In The Press


Best Seafood Restaurant 2019
— WHAT'S ON DUBAI
Restaurant Team of the Year 2018
Caterer Awards
Independent Restaurant Team of the Year 2018
Caterer Awards
Favorite Seafood Restaurant 2017
What's On Awards 2017
Top 30 Restaurants in Dubai
CN Traveler
Best Restaurant & Bar, 2017
Time Out Dubai Awards 2017
Highly Commended Best Seafood 2018
Time Out Dubai
Winner of Best Newcomer, 2016
What's ON Awards
The Maine is one of the city’s (and our) favourite hangouts for top seafood, lively ladies’ nights and a brilliant Friday brunch.
What's On Dubai, January 2019
The entrance to the city’s hottest spot for oysters and people-watching is hidden beneath the loading docks of the DoubleTree by Hilton in the Dubai Marina. The classy seafood restaurant features marble tabletops, green antique banker lamps, and an exposed brick wall inside, but try to grab a seat on the outdoor terrace for views of the Arabian Gulf and the not-yet-completed Dubai Eye ferris wheel.
CN Traveler
All in all, expect wholesome, honest food, great service and a hip vibe. The Maine’s formula for a great dining experience is spot on - I see this fast becoming a city favourite.
BBC Good Food, April 2016
MAINE is a stylish seafood restaurant, tucked away in the loading bay of the Doubletree by Hilton in JBR. It’s a bright, modern space and ticks all the hipster boxes – craft hops, waiters with braces and facial hair, and, most importantly, good food.
Time Out Dubai, July 2016
In terms of the design, the vibe, and the food, the Maine is a hidden pearl on JBR. It tackles a lot but does so very well – this place is definitely worth ‘shelling’ out for.
What's ON, December 2015
A big thumbs up. Maine is an unpretentious, gimmick-free restaurant with great food at affordable prices. Time to make molluscs Monday’s, Tilapia Thursday’s and seafood Saturday’s part of my new routine.
The National, February 2016
Shucks Gee Golly, Mister
Esquire ME, August 2017
There’s a theatrical flair to the dining experience, perhaps a nod to Ghazal’s time spent in London studying acting, and working as a waiter on the side
Vogue Arabia Man, January 2016
A Big Thumbs Up !
The National, October 2016
Top Ladies Night in Dubai
ShortList, January 2016
The World is His Oyster
The National, May 2016
The MAINE Man: Joey Ghazal is changing Dubai’s Dining Scene with premium casual concepts in unexpected spaces. There aren’t that many owner-operators who are designing their own restaurants, working the floor and getting involved in everything from the menu to graphic design and social media. Joey Ghazal is one of the few and he’s carving out a space in a sector he pioneered in Dubai
— Caterer Magazine
Every Hand’s A Winner
Debonair Magazine
Joey Ghazal, Restaurateur Of The Year 2018
Caterer Awards
Winner of Best Seafood Restaurant, 2016
BBC Good Food Awards
50 Best Restaurants in the Middle East 2019
Esquire, ME
Best North American & Caribbean Highly Commended 2018
Time Out Dubai
Best Seafood Highly Commended 2017
Time Out Dubai
Dubai’s Best New Restaurant
TheHuntr.com
The big-ticket feature of the space is the terrace, which, during my visit, was draped with strings of fairy lights, creating a charming environment perfect for unwinding after a long day at work or for celebrating a special occasion.
Savoir Flair, January 2016
In the three years since it opened, The Maine Oyster Bar & Grill has become one of the most popular restaurants in Dubai. This week the owners of the brasserie have announced a second opening: The Maine Street Eatery.
The National, January 2019
A Delicious Night Out
— OK Magazine
Walk through the doors and you find yourself in the midst of a chic, vibrant, unpretentious venue that ups your cool factor just by being there.
The National, October 2016
Hipster central - chefs and barmen with Shoreditch beards and tattoos, seaside stripes and checks, wood panelling, glam chandeliers and specials chalked up on a blackboard - collectively easily embodying ‘shabby chic’.
Ahlan Magazine, March 2016
Maine is extremely popular with the ladies, and that was proven by me being one of the only men in the restaurant. No wonder the manager walks around with a big smile on his face. I too, know what it feels like to be able to comp a bottle of champagne to a table of pretty ladies! Not all heroes wear capes; some also bring bubbles.
Food Sheikh, July 2016
The Beachside haunt for hipsters with as much meat as fish on the menu.
Ahlan Magazine, March 2016
Everyone’s Talking about The MAINE
Edgar Daily
New England Sophistication
— Insideout Magazine
A Cracking Bar
Time Out Dubai, May 2017
The Maine Oyster Bar & Grill, is one of the most ambitious projects in the area, and it’s already making Dubai’s diners sit up and take notice.
What's On Dubai, December 2015
In the three years since it opened, The Maine Oyster Bar & Grill has become one of the most popular restaurants in Dubai. This week the owners of the brasserie have announced a second opening: The Maine Street Eatery.
The National, January 2019
The MAINE attracts an eclectic crowd of young urbanites who enjoy downing fresh oysters and good old-fashioned cocktails. The post-industrial design aesthetic with a laid-back New England feel is artistically displayed by the black and white tiled flooring, marble table tops, delicate mother-of-pearl chandeliers, and a relaxed outdoor terrace where guests can enjoy chilled background tunes. A great venue to come with the family or chillout with friends.
Eat App
We Can’t Recommend the Food Enough
CN Traveler
The MAINE Oyster Bar and Grill Dubai JBR
The MAINE Oyster Bar and Grill Dubai JBR