Sara Aqel

Sara Aqel is a Jordanian chef. She is best known and highly regarded for her work in leading an entirely female-led team at award-winning Italian restaurant Fi'lia in Dubai.

Early life

Sara Aqel was born and raised in Jordan to Palestinian parents. She is the fourth of five sisters. At 15 years old, she started catering events, and at 17, she started working at The House of Art in Amman, where she ran a breakfast menu. The next year, she left Jordan to pursue culinary studies at Les Roches in Switzerland. She then began an internship for six months at the Hong Kong Jockey Club's Derby Restaurant, followed by a semester at La Capitale in the Four Seasons Amman and Jordan before relocating to Dubai. She holds degrees in Culinary Arts and Hotel Management from the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts in Jordan and Les Roches in Switzerland.

Career

In the UAE, Sara Aqel launched her career in fine dining restaurant at Burj Al Arab's Al Muntaha. Her career took a significant turn when she received an offer from Torno Subito, an Italian restaurant established by restaurateur Massimo Bottura. Under the mentorship of Bottura and his team, Aqel honed her skills in Italian and Mediterranean cuisine. However, her progress was hindered by the onset of the Covid-19 Pandemic, leading to the closure of Dubai's restaurants for 11 months. She continued to contribute to the culinary scene by working in cloud kitchens, developing menus, and offering consultancy services.

Only weeks before its official opening, Aqel was offered a position at Fi'lia. In March 2021, she joined the restaurant, located in the SLS Dubai Hotel. She served as the chef de cuisine, overseeing the only restaurant in the Middle East with an all-female management team. Her appointment represented a significant advancement for women in the culinary industry, as she led the first female-led restaurant in Dubai and the wider region. She played a key role in the restaurant opening and was responsible for creating a significant portion of the menu herself. She drew heavily on traditional recipes from her own and her friends' grandmothers as well as her mother. In April 2022, she was promoted to global executive chef of Fi'lia, overseeing the SLS Dubai outlet, as well as Fi'lia locations in Paris, Miami, and The Bahamas. She was recognised for her work at the restaurant in the 2022 Women in F&B Power List by Caterer Middle East as well as by La Liste.

After leaving Fili'a in 2023, she launched Mediterranean restaurant Dara Dining by Sara Aqel in Amman.

In May 2023, it was announced that Aqel would host La Table's pop-up for its second season.

Sara Aqel's achievements have garnered recognition and acclaim. Her restaurant Fili'a was recognised with a Bib Gourmand from Michelin, won Best New Restaurant in the Middle East from La Liste, and earned a place in the prestigous French culinary guide Gault & Millau all within a year of its establishment. She was selected for Cosmopolitan's Arab Women in F&B.