Italian Dubai Archives — A TO ZA’ATAR

March 16, 2019 by cbrandtwright 0

Alici, subtle flavors at Bluewaters Dubai.

For reasons I’ll get into later in a later post, last week was a weird week. There were highs and lows, and as my 38th year drew to a close, I decided to meet up with a friend for a long lunch on Thursday afternoon at Alici. Having heard good things, I was cautiously optimistic. While a bit difficult to find (seriously, Meeras, get your act together with the signage at Bluewaters), my patience paid off, and upon arrival, I found the location to be appropriately themed and decorated. Much like similar restaurants serving this cuisine, there is a beachy chic vibe going which does well to match the food. Should you be interested, there is a crudo bar downstairs, where you can literally see what will become your lunch or dinner. I chose to sit upstairs, where the best views of the marina can be found. As my guest was running…

February 4, 2018 by cbrandtwright 0

Dubai

Scalini: Four Seasons introduces Italian.

Another day, another Italian restaurant. While Italian might be the new Peruvian in Dubai, my visit to Scalini should mark the final visit to this particular cuisine for the near future, as I’m not sure I can eat another bite of pasta. Carved from what I believe used to be part of the Jean-Georges Kitchen, upon arrival, the London import Scalini has a dedicated bright blue lift to mark the restaurant’s entrance in the busy corridor at the Four Seasons Jumeirah. When I question if its the only way in (or out), I’m met with a tentative yes. I assume that should there be an emergency there are alternate ways out of the pit restaurant, however, a word to the wise, press VERY hard on the button to for the lift (and then search around like the cool person you are for the actual button to go down a level). My…

January 25, 2018 by cbrandtwright 0

Dubai

Il Borro Tuscan Bistro: Fit for Royalty (Literally).

When you’re meeting the best chef in the UAE, you are pretty much happy to meet up wherever he suggests. In this instance, a return trip to Al Naseem — perfect for a beautiful day in January, to Il Borro Tuscan Bistro. To be completely honest, I don’t usually crave Italian food — especially when dining out. Yes, I’m probably doing it wrong, but pasta rarely comes off as genuinely elevated to me. Additionally, I’ve had a few friends visit this venue with decidedly average feedback. Anyway, delighted with the company, I would’ve been happy to dine just about anywhere. With three foodies together, we all defaulted to ‘please let someone else make the decision for us.’ That is, I make food choices EVERY SINGLE TIME I go out. I am continually ordering for myself, my husband, and larger groups of people. Thus, with the briefest look at the menu,…

April 14, 2017 by annbenjamin 0

Dubai

Roberto’s Dubai: Outstanding school night vibes.

How can two restaurants (with the same name and menu) have such completely different vibes? I suppose visiting one at lunch, and one at dinner might have something to do with that… Perhaps I’ll need to revisit both properties at another time to be sure. 😉 For dinner at the Roberto’s DIFC property, I arrived early enough to try a glass off the weekday appertivo menu (well priced at AED30 for most of the drinks). While my prosecco was a bit flat and too sweet for my tastebuds, as I waited for my friend (dragged into a last minute meeting with a director), the bar staff took pity on me and proceeded to provide me with snacks during my wait. I received no less than a bowl of nuts, a selection of vegetables and my own beetroot arancini. Result! During my wait, I had time to get a good look at…