It’s time to vote for your favourite restaurants in the capital.
After more than a decade of dining at restaurants across the Middle East, FACT has become the authority on restaurants in the region. This year, we will once again celebrate the best restaurants and bars at the FACT Dining Awards Abu Dhabi 2026. Here’s everything you need to know.
Voting for the 2026 awards is officially open. This year’s FACT Dining Awards Abu Dhabi will feature 47 awards across 24 cuisine categories, covering more than 150 nominees. Eligible nominees will be contacted with details regarding the exclusive invite-only event in November.
Now in its 12th year, the annual FACT Dining Awards Abu Dhabi celebrates the city’s vibrant food and beverage scene. Winners will be awarded based on both public votes and critics’ opinions. Each category features two awards: BEST and FAVOURITE. The BEST is the critic’s choice, decided by the FACT editorial team and an independent panel of industry experts, whilst the FAVOURITE is determined through an online public vote.
The list of 2026 awards:
- Breakfast
- Cafe
- Afternoon Tea
- International
- Beach/Pool Bar
- Pub
- Bar
- Outdoor Dining
- Fusion
- Seafood
- Pan Asian
- Latin American
- European
- Middle Eastern & North African
- Steakhouse
- French
- Indian
- Italian
- Japanese
- Saturday Brunch
- Homegrown
- Emirati
- Newcomer
- Restaurant of the Year 2026
The public vote for this year’s awards opened on Monday, 19 January 2026, and will run until 9 October 2026. We encourage you to cast your votes and help ensure that the right restaurants receive the recognition they deserve.
The FACT Dining Awards Abu Dhabi 2026 forms part of a wider initiative by FACT Magazine FZ LLC, which also holds popular dining awards across the world in Bahrain, Dubai, London, Qatar, and Riyadh.
For sponsorship enquiries, please contact edward@factmagazines.com or amal@factmagazines.com
GO: Visit https://diningawards.factmagazines.com for more information.