The Unlikely Cuisine Now Starring on World’s Best Restaurants Lists
Syrian dining spots are becoming top destinations in cities around the world.
A roundup of specialties at Imad’s Syrian Kitchen in London.
Source: Imad's Syrian Kitchen
When Mohamad Orfali, the head chef and co-owner of Orfali Bros. Bistro in Dubai, received an email in January 2022 from the World’s 50 Best Restaurants group, he thought it was junk mail. He had to read the message three or four times before he believed that the dining room he leads with his two brothers, Omar and Wassim, was shortlisted on the annual list of best restaurants in the Middle East and Africa region. He then “sat in the corner of the kitchen and started crying.” A few months later, Orfali Bros debuted at No. 6 on the region’s 2022 list.
In 2023, Orfali Bros. was named No. 1 on the MENA World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. The achievement, Orfali says, wasn’t easy, particularly in Dubai where competition from high-profile chain restaurants and hotel dining rooms is intense. But the chef believed his Syrian-inspired bistro would find an audience.