Dubai is one of the Middle East’s most cosmopolitan hubs, so naturally, you’ll find the best of the region’s cuisine on the menu. The variety of Middle Eastern food on offer here is as eclectic as the food-loving city itself, from Michelin-starred fine dining to no-frills, hole-in-the-walls. Whether you want freshly baked gooey cheese fatayer or a hearty plate of steaming machboos (a spiced chicken and rice dish), these are the best Middle Eastern restaurants in Dubai.
Ninive
It might take a few covert strolls around the Jumeirah Emirates Towers foyer before you discover the discreet entrance to Ninive. Once you find your way—either by walking through French eatery La Cantine du Faubourg or up the Brutalist concrete steps from the park below—this enchanting space will have you catching your breath. Among the most beautiful restaurants in Dubai, the outdoor, Bedouin-inspired majlis is an expert mix of elegance and coziness, with low seating and stunning layered tapestry embracing ancient Arabic and Berber detailing, draped with tan canvas coverings. Warm golden lanterns light up this rooftop space, which, with its cozy corners and foliage-filled walkways, feels like something of a secret garden. The menu is a delight—Chef Gilles Bosquet has revived sometimes-forgotten tastes of the region with Iraqi, Egyptian, Turkish, and Saudi dishes sitting upfront with more traditional Middle Eastern specialties: from dainty Turkish beef manti ravioli to slow-cooked lamb shoulder bursting with tangy Iraqi spices.
Ibn Al Bahar
This fishermen-owned seafood restaurant, located on the coastal dining strip of Club Vista Mare, draws a nightly crowd—no small feat in the fast-paced world of Palm Jumeirah, where there’s always a new must-try dinner spot. Ibn is particularly popular with Arab expats who tend to come and enjoy dinner with a glass of arak, a distilled Levantine, anise-flavored spirit. The menu zones in on fresh catches of the day—think butterfly-grilled sea bream marinated in Ibn’s house spice mix and jumbo garlic prawns served with a selection of Arabic mezze. With seaside surroundings and strings of fairy lights overhead, a meal on Ibn’s terrace has a distinct holiday dining feel, for both residents and visitors alike. On a cool evening, there’s no better place for an authentic family feast.
Chef Mohamad Orfali
Taking the number one spot on the 2023 list of MENA’s 50 Best Restaurants, Orfali Bros has become a beacon for modern Middle Eastern cuisine. Syrian chef Mohammad Orfali—and his brothers Wassim and Omar—are now almost as well known as their food in Dubai, thanks to their unique charisma and gastronomical storytelling. Interiors at this neighborhood bistro are airy and bright with a two-story kitchen
The website maxtravelz.com is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.
Skipping the buzz—and the calories – has gotten much more enjoyable. Even in the past six months, the non-alcoholic wine space has improved dramatically, with new offerings showing surprising complexity. My list this year includes a couple of debuts and some old favorites. I’ve noted how these beverages were made – some start with fermented grapes – actual wine—then use complex chemistry to remove the alcohol. These might hew closer to a traditional wine to many palates. Then there are beverages that use a mixture of teas, juices, spices or other elements to give the experience of wine – mouthfeel, complex nose and palate. These alternatives are generally not meant to emulate a particular varietal, but rather give the drinker a pleasing adult beverage to enjoy in situations where you’d normally drink wine. Here are this year’s top picks.
Travelers often overlook Belgium in favor of neighbors like France and the Netherlands, but it’s one of Europe’s best kept secrets. Because of its history, Belgium is linguistically and culturally diverse; it’s also small and compact, so visitors can travel to multiple destinations with ease.
As options for the traditional chalet ski break have dwindled and prices risen, venturing to Europe’s far corners and beyond for a ski break can reap rewards. Costs are often lower, while luxury accommodation can be similarly priced to budget options in mainstream European ski resorts. As well as being potentially cheaper, skiing in territory off the beaten track can offer a rich cultural experience, plus better flight routes, less crowded slopes, sunnier days and a friendlier welcome.
ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar expressed his profound appreciation to the Government of Egypt for hosting ICAO’s MID Regional Office for the past seven decades.
In Britain, the Sunday roast is sacrosanct. Gathering together around a beautifully cooked joint of meat, with lashings of gravy, vegetables and billowing Yorkshire puddings, is, for many, the weekend’s social highlight. And where better to do to this than the pub? Not only do you avoid the washing-up but, centuries after the French dubbed Brits les rosbifs, you get to enjoy the roast at its most modern. In recent decades, Britain’s best pub chefs have, by focusing on seasonal ingredients, rare-breed meats and painstaking preparations of roast potatoes or root vegetables, brought a fresh glamour to this Sunday afternoon ritual.
Of the key Alpine ski destinations, Italy offers the best value for money. Here, an espresso can cost €1.50 (£1.30) a shot, and a piste-side plate of pasta €10-15 (£9-13), items that are often 70-100% dearer in the A-list ski areas of France. And a peak-week, February half-term holiday in a three-star hotel can come in less than €1,745 (£1,500) per person half board, including flights and transfers. And that’s not taking some back-of-beyond resort as a point of comparison, either: all these prices are available in or around Canazei in Val di Fassa, part of the vast Dolomiti Superski area. On its doorstep, more than 300 miles of perfectly groomed pistes spin off the central Sella Ronda circuit; explore the area’s outer limits and that total hits 745 miles.
Whether you’re a dedicated bargain hunter, passionate about interiors, a spa-o-holic, an obsessive foodie, love exploring places brimming with history and atmosphere, or adore contemporary art, then you’ve come to the right place. Few places on Earth do any of these things quite like Marrakesh.