TThe FACT Dining Awards Abu Dhabi returned for its tenth edition, celebrating the city’s leading restaurants at The Plaza at Uptown Dubai.
TThe FACT Dining Awards Abu Dhabi returned for its tenth edition, celebrating the city’s leading restaurants at The Plaza at Uptown Dubai.
13 November 2026, Dubai, UAE – The tenth annual FACT Dining Awards Dubai took place on Thursday, 12 November 2026, bringing together the city’s hospitality industry for an evening celebrating culinary excellence.
Hosted at The Plaza at Uptown Dubai, the 2026 ceremony saw 59 awards presented across 30 categories, recognising the achievements of more than 350 nominated restaurants. Public engagement reached a new high, with more than 70,000 unique online votes cast throughout the voting period.
Around 450 guests attended the event, including leading general managers, F&B directors, chefs, restaurateurs, marketing and public relations professionals, industry figures and content creators. Guests enjoyed an evening of canapés, free-flowing drinks and entertainment while celebrating the people and venues shaping Dubai’s increasingly diverse dining scene.
Now in its tenth year, the FACT Dining Awards Dubai has become an established fixture on the capital’s hospitality calendar, recognising restaurants ranging from internationally renowned hotel concepts to independent and homegrown success stories.
David Tapley, Editor-in-Chief of FACT Magazine, reflected on the continued growth of the awards: “2026 has been a challenging year for hospitality, but what has stood out is the way the industry has come together. There has been a genuine sense of community, with chefs, restaurateurs and hospitality professionals supporting one another while continuing to raise standards across the UAE. The FACT Dining Awards have always been about celebrating excellence, but this year they also recognise the resilience, creativity and collective spirit of an industry that continues to evolve, inspire and move forward together.”
The FACT Dining Awards recognise excellence across the food and beverage industry through a combination of editorial expertise and public participation. Each category features two accolades: BEST, the critics’ choice determined by the FACT editorial team together with an independent panel of industry experts, and FAVOURITE, decided through an online public vote.
Among the most significant honours of the evening was Best Newcomer, awarded to Gymkhana in DIFC, while Sa’Cha by Pang at Dubai Creek Harbour was named Favourite Newcomer.
The coveted Restaurant of the Year title was presented to Manāo at Wasl Vita for the second year in a row, cementing the restaurant’s position among the city’s leading dining destinations.
The evening also recognised restaurants located within some of the emirate’s most prestigious five-star hotels, including Atlantis The Royal, Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach, Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab, Mandarin Oriental Downtown Dubai and The Lana – Dorchester Collection.
A slew of independent and homegrown venues also walked away with accolades, namely HANU at St. Regis Gardens for ‘Best Pan Asian’, Orfali Bros at Wasl 51 for ‘Best Middle Eastern & North African’, REIF Japanese Kushiyaki at Dubai Hills for ‘Best Homegrown’, GAIA in DIFC for ‘Best Greek’ and Cocina Tres in Pullman Dubai Downtown for ‘Best Latin American’.
Edward Smith, Publishing Director of FACT Magazine FZ LLC, stated: “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 between the media and the hospitality industry in Dubai, especially with so many high-quality venues. The competition is tough, which only means that the standard of food gets better and better every year.”
Smith also thanked the nominees, winners, guests and sponsors who contributed to the success of the 2026 event, including African + Eastern, Crystal Corp, Dibba Bay Oysters, Great Wall, Icon XB Wagyu, Julius Meinl, Le Fumoir, Lyre’s, OmnyCom, Pristine Caviar, Reach Food Group, Roc4Life, Selfie Snaps, Tablier, The Acai Spot, The Plaza at Uptown Dubai, Transmed and Uptown Dubai.
The celebrations extended beyond Uptown Dubai, with guests, restaurants and hospitality professionals sharing moments from the ceremony across Instagram and TikTok. The FACT team also provided behind-the-scenes coverage throughout the evening via @factmagazines
The Dubai ceremony forms part of a growing international programme of FACT Dining Awards.
FACT Dining Awards is part of a wider initiative by FACT Magazine FZ LLC, with popular dining awards taking place in Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, London, Qatar, Riyadh and Singapore.
The FACT Dining Awards remain free for restaurants to enter, attend, and win, ensuring recognition is based on merit, public support, and critical opinion rather than commercial participation.
About FACT Magazine
FACT Magazine is a leading lifestyle publication covering food, travel, arts, culture, entertainment and hospitality across key global markets. Through its digital platforms, social channels, events and awards programmes, FACT connects an engaged audience with the people, places and experiences shaping contemporary lifestyle.
The publication is also behind the FACT Dining Awards, an established programme recognising excellence across the food and beverage industry. The awards celebrate outstanding restaurants, chefs and hospitality teams through a combination of public voting, editorial expertise and independent industry insight. FACT Dining Awards events take place across multiple international cities and remain free for restaurants to enter, attend and win.
Media Contact:
David Tapley
Editor-in-Chief
+971 50 793 5724
