About Chef Salam Dakkak
Chef Salam Dakkak is the acclaimed chef-owner of Bait Maryam and Sufret Maryam in Dubai, celebrated for her pioneering work in creating community-focused restaurants that unite people through authentic Palestinian and home-style Arabic cuisine. Her culinary journey is marked by resilience, heritage, and a commitment to giving voice to Palestinian culinary traditions, while also championing representation for women in the male-dominated hospitality industry.
★Awards & Recognition
Middle East & North Africa's Best Female… (2022-12-07)
SevenRooms Icon Award 2026 (2026-02-03)Chef Timeline
2017
Opened Bait Maryam
Bait Maryam
A restaurant in Dubai named after her mother, focusing on home-style Arabic and Palestinian cooking.
2022
Awarded Middle East & North Africa's Best Female Chef 2023
Recognized for her pioneering work in creating a community-focused restaurant and perfectly executed family recipes.
2024
Opened Sufret Maryam
Sufret Maryam
A second restaurant continuing to give voice to Palestinian cuisine in Dubai.
2026
Received SevenRooms Icon Award 2026
Honored for her journey of resilience, heritage, and quiet revolution, and for her influence as a community builder and advocate.
Insights
Key Information
Chef Salam Dakkak is the acclaimed chef-owner of Bait Maryam and Sufret Maryam in Dubai, celebrated for her pioneering work in creating community-focused restaurants that unite people through authentic Palestinian and home-style Arabic cuisine. Her culinary journey is marked by resilience, heritage, and a commitment to giving voice to Palestinian culinary traditions, while also championing representation for women in the male-dominated hospitality industry.
Customer Perception
Customers praise Chef Dakkak's restaurants for their authenticity, providing a deeply personal expression of home-style Arabic cooking. The dining experience is often described as evoking nostalgia, generosity, and memory, appealing to a city hungry for genuine cultural flavors. She is widely regarded not just as a culinary talent but also as a natural community builder.
Cuisine Highlights
Palestinian cuisineHome-style Arabic cookingFamily recipes
News
- On December 7, 2022, Salam Dakkak was announced as the recipient of the Middle East & North Africa's Best Female Chef 2023 accolade.
- She was awarded the SevenRooms Icon Award 2026 on February 3, 2026, as part of the Middle East & North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants.
- Chef Dakkak expanded her culinary presence by opening a second restaurant, Sufret Maryam, in 2024.
Restaurants by chef
Bait Maryam, Sufret Maryam
Iconic dishes
Perfectly executed family recipes, Ancestral Palestinian flavours
Additional Details
Born in Palestine, Salam Dakkak's culinary style has been shaped by her life experiences across the Middle East and the United States. She opened Bait Maryam in Dubai in 2017, naming it after her mother, to offer a deeply personal and authentic take on home-style Arabic cooking. Beyond the plate, she actively uses food as a tool for solidarity, philanthropy, and cultural connection, rallying diners in moments of crisis and advocating for women in the industry.
Dishes
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Restaurants by Salam Dakkak
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