In anticipation of the Middle East & North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants awards on 28 January 2025,50 Best has unveiled a programme of culinary events bringing some of the world’s best chefs to the city to cook, collaborate and showcase their unparalleled skills.

The 50 Best Signature Sessions series runs from Sunday 26 January - Thursday 30 January, with international talent including Hélène Darroze, Norbert Niederkofler and José Avillez, and talent from the wider region including Fayçal Bettioui of Table 3 in Casablanca, and Sara Aqel of Dara Dining in Amman, pairing up with 11 exciting restaurants in Abu Dhabi for once-in-a-lifetime dining experiences.

 

Jason Atherton, Row on 45 x Fouquet's

-Lunch, Sunday 26 January 2025

- Location: Fouquet’s, Louvre Abu Dhabi, Al Saadiyat Island, Cultural District, Abu Dhabi

- AED 595

-Acclaimed British chef Jason Atherton kicks off the series with a special Sunday lunch at Fouquet’s, located in the stunning surrounds of the Louvre Abu Dhabi. Atherton will present signatures from his rising-star restaurant, Row on 45 in Dubai, to complement Fouquet’s premium French brasserie dishes courtesy of chef de cuisine Balveer Balkissoon and team.

 

Hélène Darroze, La Grande Table Marocaine x Bord Eau by Nicolas Isnard

- Dinner, Sunday 26 January 2025

- Location: Bord Eau, Shangri-La Hotel, Level 3, Lobby Level, Qaryat Al Beri Khor, Abu Dhabi

- AED 700, with optional wine pairing at an additional AED 350

- Hélène Darroze is a former holder of The World’s Best Female Chef title whose London restaurant holds a coveted three Michelin stars. She also oversees La Grande Table Marocaine in Marrakech, named The Best Restaurant in Morocco 2024. Darroze and her team will bring Moroccan haute cuisine to the Shangri-La’s own French flagship, Bord Eau by Nicolas Isnard, for a feast of international gastronomy.

 

Sara Aqel, Dara Dining x Ryba

- Dinner, Sunday 26 January 2025

- Location: Ryba, 31 Al Marabi‘ St, Zayed Port, Al Mina, Abu Dhabi

- AED 495 

- Sara Aqel made a name for herself in the UAE, before opening her own highly acclaimed restaurant, Dara Dining by Sara Aqel, in Amman, Jordan. Expect Mediterranean-influenced dishes using locally sourced ingredients from this leading female chef, who is excited to work with Emirati favourite Faisal Alharmoodi at Ryba, one of Abu Dhabi’s most forward-thinking independent restaurants.

 

Johanne Siy, Lolla x José by Pizarro

· Dinner, Monday 27 January 2025

· Location: José by Pizarro, Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers, Corniche Rd, Al Bateen, Abu Dhabi

· Philippines-born chef Johanne Siy, named Asia’s Best Female Chef in 2023, teams up with Spanish chef Carlos Ortiz of José by Pizarro in the Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers for a casual but no-doubt delicious dinner experience. The culinary teams will turn out a series of snacks followed by sharing plates to taste flavours from Europe to Asia.

 

Norbert Niederkofler, Atelier Moessmer x Talea by Antonio Guida

- Dinner, Sunday 26 January 2025

- Talea, Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, West Corniche Road, Abu Dhabi

- AED 750, with optional wine pairing at an additional AED 450

- Chef Norbert Niederkofler recently relocated his restaurant to a new home in Brunico, northern Italy, but his philosophy of ‘cooking the mountain’ remains intact at Atelier Moessmer (No.52 on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants extended list). An all-Italian collaboration with the team from Michelin-starred Talea by Antonio Guida, led by chef Luigi Stinga, is not to be missed.

 

Goh Fukuyama, Goh x Strawfire

- Dinner, Monday 27 January 2025

- Location: Strawfire, Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, West Corniche Road, Abu Dhabi

- AED 750, with optional wine pairing at an additional AED 450

- The popular Takeshi ‘Goh’ Fukuyama runs the single-table Goh in Fukuoka, Japan – a fixture on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list. Australian chef Ross Shonhan recently opened Strawfire – celebrating the Japanese tradition of ‘warayaki’, where ingredients are cooked over straw-fired flames – at the Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental. The pair come together for a stunning feast for the senses.

 

Fayçal Bettioui, Table 3 x Butcher & Still

-  Dinner, Monday 27 January 2025

- Location: Butcher & Still, Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi at Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi

- AED 640 ·

-The Four Seasons on Al Maryah Island hosts a culinary culture clash for the ages, as French-Moroccan fine dining meets 1920s-style Chicago steakhouse. Table 3 is the new restaurant in Casablanca from chef Fayçal Bettioui that is wowing diners in Morocco. Bettioui will work alongside Butcher & Still’s charismatic chef Marshall Röth and team to offer tasting menu and a la carte options

 

José Avillez, Belcanto x Catch at St. Regis

-Dinner, Wednesday 29 January 2025

- Location: Catch at St. Regis, Nation Riviera Beach Club, Corniche Road, Al Khubeirah, Opp Nation Towers, Abu Dhabi

- AED 500, with optional wine pairing at an additional AED 150

- José Avillez is arguably Portugal’s most famous culinary son, with his flagship eatery, Belcanto, a regular on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. He cooks in Abu Dhabi for the first time at Catch at St Regis – a match made in seafood heaven. Alongside Catch chef Kessav Kutwaroo, Avillez will present a six-course fish-focused tasting menu for one night only.

 

Eddie Castro & Kenji Sarco, Kuuru x Oak Room

- Dinner, Wednesday 29 January 2025

- Location: Oak Room, The Abu Dhabi Edition, Marina, Al Bateen, Abu Dhabi

- AED 445

- Kuuru, located in the coastal Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah, is one of the region’s prime proponents of nikkei (Peruvian-Japanese) cuisine. Executive chefs Eddie Castro and Kenji Sarco bring Kuuru’s fresh seafood vibes to the Edition’s wood-panelled Oak Room, where chef Fernando Tapia and team work their magic. The result will be a luxury surf and turf extravaganza.

 

Mostafa Seif, Khufu's x MouzMari

- Dinner, Thursday 30 January 2025

-Location: MouzMari, Marina Bay 1, Al Rayfah St , Al Reem Island, Tamouh, Abu Dhabi

- At Khufu’s, in the shadow of Pyramids, Chef Mostafa Seif reinterprets ancient Egyptian cuisine to stunning effect. He presents his contemporary take on classic dishes at MouzMari, which itself blends elements of Emirati and Argentinian culinary culture under the expert guidance of Chef Sergio Cabrera. The Middle East meets South America on the Abu Dhabi waterfront at this one-night-only occasion.

 

Patricia Roig, Boca x Paradiso

- Dinner, Thursday 30 January 2025

- Location: Paradiso, The Pier, Yas Bay Waterfront, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi

- AED 450

- Spanish-flavoured Boca meets Italian-accented Paradiso for a Mediterranean match-up with sustainability to the fore. Boca’s head chef Patricia Roig joins forces with Paradiso culinary director Balveer Balkissoon to create an impeccably sourced but fun-filled dinner to round off the 50 Best Signature Sessions series in Abu Dhabi.