The eighth annual FACT Dining Awards Dubai took place on 7 November at Palazzo Versace Dubai.
This year, Dubai’s food and beverage professionals turned out to celebrate the very best of the industry. 71 awards were presented across 36 categories, with over 60,000 public votes cast for more than 350 venues.
More than 400 guests enjoyed a sociable evening of canapés, free-flowing drinks and live entertainment overlooking the pictureque poolside and Dubai Creek waterfromt.
Speaking after the event, Edward Smith, at FACT Magazine FZ LLC, said: “Now in our eighth year, the FACT Dining Awards Dubai has become a highlight on the hospitality calendar and an event that we are very honoured to host. It’s our privilege to recognise and award the efforts of all the excellent food and beverage outlets here in the city.
The dining scene in Dubai is so diverse and dynamic, with so many beloved venues alongside exciting new ventures that are opening up all the time. As members of the media, it is our duty to give credit to the venues that have become such a big part of daily life here in Dubai,” he added.
“I would like to congratulate all of the winners – you are the heartbeat of this great city and this is just our way of showing appreciation for your continued hard work. It’s incredible to see the mutual support shared and received between the media and the hospitality industry in Dubai, especially because there are so many high-quality venues. The competition is tough, which only means that the standard of food gets better and better every year.
We thank everyone who has helped us to commend the best in the culinary game, and we’ll be back next year with more to celebrate,” he said.
The FACT Dining Awards recognises excellence in the food and beverage industry, with winners awarded based on public votes and critics’ opinions. Each category was given two awards, the BEST and the FAVOURITE. The latter is the result of a popular choice decided through online voting, and the former is the critics’ choice chosen by the FACT editorial team and an independent panel of industry experts.
This year, a staggering 60,000 unique votes were cast online by diners in Dubai. Some standout accolades included ‘Best Newcomer’, which was awarded to Jamavar Dubai in Downtown Dubai, whilst the ‘Favourite Newcomer’ went to TATEL in Downtown Dubai. The ‘Best Restaurant in Dubai’ for 2023 went to the ever-innovative Trèsind Studio at St. Regis Gardens. A slew of independent and homegrown venues also walked away with accolades, namely Jun’s for ‘Best Pan Asian’, Orfali Bros at Wasl 51 for ‘Best Homegrown’, Reif Japanese Kushiyaki at Dubai Hills for ‘Best Japanese – Casula Dining’, GAIA in DIFC for ‘Best Greek’ and LILA Wood-Fired Taqueria on Jumeirah Beach Road for ‘Best Latin American.’
Sponsors on the night will included African + Eastern, Bash Events, Boswellia, Dibba Bay Oysters, Great Wall, Italtouch, Le Fumoir, Lyre’s, RocForLife, Nordic Delights, OmnyCom, Palazzo Versace Dubai and Crystal Corp.
Social media was abuzz too, as Dubai’s dining elite shared their photos on Instagram and TikTok, with the FACT team taking readers behind the scenes of the event on their InstaStories @factmagazines.
FACT Dining Awards is part of a wider initiative by FACT Magazine FZ LLC with popular dining awards taking place in Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Qatar and Riyadh.
