Dubai

Izu Ani

Izu Ani is a prominent figure in the Middle East's F&B scene, renowned for his culinary contributions through notable restaurants like Gaia, Carine, and Shanghai Me, among others. In 2022, he expanded his portfolio with new openings and culinary directions, marking a year of creative growth. Despite inevitable critiques, Ani remains focused on his craft, viewing challenges as opportunities for learning and improvement. Looking ahead, his focus is on global and regional expansion, emphasizing the adaptation of his brands to fit each location's culture while maintaining their essence and quality. With a busy pipeline for 2023, including the launch of Gaia London and new concepts like Izu Burger, Ani's dedication to culinary excellence and community integration remains unwavering.

Guide restaurants with Izu Ani participation

Guide to the best restaurants in the city

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What is GreatList

GreatList is an independent restaurant guide created by Alexander Sysoev. Establishments can have different formats and different audiences, but as long as the quality of their food and service is impeccable, and the atmosphere and values are outstanding — they can be added to GreatList.
Today, the guide is available in Russia and United Arab Emirates, and is available in Russian, English, and Chinese.

How the guide is assembled

The guide only lists the establishments that were selected by its team. Collaborative approach to the selection is the guide’s fundamental stance, so all the establishments have been collectively approved by the majority.
The establishments selected for the guide are allocated to one of the categories — fine dining, smart casual, city café, and bar.
The guide offers a selection of useful search filters and the encyclopedia of restaurateurs and chefs to learn the names of the heroes behind the best restaurants.

Why people trust our choice

The guide’s team consists of almost a hundred independent experts who visit the establishments anonymously and always pay for themselves. None of them are part of the restaurant industry, but they have a deep connection to it as a frequent guest. All of them are successful people who travel a lot and visit the most interesting projects around the world. This makes them extra savvy and knowlegable about gastronomic trends and classics.