Israel Restaurants in the Middle East and North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023 Awards.

The 2023 ranking of the Middle East & North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants was announced on 30th January 2023 in an awards ceremony in Abu Dhabi, including the announcement of the Best Restaurant in Israel.

The list was created by an influential group of 250 leaders in the restaurant industry across the region, each selected for their expert opinion of the Middle East and North Africa’s restaurant scene. The Middle East & North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants takes in six voting regions: the Gulf; Saudi Arabia; Levant-plus; Israel; North Africa (East) and North Africa (West).

The World’s 50 Best includes rankings of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants, Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, and Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants.

George & John by Chef Tomer Tal in The Drisco hotel in Tel Aviv was voted the Best Restaurant in Israel, and the sixth best restaurant in the MENA 50 best restaurants 2023 awards. This is up from number nine last year.

First place was awarded to Dubai restaurant Orfali Bros Bistro, a contemporary bistro in the  Wasl 51 neighborhood founded by three brothers from Syria, serving Aleppo food with a modern twist. The restaurant was also the winner of the TimeOut MENA restaurant awards in 2022.

Trèsind Studio fine dining Indian restaurant in The Palm Jumeirah, Dubai, headed by chef Himanshu Saini, won second place. It is the only Indian Michelin-Starred restaurant in UAE.

OCD Restaurant in Tel Aviv was awarded the Sustainable Restaurant Award. It was noted that Chef Raz Rahav and his team place significant importance on sourcing their produce locally to bring out the artisanal flavors of the region and altering their menus according to the country’s seasons, all to ensure zero food waste.  Chef Shirel Berger of Opa vegan restaurant in Tel Aviv won the One To Watch Award 2023.

Here is a list of the six restaurants in Israel that were ranked:

• George & John, Tel Aviv – Ranked 6 for MENA and Best Restaurant in Israel (up from 9)

A formal chef restaurant in The Drisco hotel serving eastern Mediterranean dishes inspired by Tel Aviv’s local produce with an emphasis on charcoal dishes and surf and turf.

• OCD Restaurant, Tel Aviv – Ranked 14 (down from 3)

Chef Raz Rahav serves a 19-course tasting menu to 19 diners at a time on a bar surrounding the kitchen.

• ‘a’ by Yuval Ben Neriah, Tel Aviv – Ranked 24 as a new entry

A neo-Japanese fine dining restaurant focusing on  Israeli produce through Japanese techniques and recipes.

• Animar, Tel Aviv – Ranked 32 (down from 17)

A casual fine-dining restaurant overlooking the beach, serving a combination of Turkish, Persian, and Libyan dishes.

• Milgo & Milbar, Tel Aviv – Ranked 40 (same as last year)

A casual fine dining restaurant with European influences with original dishes, located on Rothschild Boulevard.

• HaBasta, Tel Aviv – Ranked 48 (down from 14)

A chef restaurant in the heart of the bustling Carmel Market.

Pescado in Ashdod was the only kosher restaurant on the list last year and dropped off the rankings having previously been ranked 24. Once again, no Jerusalem restaurants were ranked and none of Israel’s celebrity chefs like Eyal Shani and Assaf Granit were included in the ranking.

Here is a summary of the Israel rankings from last year, Best Restaurant in Israel Awarded to OCD at the Middle East and North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards.

More information can be found in the full list of MENA 50 Best Restaurants 2023.

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