Whether you’re looking for a romantic pasta date for two or to gorge yourself on the city’s best pizza, Dubai has a plethora of Italian restaurants to suit any occasion. From freshly-made al dente pasta to the pungent aroma of shaved truffles from Alba, the 2024 Gault&Millau edition features 16 Italian restaurants, with an impressive number of which receiving toques this year.
Alici, 13/20 (one-toque)
Transporting diners to the Amalfi coast, Alici is a beautiful restaurant that really channels relaxed southern Italian vibes. Coming from the team behind Il Borro Tuscan Bistro, service is slick and ingredients are premium. The restaurant itself is snuggled on the shoreline of manmade island Bluewaters Dubai, boasting views of the Arabian Gulf and across to the bustling JBR beach and skyscrapers of Dubai Marina.
It has a holiday feel, which is only enhanced by the calm white and blue interiors of the restaurant. Tableware is hand-crafted, coming from Amalfi Coast-based artisan pottery and ceramic makers Lucio Liguori, lending a charming touch to the setup. For wine connoisseurs, there’s an extensive list, with more than half of the 250 varieties available from Europe, designed to complement the restaurant’s more than ample seafood selection.
Ingredients where possible are sourced locally, with seafood from the Italian coast. Menu items change with regularity to reflect the seasons and are well put together, with simple flavours shining through and beautiful plating.
Read the Gault&Millau UAE review in full, here
www.alici.com; +971 4 275 2577
Armani/Ristorante, 14.5/20 (two-toques)
Dining at Armani/Ristorante is an experience. A high-end, luxurious experience and one at which the degustation menu sits front and centre, for the food at this elegant location at Armani Dubai is splendid. Found within the world’s tallest building, there’s a petite terrace where you can have drinks and dessert overlooking the famous Dubai Fountain. However, the actual meal all takes place in the dining room – a sleek, open space that unfortunately just feels a little awkward.
Low hanging lights over the tables mean staff bend uncomfortably to chat with diners, though the service itself cannot be faulted, with friendly waitstaff explaining the menu and dishes eloquently and in a more relaxed manner than one might expect for the venue. A wine pairing charts a bold course and it pays off, with an interesting combination of glasses to complement the plates of the tasting menu. As expected in such a location the price point is high, though comparable with others of its ilk.
Read the Gault&Millau UAE review in full, here
www.locations.armani.com/restaurants-cafes-and-clubs/united-arab-emirates/armani-ristorante-dubai; +971 4 888 3888
Bungalo34, 12.5/20
Bungalo34 remains an undeniable jewel in the relatively small number of genuinely beachside dining spots in Dubai. Found next to the picturesque Nikki Beach Dubai Resort & Spa on Pearl Jumeira island, this stunning restaurant offers uninterrupted sea views, enhanced by colourful striped umbrellas and intriguing prints.
The dining area, accommodating a diverse clientele from couples to families and large groups, focuses on Mediterranean cuisine, showcasing Greek, French and Italian dishes. The menu, ever-evolving, continues to impress with classics and new additions that keep diners coming back for more.
From Natasha Sideris, also known for tashas and Flamingo Room, the menu covers a lot of bases and surely has something to please even the most difficult of diners. Try starting with the tuna tartare, marinated in yuzu, soy, truffle and shallots, or the taramosalata, topped with shoestring fries. For something offbeat, try the beef carpaccio served under cacio e pepe fettuccine. The sea bass, seasoned with soy, lime and chilli, is another excellent option, served with refreshing coriander and ginger slaw.
Read the Gault&Millau UAE review in full, here
www.bungalo34.com; +971 4 238 1780
Chic Nonna, 13/20 (one-toque)
Originating in Florence, Chic Nonna arrived on Dubai’s dining scene in 2022 with much anticipation. And it has lived up to expectations, proving to be a popular spot for classic Italian dining in DIFC. The service is top-notch, with staff offering helpful recommendations.
Plates come from an open kitchen where chefs calmly prep for a steady stream of discerning diners. Chic Nonna’s interiors also must be mentioned – they’re incredibly beautiful with high ceilings, plush green furnishings and crisp white tablecloths. Floor-to-ceiling windows give way to Burj Khalifa views for that extra touch of Dubai sparkle.
In the kitchen there’s been a revamp of late, with an updated menu from a new culinary team, which includes head chef Francesco Torcasio (formerly of Il Borro) and group executive chef Giuseppe Pezzella (formerly Cinque). They have worked together to create a new menu that stars premium, seasonal ingredients.
Read the Gault&Millau UAE review in full, here
www.chicnonna.com/chic-nonna-restaurant-dubai/; +971 4 605 2000
Cinque, 13/20 (one-toque)
A modern Italian restaurant, Cinque belies its location. Despite being found off the lobby of one of the city’s best-known party hotels, FIVE on the Palm, the restaurant caters for a fine-dining crowd, serving quality ingredients and carefully crafted plates. Inside the tone is set with parquet flooring and expansive wine fridges.
Out on the terrace, the party vibes are stronger, with views of the hotel pool and beats drifting up from the beach club below. An innovative menu concocted by chef Mauro Di Leo focuses on Sicilian flavours and recipes, paying homage to the chef’s roots. But it’s not all tradition, the chef also has a dedication to sustainability as well as priding himself on pushing boundaries in recipes – fusing Italian and Japanese flavours and ingredients.
Read the Gault&Millau UAE review in full, here
www.palmjumeirah.fivehotelsandresorts.com/eat-drink/cinque; +971 4 455 9989
Fi’lia, 11/20
When Fi’lia opened, it promised to showcase talented women in F&B, from front-of-house to the kitchen. There was much fanfare about the concept but despite a commendable ethos, the food didn’t always wow. It was always much more about the feel of the place, a cosiness and warmth about the service, and the filling, homely food. Despite a change of its head chef, that feeling still remains.
Now in place for the best part of a year, young chef Célia Stoecklin has made changes to the menu without overhauling Fi’lia. It is still split into three sections, covering three generations of a part-imagined matriarchy, but the Middle Eastern influence has all but made way for purely Mediterranean flavours. From the antipasti, roasted garlic prawns offer a sizeable way into the meal, but the vanilla butter won’t be to everyone’s tastes. A tomatino salad, with basil and feta is a fresh, zesty option.
Read the Gault&Millau UAE review in full, here
www.book.ennismore.com/restaurants/filia/dubai; +971 4 607 0770
Il Borro Tuscan Bistro, 13/20 (one-toque)
Now well-established in a city endlessly festooned with new arrivals, Il Borro Tuscan Bistro has forged a reputation for its warm, convivial setting and robust, family-style Italian cuisine. Indeed, the buzz in Il Borro on any given night is one that new arrivals surely shoot for.
Set at the edge of Jumeirah Al Naseem’s rehabilitative turtle lagoon, neighbouring an assortment of equally well-visited eateries proffering differing cuisines, Il Borro may well have nabbed the most enviable location. Gazing through its floor-to-ceiling windows to the scene within, it’s not an easy one to stride straight past.
Read the Gault&Millau UAE review in full, here
www.ilborrotuscanbistro.ae; +971 4 275 2555
Il Ristorante – Niko Romito, 13.5/20 (one-toque)
When it comes to fine dining, Il Ristorante – Niko Romito is the very definition of the description. Not only is the service exceptional but the presentation and quality of the dishes are in alignment. Traditional ‘fine dining’ also implies a more staid atmosphere and a large price tag. Which would also be correct when it comes to Il Ristorante.
It’s not surprising that the vibe here is exclusive, being found at the Bvlgari Resort in Jumeirah and coming from such a heavyweight of Italian cuisine. One of several Bvlgari outposts for the chef, who works with the luxury brand across multiple continents, Dubai’s Il Ristorante is a minimalist space, modelled on the elegant sister version in the original Bvlgari Hotel Milano.
Read the Gault&Millau UAE review in full, here
www.bulgarihotels.com/dubai/dining/il-ristorante-niko-romito; +971 4 777 5622
L’Amo Bistrò Del Mare, 12/20
L’Amo Bistro Del Mare opened with a bang, impressing with its location, views and generous approach to Italian cuisine. After a couple of years, the restaurant is still popular, but changes in the kitchen have resulted in a somewhat uneven path when it comes to the food and menu.
The service also feels hurried at times, no doubt down to L’Amo’s popularity. Nonetheless, it would be nice to feel valued by the staff, rather than being just a number attached to a booking. Seafood is the order of the day here, from the indulgent seafood platter (red prawns, violet prawns, langoustine, sea urchin, scallops and caviar) to a raw selection (bluefin tuna carpaccio, amberjack sashimi and a trio or tartares) and into the antipasti offering roasted octopus, clams and mussels gratin.
Read the Gault&Millau UAE review in full, here
www.lamorestaurant.com; +971 4 278 4800
Pierchic, 13/20 (one-toque)
Perched over the Arabian Gulf, Pierchic fuses coastal Italian flavours with stunning views. Head chef Beatrice Segoni has been in place for a few years, which has given her the chance to cement the restaurant’s evolution beyond its seafood origins to offer a broader culinary experience (though there is still plenty of fish on the menu).
Even for those who have been before, there is still a thrill in the approach to the restaurant, through Jumeirah Al Qasr’s gardens and to the pier. However, with this premium setting comes premium prices. It’s hard not to think that the cost of the dishes is somewhat inflated by the unique location. The service at Pierchic can also be a mixed bag. While the serving staff are mostly attentive and friendly, the hostesses are less than enthusiastic, which puts a dampener on the experience before you’ve reached your table.
Read the Gault&Millau UAE review in full, here
www.jumeirah.com/en/dine/dubai/al-qasr-pierchic; +971 4 432 3232
Ristorante L’Olivo at Al Mahara, 15/20 (three-toques)
When it comes to fine dining, degustation menus and restaurants with huge aquariums, Dubai has hit the jackpot. Two venues in the city match that description, and one of them is at Burj Al Arab Jumeirah. Once upon a time, Al Mahara was a stuffy fine-dining spot, where classically cooked and plated seafood was available for an absolute premium. Then the hotel changed it up and brought in Nathan Outlaw, a British chef to add a bit of relatable glamour.
Following that experiment, the space was left in limbo a little. But chef Andrea Migliaccio came in with a winter pop-up of his Ristorante L’Olivo from Capri, and breathed new life into the place. It was so successful, the tenure was made permanent and, in its first, full year, earned three toques in the Gault&Millau UAE 2023 guide thanks to its exquisite Italian cuisine.
Read the Gault&Millau UAE review in full, here
www.jumeirah.com/it/dine/dubai/burj-al-arab-al-mahara; +971 800 323 232
Ristorante Loren, 12/20
In the heart of Dubai’s vibrant Palm West Beach, Italian restaurant Ristorante Loren has been made waves when it first opened in 2022. Found on the first floor of The Club, Loren is the epitome of Italian elegance. Its semi-open kitchen, seafood counter and dry-aged meat cabinet offer a glimpse into the restaurant’s culinary artistry. While the interior embodies the charm of the Amalfi Coast, the terrace offers views of the ocean and nearby harbour.
However, in recent times, the dining experience has been hampered by the buzzing nearby nightlife venues. The noise coming from below is unavoidable and encroaches on Loren’s own ambience. The menu at Loren is a playful and extensive homage to classic Italian cuisine, where dishes are creatively presented and often finished tableside, adding a theatrical flair to the dining experience. From stuffed courgette flowers and beef tartare to delicate pasta parcels, each dish is a testament to the skill and innovation of the chef, Giovanni Cortese.
Read the Gault&Millau UAE review in full, here
www.lorenristorantedubai.com; +971 4 557 8293
Roberto’s, 11.5/20
Food trends have waxed and waned and restaurants have bloomed and faded around it, but Roberto’s has stood firm, its roots planted in the heart of Dubai’s financial district. There is a lot to be said about longevity and consistency, after all, restaurants only stick around in Dubai if they are doing something very right, and Roberto’s is one of the city’s institutions.
Guests are regulars here, dropping in for drinks after work nearby, planning a date night with their spouses and enjoying the weekly brunches. There’s an old-school charm to the service, from the manager to sommelier and bartenders, and it’s that familiar touch that keeps people coming back.
The menu is a testament to the enduring appeal of authentic Italian cuisine, which never goes out of fashion. The classic pasta dishes, prepared with fresh ingredients and a remarkable attention to detail, are clear favourites on the menu. A citrus cacio e pepe spaghetti with langoustine ticks all the boxes, as does the more simple gnocchi with pesto, which is prepared tableside.
Read the Gault&Millau UAE review in full, here
www.robertosrestaurants.com/dubai/; +971 4 386 0066
Scalini, 12/20
Hailing from Mayfair in London, Scalini is an upmarket restaurant that has been a popular location for lovers of Italian food since opening in the happening gastronomic hub that is Four Seasons Restaurant Village in 2018. Set physically lower than some of its counterparts in the area, a lift whisks diners down to the delightful sunken outdoor terrace and bustling dining room.
An old-school Italian restaurant with a modern feel, the white tableclothed setup lends an air of occasion, but it’s not overly formal, making it a charming location whatever the dining purpose. Inside there’s vibrant art and mood lighting, while the outdoor terrace is an atmospheric spot, especially by night, complete with an olive tree.
Read the Gault&Millau UAE review in full, here
www.scalini-dubai.com; +971 4 349 0068
Social, 13/20 (one-toque)
Having parted ways with Heinz Beck back in 2022, Social has been helmed by Italian chef Carmine Faravolo since. And more than a year later, with a new menu and an increasingly busy dining room, it’s safe to say he’s made his mark.
The menu has been updated once again in recent months, with a focus on more home-style cooking and hand-me-down generational recipes. However, it’s all presented with a high-end twist, so when you have delicious age-old recipes paired with a modern, fine-dining spin, it’s an impressive combination all round. In winter there’s a terrace with charming views and a more formal dining room with white tablecloths and a view of the chefs at work in the open kitchen.
Attention is paid to detail also, with an excellent bread basket as well as amuse bouche and pre-desserts, further enhancing the overall experience. La Parmigiana di Nonna Maria deserves its status as a signature dish, a modern taken on a classic from the chef’s grandmother. It has a light texture, contrasting with the robust flavour, finished with lashings of simple, fragrant tomato sauce. Hokkaido scallops are pan-seared perfectly with an earthy pumpkin and black cabbage pairing.
Read the Gault&Millau UAE review in full, here
www.hilton.com/en/hotels/dxbpdwa-waldorf-astoria-dubai-palm-jumeirah/dining/social/; +971 4 818 2222
The Artisan Il Ristorante, 14/20 (two-toques)
Few things are guaranteed in life, but we thought heading to The Artisan and having an exquisite time was one of them. However, small inconsistencies have been appearing in the restaurant’s service, plating and flavours on recent visits. Not huge issues; a delay in taking an order here, forgetting an espresso at the end of the meal there, but over time those kinds of things add up and, for a restaurant that has built a reputation for excellence, it can’t continue for too long.
It has also coincided with the departure of chef Francesco Magro, a charismatic figure who won personal acclaim as well as contributing hugely to The Artisan’s two toques during his time here. In his place is Leonardo Galati, charged with maintaining the standards set before him and continuing to elevate the restaurant to new levels.
Read the Gault&Millau UAE review in full, here
www.theartisan.ae; +971 4 338 8133