

Ranked #24 on the World's 50 Best Restaurants MENA 2024, Kazoku is Cairo's strongest case for contemporary Japanese dining and the city's most credentialed restaurant in the category. The experience is inseparable from the room: a compound setting in Second New Cairo with a considered arrival sequence built for occasions. Book weeks in advance; this one is genuinely difficult to secure.

Gaia is one of the hardest reservations in Dubai for good reason: seven years in, the DIFC eighth-floor Mediterranean room still delivers consistent quality in a space that feels relaxed rather than theatrical. Plan three weeks ahead for weekends.

21 Grams is Dubai's most credential-dense value play in dining: two consecutive Michelin Bib Gourmands and a #26 MENA ranking at $$ pricing. Chef Milan Jurkovic's Balkan kitchen runs on a genuine seasonal rotation, which rewards return visits. Book at least three to four weeks out; tables are genuinely difficult to secure.

Ranked #27 on the World's 50 Best Restaurants MENA 2024 list, Sachi Cairo is one of Heliopolis's hardest tables to secure and one of its most rewarding for repeat visitors. Built around family-dinner-style comfort food in a room designed for groups, it rewards those who return; first-timers should book far ahead and come with a crowd.

11 Woodfire holds a Michelin star and a World's 50 Best MENA top-30 ranking, yet prices at $$$; one tier below most of Dubai's comparably credentialled restaurants. The open-fire kitchen in a Jumeirah villa produces precise, smoke-driven cooking across meat, seafood, vegetables. Book at least two to three weeks out; this is not a walk-in option.

Ranked #29 on World's 50 Best MENA 2024, Marmellata Bakery is a no-reservations pizza destination in Abu Dhabi's Souk Al Mina waterfront market. Customers queue hours before opening; arrive early or expect a wait. With a distinctly Abu Dhabi identity, it is the city's most credentialed casual dining bet for food-focused visitors.

Ranked #30 on the World's 50 Best Restaurants MENA 2024 list, Kuuru is Jeddah's most decorated Nikkei restaurant and the hardest table to secure in the city. The Leylati Group operation delivers consistent quality across food and drinks, with a composed atmosphere that works for special occasions. Book three to four weeks out at minimum; this one does not leave spare capacity.

Ranked #31 on the World's 50 Best Restaurants MENA 2024, Lunch Room is one of Riyadh's most credentialed dining destinations and one of its hardest tables to secure. Pearl rates the booking difficulty as Near Impossible; plan well ahead and use a hotel concierge if you can. For food-focused travellers, it belongs at the top of the Riyadh shortlist.

Sesamo at Royal Mansour Marrakesh is the city's most decorated Italian restaurant, ranked #32 at World's 50 Best Restaurants MENA 2024 and recognised by both La Liste and Les Grandes Tables du Monde. Chef Riccardo Barni's kitchen blends local Moroccan ingredients with Italian technique in a palace setting. Book four to six weeks ahead minimum; this is one of Marrakesh's hardest reservations.

Dinner by Heston Blumenthal at Atlantis The Royal is Dubai's most credentialed British dining concept: World's 50 Best MENA 2024 #33, La Liste 76 points, a wine list ranked in Star Wine List's Dubai top ten for two consecutive years. At $$$$ pricing with Near Impossible booking difficulty, it rewards planning. Request kitchen-view seats and order the Meat Fruit and Tipsy Cake.

Izakaya is Zagreb's most decorated Japanese Contemporary kitchen, holding back-to-back Michelin Bib Gourmands (2024–2025) and a rank-34 World's 50 Best MENA 2024 placement, all at a single-euro price tier. Booking difficulty is near impossible, so plan well ahead. For the calibre of cooking on offer, the price makes this one of the clearest value cases in the city.

+61 brings Sydney-style, sourcing-led casual dining to Marrakesh's Gueliz neighbourhood and ranked #35 on the World's 50 Best Restaurants MENA 2024 list., it is one of the city's most consistent high-end options. Book well ahead; walk-ins are not a realistic strategy here.

Ranked #36 on the World's 50 Best Restaurants MENA 2024 list, 13C Bar in the Back is the clearest argument for a serious dinner reservation in Amman. The bar-in-the-back format rewards guests who plan ahead: Pearl rates it Near Impossible to book, so secure your table as early as possible. For first-timers, this is the benchmark experience in the city.

Ranked #37 on the World's 50 Best Restaurants MENA 2024, Mimi Kakushi at the Four Seasons Jumeirah Beach is Dubai's strongest case for contemporary Japanese dining with a serious cocktail program. The 1920s Osaka-inspired room delivers both atmosphere and substance, but book two to three weeks ahead; weekend tables go fast.

LPM Abu Dhabi is the city's most credentialed French-Mediterranean restaurant; a Michelin Plate recipient, World's 50 Best MENA #38, the #1-ranked wine list in Abu Dhabi by Star Wine List. Eight years into its run at The Galleria on Al Maryah Island, it remains the go-to for a convivial sharing-format meal with serious wine depth. Book well in advance: demand consistently outpaces availability.

Ranked #39 on the World's 50 Best Restaurants MENA 2024, Aseeb is the restaurant in Riyadh that serious food travellers plan their trips around. Book as far ahead as the reservation window allows; tables go fast.

Ranked #40 in the World's 50 Best Restaurants MENA 2024, Sachi Giza is the most credentialed dining destination on the Giza side of Cairo, with to back it up. Booking difficulty is near impossible, so plan several months ahead. For food-focused travellers who want a genuine regional benchmark, this is the one to pursue.

The most credentialed Japanese restaurant in Dubai, TakaHisa at Banyan Tree Bluewaters holds a Michelin Plate, a World's 50 Best MENA 2024 ranking of #41, an OAD Asia position assessed against restaurants in Japan. At the $$$$ tier, it is the right call for a serious occasion dinner; but book two months ahead during peak season.

Baron holds a Michelin Plate (2025) and ranks #42 in the World's 50 Best Restaurants MENA 2024; at a ﷼﷼ price point that makes it the clearest value play in Doha's recognised dining tier. The Beirut-rooted kitchen runs a generous sharing-plate menu of Mediterranean fusion, with strong Levantine foundations and North African and Asian inflections. Book well ahead; this one fills up.

CUT Singapore is the most credible premium steakhouse booking in the city, with Opinionated About Dining recognition three years running and a 1,150-label wine list overseen by a dedicated sommelier. The beef program spans Australian Angus to Japanese A5 Kobe; the bar holds its own for pre-dinner drinks. Book 3–4 weeks ahead; walk-ins are possible but scarce, especially on weekends.

Le Golfe has been the reference point for serious dining in La Marsa since 1955, its #44 ranking on the World's 50 Best Restaurants MENA 2024 list confirms it still earns that position. For a special occasion dinner with a Mediterranean sea view and 70 years of institutional weight behind it, this is the clearest answer in the region. Book well ahead; getting in is not easy.

Smoked Room at The Palm Jumeirah holds a Michelin star and a top-45 ranking in the World's 50 Best MENA list for 2024, placing it among Dubai's most critically recognised contemporary tables. Chef Massimiliano Delle Vedove's kitchen works a fire-and-smoke format that earns its weight in a city where theatrical dining concepts are common but rarely this disciplined.9 confirm the reception.

Le Petit Cornichon brings bistro-format cooking grounded in seasonal, local Moroccan ingredients to Rue Moulay Ali in Marrakech. It's the right call for food-focused travellers who want something more considered than riad spectacle without the palace price tag. Booking is easy, counter seating makes it a strong solo or pairs option.

Ranked #47 on the World's 50 Best Restaurants MENA 2024 list, Reif Kushiyaki Cairo is the first franchise of the Dubai-born Japanese kushiyaki concept and the most credentialed skewered-grill venue in the city. Book well in advance; this is near-impossible to walk into. Located in New Cairo, it rewards returning visitors who come with a drinks strategy.

Ranked #48 on the World's 50 Best Restaurants MENA 2024 and carrying, La Grande Brasserie by Hélène Darroze at the Royal Mansour is Marrakesh's most credentialed French-influenced dining room. Book well in advance; this is near-impossible to secure at short notice; and treat it as a full sit-down experience. The setting is non-negotiable to the value.

Myazu is Riyadh's highest-ranked restaurant on the World's 50 Best MENA 2024 list (#49) and the flagship of Scottish chef Ian Pengelley. Built around pan-Asian technique with contemporary presentation, it is the city's strongest option for a special occasion dinner. Book four to six weeks ahead minimum; getting a table is genuinely difficult.

NIRI is Abu Dhabi's most credentialed homegrown Japanese Contemporary restaurant; a Michelin Plate holder (2024 and 2025) and MENA 50 Best ranked venue at a $$ price point that undercuts most of its award-level peers on cost. Founded in 2021 on the Saadiyat Island waterfront, it delivers precise, restrained cooking in a clean room. Book far ahead: demand makes near-impossible availability the norm.