These Are the Middle East and North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants for 2026

The Middle East and North Africa’s dining scene has never lacked ambition, but in 2026, it’s unmistakably found its confidence. This month in Abu Dhabi, the region’s most influential chefs, restaurateurs, and tastemakers gathered at Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental for the fifth edition of Middle East & North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants, an annual barometer of where MENA dining stands, and where it’s headed next.

Crowned as the region’s Best Restaurant for 2026 is Khufu’s, the Cairo-based restaurant set on the Giza Plateau, where ancient history and contemporary Egyptian cuisine meet with rare clarity of purpose. With uninterrupted views of the Great Pyramids, Khufu’s is as visually arresting as it is conceptually rigorous. Led by chef Mostafa Seif, the restaurant has built its reputation on a modern Egyptian menu rooted in local ingredients, historic recipes, and meticulous research. Rather than reimagining Egyptian cuisine for external palates, Khufu’s refines it on its own terms, and its 2026 win reflects a broader regional shift: a growing appetite for food that is deeply local, thoughtfully contemporary, and unapologetically proud of its origins.

The ceremony brought together voices from across the region to celebrate not only rankings, but ideas, about identity, sustainability, hospitality, and what meaningful progress in dining looks like today. Ahead of the main countdown, a series of special awards set the tone for the evening. The One To Watch Award went to Dubai’s Middle Child, a genre-defying concept blending café, restaurant, pantry, and cookbook shop into a space that prioritises community as much as cuisine. The Art of Hospitality Award was claimed by La Grande Table Marocaine, praised for its refined, immersive interpretation of Moroccan tradition.

This year also introduced a new honour, the Champions of Change Award, created to recognise individuals driving impact beyond the plate. The inaugural award was presented to Muna Haddad for her work in Jordan supporting local communities through food-led tourism. Meanwhile, the Best Female Chef Award was awarded to Sara Aqel, whose thoughtful, ingredient-driven cooking continues to redefine contemporary Levantine dining, while the Best Pastry Chef Award was jointly claimed by Omar and Wassim Orfali, celebrating both technical excellence and creative collaboration. Voted for by peers, the Estrella Damm 0.0% Chef’s Choice Award went to Himanshu Saini of Trèsind Studio, while the SevenRooms Icon Award honoured Salam Dakkak for her long-standing contribution to Arabic cuisine and her role in bringing Palestinian food into global culinary conversations.

From Beirut to Marrakech, Dubai to Jeddah, the 2026 list reflects a region in creative motion. As MENA’s culinary identity sharpens, one thing is clear, gastronomy here is no longer looking outward for validation. It’s looking inward, and finding excellence there.