The Mena’s 50 Best Restaurants awards ceremony, which took place in Abu Dhabi on Monday, announced the region’s top 50 eateries after much anticipation.
The list includes venues in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Qatar, Morocco, Bahrain, Kuwait, Tunisia, and Israel, with venues in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Qatar, Morocco, Bahrain, Kuwait, Tunisia, and Israel all ranking.
3 Fils is a home-grown small 30-seater eatery located in Jumeirah Fishing Harbour that could almost be described as a hidden gem. It takes the top spot on the list. It’s one of the only restaurants in Dubai where there’s a line practically every night of the week, and it doesn’t take bookings, even for VIPs.
Dubai
The menu is modest and uncomplicated, consisting of a few simple Asian-inspired tapas items that are ideal for buying in bulk and sharing over your table. However, no matter how many items you order, your table will never be overburdened because the restaurant’s philosophy is to serve food as soon as it’s available. It entails a steady drip of food rather than a single large dump, ensuring that nothing goes cold.
Zuma
The restaurant straddles the line between fine dining and a party atmosphere, with a bar that is packed every night of the week and a menu that includes dishes like grilled freshwater eel with avocado sweet omelette and gobo maki rolls; grilled Chilean sea bass with green chilli ginger dressing; shiitake mushroom skewers with garlic and soy butter; roasted lobster with shiso ponzu butter; and the renowned miso-marinated black cod wrapped
Zuma Dubai is one of 18 Zuma locations worldwide, including locations in London, Hong Kong, Miami, Rome, Abu Dhabi, the Maldives, and Bodrum.
Bistro
Chefs prefer to eat at this sleek, minimalist venue in Jumeirah 1’s wasl 51, including folly’s Nick Alvis. Alvis previously told The National, “They’re doing some very creative stuff, and I adore the food.” From scarlet umami prawns to fluffy pides in various innovative flavours, the cuisine is an exercise in pushing boundaries, experimenting with taste, textures, and ingredients to create something unique.