Dubai culinary stars win at The Best...

Ossiano's Grégoire Berger and Trèsind Studio's Himanshu Saini scoop Three Knives accolade

Several of Dubai's leading restaurants were celebrated at The Best Chef Awards 2024, which were announced at Atlantis, The Palm on 6 November 2024.

Hosted in the Middle East for the first time at a hotel renowned for its premium dining options, the event honoured 550 chefs from 61 countries, making it the largest edition to date – and a testament to Dubai’s growing status as a culinary capital. A new ranking system was also introduced.

"The new Knife recognition system has allowed us to highlight chefs at all stages of their journey, giving due respect to their craft and contributions," said Joanna Slusarczyk, co-founder of The Best Chef.

“Witnessing this level of talent, from renowned masters to emerging stars, all here in Dubai, has been profoundly moving. We are honoured to be a part of this journey and look forward to seeing these chefs continue to shape the future of global gastronomy.”

Three Knives awards were bestowed on Grégoire Berger of Atlantis, The Palm's Ossiano restaurant (lead picture), and Himanshu Saini of Trèsind Studio in St Regis Gardens on Palm Jumeirah. Both chefs' restaurants have also secured two Michelin stars.

Himanshu Saini of Trèsind Studio

Two Knives awards were awarded to Mohamad Orfali of Orfali Bros in Jumeirah, and Daniel Birk of Row on 45 in Dubai Marina's Grosvenor House, A Luxury Collection Hotel, Dubai.

One Knife was given to Rahul Rana of Trèsind Studio sibling Avatara in Dubai Hills, Solemann Haddad of Moonrise in Dubai's Satwa district, and Tom Allen of Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, located at Dubai's Atlantis The Royal.

Himanshu Saini also won The Best Dubai Award, while The Best Origins & Future Award was shared by two Dubai-based trios: Jordanians Eva, Lilian and Emilie Rihani of Three by Eva and Syrians Mohamad, Wassim and Omar Orfali of Orfali Bros.

Mohamad, Wassim and Omar Orfali

Rasmus Munk from Danish restaurant Alchemist took the top honours, earning the title of the World’s Best Chef for his ‘ability to meld theatrical elements with culinary innovation’. Albert Adrià of Enigma in Spain came in a close second, renowned for his culinary experimentation skills, while third place was awarded to Eric Vildgaard of Jordnær also in Denmark.

As part of The Best Chef’s new ranking system, the awards also celebrated chefs who made extraordinary contributions in specific areas:

The Best (R) Evolution: Albert Adrià, Enigma (Spain)
The Best Chef Pastry Award: René Frank, Coda (Germany)
The Best New Entry Award: Mei Kogo, Sushi Meino (Japan)
The Best Terroir Award: Jaime Rodríguez, Celele (Colombia)
The Best Science Award: Ángel León, Aponiente (Spain)
The Best Food Art Award: Julien Royer, Odette (Singapore)
The Best NextGen Award: Michele Lazzarini, Contrada Bricconi (Italy)
The Best Dining Experience Award: Vaughan Mabee, Amisfield (New Zealand)
The Best Creativity Award: Paco Méndez, COME (Spain)
The Best Dubai Award: Himanshu Saini, Trèsind Studio (UAE)
The Best Voted by Professionals Award: Ana Roš, Hiša Franko (Slovenia)

The awards ceremony concluded three days of panel discussions, a Food Meets Science conference and exclusive culinary experiences that drew more than 3,000 attendees.

Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), part of Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), said: “We congratulate all the chefs from around the world recognised in this year’s edition of the awards, and are proud to see Dubai-based culinary talent among them, as they continue to contribute to our goal to become the best city to visit, live and work in.”

Cristian Gadau, Co-founder of The Best Chef, added: “Bringing The Best Chef Awards to Dubai for the first time has been a landmark moment for us, and we couldn't have asked for a more remarkable city to host this celebration. Dubai’s ambition, spirit and dedication to excellence perfectly mirrored the calibre of talent we witnessed at this year’s awards.”

For more information, visit www.thebestchefawards.com

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