https://themiddleats.com/Restaurant news, awards, openings and food culture from Riyadh, Dubai and the wider Middle East.en-gbhttps://themiddleats.com/stories/riyadh-dubai-next-chapterhttps://themiddleats.com/stories/riyadh-dubai-next-chapterWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000Saudi ArabiaTwo cities are shaping the conversation around food in the Middle East — but they are doing it in very different ways.https://themiddleats.com/stories/chipotle-opens-in-saudi-arabiahttps://themiddleats.com/stories/chipotle-opens-in-saudi-arabiaWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000Saudi ArabiaThe American fast-casual chain opened its first restaurant in the kingdom in August, with Alshaya Group, at Sidra next to Granada Mall.https://themiddleats.com/stories/berenjak-cipriani-dolci-riyadhhttps://themiddleats.com/stories/berenjak-cipriani-dolci-riyadhWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000Saudi ArabiaLondon’s Persian grill has settled into VIA Riyadh, and Cipriani Dolci has brought a taste of Venice to the Diplomatic Quarter.https://themiddleats.com/stories/riyadh-new-openings-nine-to-knowhttps://themiddleats.com/stories/riyadh-new-openings-nine-to-knowWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000Saudi ArabiaFrom Persian and Anatolian cooking to smash burgers and a skyline brasserie, nine restaurants that opened in the capital between January and September 2026.https://themiddleats.com/stories/saudi-culinary-skills-bocuse-dorhttps://themiddleats.com/stories/saudi-culinary-skills-bocuse-dorWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000Saudi ArabiaA 12-month Culinary Arts Commission programme, and a national selection on the road to the Bocuse d’Or final in Lyon.https://themiddleats.com/stories/riyadh-season-2026-restaurantshttps://themiddleats.com/stories/riyadh-season-2026-restaurantsWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000Saudi ArabiaThe seventh edition of the entertainment festival is scheduled to begin on 21 October and run for ten weeks. The announced programme says little about food, but last season’s numbers show how much dining sits inside it.https://themiddleats.com/stories/yannick-alleno-casea-101-labysse-dubaihttps://themiddleats.com/stories/yannick-alleno-casea-101-labysse-dubaiWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000UAECoastal-Italian Casea 101 is scheduled to open on 19 October, with the L’Abysse omakase counter expected alongside it, though the resort has yet to confirm that date.https://themiddleats.com/stories/gymkhana-dubai-hikiniku-to-comehttps://themiddleats.com/stories/gymkhana-dubai-hikiniku-to-comeWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000UAELondon’s two-Michelin-star Indian restaurant opened at Gate Village in September. A halal wagyu hamburg counter is next, though there is no report yet that it has opened.https://themiddleats.com/stories/new-generation-emirati-dining-dubaihttps://themiddleats.com/stories/new-generation-emirati-dining-dubaiWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000UAEAthar, at Chef’s Society in City Centre Mirdif, and Abra, coming to Etihad Museum, add newer voices to a cuisine long served in heritage settings.https://themiddleats.com/stories/palm-jumeirah-dubai-autumn-openingshttps://themiddleats.com/stories/palm-jumeirah-dubai-autumn-openingsWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000UAEFrom One&Only The Palm to the beachfront strip, the season’s biggest new restaurants cluster by the water. Here is what is scheduled, with dates as announced.https://themiddleats.com/stories/orfali-bros-two-michelin-starshttps://themiddleats.com/stories/orfali-bros-two-michelin-starsWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000Awards & RankingsTwo Michelin stars in the 2026 Dubai guide and No. 4 in MENA’s 50 Best 2026, a year after topping the list. How three brothers from Aleppo built a restaurant that cooks from memory and travel.https://themiddleats.com/stories/dubai-michelin-guide-2026https://themiddleats.com/stories/dubai-michelin-guide-2026Wed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000Awards & RankingsTwenty starred restaurants among 122 selected, across 38 cuisines. The fifth edition shows a guide that has nearly doubled in size since its 2022 debut.https://themiddleats.com/stories/chotto-matte-restaurant-of-the-year-riyadhhttps://themiddleats.com/stories/chotto-matte-restaurant-of-the-year-riyadhWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000Awards & RankingsThe Nikkei restaurant in KAFD was named Restaurant of the Year at the What’s On Saudi Arabia Awards, an editors’ pick, on a night that also honoured Liza, Table;To and chef Luca Rossi.https://themiddleats.com/stories/mena-50-best-2026https://themiddleats.com/stories/mena-50-best-2026Wed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000Awards & RankingsKhufu’s, beside the Giza pyramids, became the first Egyptian restaurant to top the Middle East and North Africa list. Kinoya, Trèsind Studio and Orfali Bros, all in Dubai, followed.https://themiddleats.com/stories/dubai-chocolate-beyond-viralhttps://themiddleats.com/stories/dubai-chocolate-beyond-viralWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000Hot Right NowWhat began as a chocolate-and-kunafa bar has become a category of its own, with cookies, croissants and cheesecakes built around kunafa textures. Proof that regional ingredients can travel without losing their identity.https://themiddleats.com/stories/swicy-sweet-heat-flavourshttps://themiddleats.com/stories/swicy-sweet-heat-flavoursWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000Hot Right NowSweet-and-spicy “swicy” pairings and their fruit-led cousin, “fricy”, are working their way from sauces into drinks, desserts and snacks. The appeal is as much about how we taste as about what trends on social media.https://themiddleats.com/stories/gulf-restaurant-economy-segmentshttps://themiddleats.com/stories/gulf-restaurant-economy-segmentsWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000F&B EconomyMarket forecasts still point to double-digit growth across Gulf foodservice, but 2026 data from chains, regulators and software vendors shows quick service, delivery and dine-in pulling in different directions.https://themiddleats.com/stories/americana-profit-taco-bell-uaehttps://themiddleats.com/stories/americana-profit-taco-bell-uaeWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000F&B EconomyThe region’s largest restaurant operator reported a 59.2% rise in first-half net profit to $147.2 million, then announced that Taco Bell will come back to the UAE after 14 years.https://themiddleats.com/stories/saudi-delivery-118-million-ordershttps://themiddleats.com/stories/saudi-delivery-118-million-ordersWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000F&B EconomyThe Transport General Authority counted more than 118 million delivery orders in the first quarter of 2026. The figure covers the delivery sector as a whole, not only restaurant food.https://themiddleats.com/stories/gulf-restaurant-investment-acquisitionshttps://themiddleats.com/stories/gulf-restaurant-investment-acquisitionsWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000F&B EconomyFrom Saudi franchise buyouts to a London portfolio worth at least £1 billion bought by an Abu Dhabi group, the past 18 months of Gulf restaurant dealmaking show where capital is heading and what it is paying for.https://themiddleats.com/stories/international-brands-bet-on-saudi-arabiahttps://themiddleats.com/stories/international-brands-bet-on-saudi-arabiaWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000Franchise & ExpansionVisitor numbers, a growing food-service market and a deep bench of franchise partners help explain why Chipotle, Berenjak, Manna and others are opening in the kingdom.https://themiddleats.com/stories/franchise-pipeline-london-dubai-riyadhhttps://themiddleats.com/stories/franchise-pipeline-london-dubai-riyadhWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000Franchise & ExpansionLondon restaurant brands now reach the Gulf through licences, franchises and local partners, and the route no longer runs in one direction: some arrived in Riyadh before Dubai.https://themiddleats.com/stories/foodics-norma-aihttps://themiddleats.com/stories/foodics-norma-aiWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000Food TechThe Riyadh-based restaurant software group has completed its purchase of Norma AI, the Greek analytics start-up whose natural-language tools are already used across more than 10,000 customer branches.https://themiddleats.com/stories/cloud-kitchens-virtual-brandshttps://themiddleats.com/stories/cloud-kitchens-virtual-brandsWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000Food TechDelivery-only kitchens let Gulf operators add brands without adding dining rooms. The model is spreading, but commissions, discovery costs and new regulation show where its limits lie.https://themiddleats.com/stories/heritage-egypt-hagougahttps://themiddleats.com/stories/heritage-egypt-hagougaWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000Arab Food HeritageIn a white-domed restaurant off Cairo’s Suez Road, the menu follows the clay pot, the village oven and clarified butter: slow dishes from the Egyptian countryside, served in the capital.https://themiddleats.com/stories/heritage-saudi-najd-villagehttps://themiddleats.com/stories/heritage-saudi-najd-villageWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000Arab Food HeritageIn floor-seated majlis rooms built to evoke a village, rice, meat, wheat and bread arrive on shared platters: jareesh, matazeez and kabsa among them.https://themiddleats.com/stories/heritage-uae-al-khaymahttps://themiddleats.com/stories/heritage-uae-al-khaymaWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000Arab Food HeritageA restored house, a courtyard around a tree and a Bib Gourmand: Emirati cooking at the heart of Dubai’s oldest surviving neighbourhood.https://themiddleats.com/stories/heritage-palestine-abu-shukrihttps://themiddleats.com/stories/heritage-palestine-abu-shukriWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000Arab Food HeritageOn Al-Wad Street in the Old City of Jerusalem, a vaulted stone room has built its reputation on warm hummus, fava beans and falafel.https://themiddleats.com/stories/heritage-jordan-hashemhttps://themiddleats.com/stories/heritage-jordan-hashemWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000Arab Food HeritageThere is no printed menu at Hashem, only a short, fixed list of chickpea and bean dishes, in the middle of downtown Amman at a restaurant guides describe as open around the clock.https://themiddleats.com/stories/heritage-yemen-zurbian-saltahhttps://themiddleats.com/stories/heritage-yemen-zurbian-saltahWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000Arab Food HeritageYemen’s national dish arrives in a stone pot, still boiling and capped with a froth of fenugreek. Around it sit layered bread, a southern rice dish and a lunch that is the main event of the day.https://themiddleats.com/stories/heritage-lebanon-tawlethttps://themiddleats.com/stories/heritage-lebanon-tawletWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000Arab Food HeritageSince 2009, cooks from villages across Lebanon have taken turns in a Mar Mikhael kitchen, bringing the dishes of their own households to one shared table.https://themiddleats.com/stories/heritage-syria-naranjhttps://themiddleats.com/stories/heritage-syria-naranjWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000Arab Food HeritageA restaurant in the Old City’s Al-Qaymariya quarter took the Arabic word for the bitter orange as its name, and became a familiar address for Syrian classics served on large platters.https://themiddleats.com/stories/heritage-morocco-dar-yacouthttps://themiddleats.com/stories/heritage-morocco-dar-yacoutWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000Arab Food HeritageBehind an unmarked door in the medina, a fixed-menu dinner moves from rooftop aperitif to salads, pastilla, tagine and couscous in the order of a traditional Moroccan diffa.https://themiddleats.com/stories/heritage-iraq-masgoufhttps://themiddleats.com/stories/heritage-iraq-masgoufWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000Arab Food HeritageIraq’s best-known dish is a carp opened flat, stood upright beside a wood fire and left to roast for the better part of an hour or more, in the riverside restaurants of the Tigris.https://themiddleats.com/stories/emirati-machboos-recipehttps://themiddleats.com/stories/emirati-machboos-recipeWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000Recipes & TrendsFragrant rice, warming spices and the depth of loomi, the dried lime of Gulf kitchens. A coastal fish machboos for six.https://themiddleats.com/stories/saudi-kabsa-regional-expressionshttps://themiddleats.com/stories/saudi-kabsa-regional-expressionsWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000Recipes & TrendsNajdi and Hijazi kabsa, compared by spice, protein and rice, with a lamb kabsa to cook at home.https://themiddleats.com/stories/luqaimat-date-syrup-recipehttps://themiddleats.com/stories/luqaimat-date-syrup-recipeWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000Recipes & TrendsCrisp outside, soft within: from the traditional table to café culture. A saffron-scented luqaimat recipe with date syrup, for six.https://themiddleats.com/stories/kunafa-reinventedhttps://themiddleats.com/stories/kunafa-reinventedWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000Recipes & TrendsCrisp shredded-pastry strands built for syrup and cheese now turn up in chocolate bars, buns, cakes and croissants. The reason has less to do with fashion than with texture.https://themiddleats.com/stories/beyond-riyadh-dubai-wider-gulfhttps://themiddleats.com/stories/beyond-riyadh-dubai-wider-gulfWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000Across the RegionAbu Dhabi, Jeddah, Doha, Kuwait City and Oman are building dining reputations of their own, often around a heritage site, a museum, a hotel or a festival.https://themiddleats.com/stories/jeddah-to-doha-five-citieshttps://themiddleats.com/stories/jeddah-to-doha-five-citiesWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000Across the RegionA city-by-city guide to where the Gulf’s newer dining stories are unfolding, from a Red Sea Nikkei kitchen to a pizzeria in Abu Dhabi’s fish-market quarter and a frankincense-scented festival in Salalah.https://themiddleats.com/stories/bahrain-best-restaurants-awards-2026https://themiddleats.com/stories/bahrain-best-restaurants-awards-2026Wed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000BahrainBahrain Confidential’s poll pairs a judges’ list with a public vote; its December 2025 gala named 26 restaurants by judges and 25 by public vote.https://themiddleats.com/stories/bahrain-restaurant-groups-softer-yearhttps://themiddleats.com/stories/bahrain-restaurant-groups-softer-yearWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000BahrainAlAbraaj slipped to a first-quarter loss and Gulf Hotels Group’s half-year profit fell 46 per cent, as both pointed to weaker visitor demand. Both are still opening new venues.https://themiddleats.com/stories/bahrain-takht-jamsheed-marassi-galleriahttps://themiddleats.com/stories/bahrain-takht-jamsheed-marassi-galleriaWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000BahrainGulf Hotels Group’s Persian restaurant has opened its first branch outside The Gulf Hotel, in the Marassi Al Bahrain mall, in a room styled as a royal court.https://themiddleats.com/stories/egypt-cairo-food-week-2026https://themiddleats.com/stories/egypt-cairo-food-week-2026Wed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000EgyptThe ten-day festival from Flavor Republic Ventures opened on 24 September with a sustainability-themed dinner, then put visiting chefs into Cairo kitchens and added a pop-up museum at the Grand Egyptian Museum.https://themiddleats.com/stories/egypt-marrybrown-talaat-moustafahttps://themiddleats.com/stories/egypt-marrybrown-talaat-moustafaWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000EgyptThe Malaysian halal fast-food chain signed in February, with six Cairo restaurants targeted for 2026 and 100 outlets over ten years, in what Bernama calls the property group’s foray into food and beverage.https://themiddleats.com/stories/egypt-nobu-opens-new-cairohttps://themiddleats.com/stories/egypt-nobu-opens-new-cairoWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000EgyptSODIC opened the Japanese-Peruvian restaurant at its Eastown District on 24 June, with chef Nobu Matsuhisa at the preview and a Nobu hotel planned to follow.https://themiddleats.com/stories/kuwait-delivery-platform-commission-caphttps://themiddleats.com/stories/kuwait-delivery-platform-commission-capWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000KuwaitCommissions of up to 17 per cent and a KD 1 delivery-fee ceiling remain in force, but an administrative court has removed the article that set the penalties for breaking them.https://themiddleats.com/stories/kuwait-horeca-2026-hospitality-showhttps://themiddleats.com/stories/kuwait-horeca-2026-hospitality-showWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000KuwaitThe January show at the Kuwait International Fair brought more than 100 exhibitors, a chef competition involving more than 200 chefs and five panel debates on Kuwait’s hospitality sector.https://themiddleats.com/stories/kuwait-nac-first-restaurant-hessah-districthttps://themiddleats.com/stories/kuwait-nac-first-restaurant-hessah-districtWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000KuwaitThe Mayfair-born French bistro has opened a two-storey, 350-square-metre site with a terrace in the sea-facing mixed-use district, run by a local franchise partner.https://themiddleats.com/stories/lebanon-beihouse-mena-50-best-2026https://themiddleats.com/stories/lebanon-beihouse-mena-50-best-2026Wed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000LebanonThe Pasteur Street restaurant debuted at No. 5 and won the Highest New Entry award; Em Sherif ranked 13th and Buco 39th, all in Beirut.https://themiddleats.com/stories/lebanon-horeca-30th-editionhttps://themiddleats.com/stories/lebanon-horeca-30th-editionWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000LebanonThe organiser lists 10 to 13 November for the hospitality and foodservice trade fair, with culinary, barista and junior-chef competitions and a showcase of Lebanese-made products.https://themiddleats.com/stories/lebanon-scalini-opens-downtown-beiruthttps://themiddleats.com/stories/lebanon-scalini-opens-downtown-beirutWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000LebanonThe London-founded Italian restaurant’s first Lebanese branch comes from 7 Management and Assaad Group, which says a coffee chain and Dubai concepts are next for Beirut.https://themiddleats.com/stories/oman-al-baleed-culinary-festival-2026https://themiddleats.com/stories/oman-al-baleed-culinary-festival-2026Wed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000OmanAl Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara has listed a month of guest-chef dinners, from a Michelin-starred Turkish chef to a Hong Kong young-chef winner, with Omani heritage dinners for the resort’s tenth anniversary.https://themiddleats.com/stories/oman-omani-brands-franchise-abroadhttps://themiddleats.com/stories/oman-omani-brands-franchise-abroadWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000OmanTwo Seven Fries branches opened in the Indian capital in May and three master franchise agreements were signed for Omani brands, ahead of a new Chamber of Commerce programme for 26 more.https://themiddleats.com/stories/oman-pickl-first-muscat-restauranthttps://themiddleats.com/stories/oman-pickl-first-muscat-restaurantWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000OmanThe Dubai-born burger brand has opened beside its sister brand BonBird, working with the same local partner, MENA Foods & Investments.https://themiddleats.com/stories/qatar-international-food-festival-2026-recordhttps://themiddleats.com/stories/qatar-international-food-festival-2026-recordWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000QatarTen days at the 974 Stadium Precinct drew the festival’s biggest crowd yet, with 246 vendors, more than 50 chefs and the first QIFF Awards.https://themiddleats.com/stories/qatar-michelin-guide-doha-2026-alba-starhttps://themiddleats.com/stories/qatar-michelin-guide-doha-2026-alba-starWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000QatarThe MICHELIN Guide Doha 2026 lists 44 restaurants, with Alba promoted to one star, eight Bib Gourmands and nine new entries to the Selected list.https://themiddleats.com/stories/qatar-msheireb-foodhall-opens-dohahttps://themiddleats.com/stories/qatar-msheireb-foodhall-opens-dohaWed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000QatarMsheireb Properties and TGP International have opened a nine-restaurant food hall at Msheireb Galleria, with a rotating Food Lab for guest chefs, workshops and pop-ups.