Filini
A l s o t ry:
Take a seat in this stylish restaurant and admire the view of Yas Links golf course and the turquoise waters of the Arabian Sea. Inside the restaurant, the views are also pleasing. Dark wooden floors team with rich fabrics, leather and shades of blue to create a warm atmosphere which is enhanced by strategic lighting and carefully chosen music. The action happens in the show kitchen, where Italian chef Thomas Marchi creates authentic dishes using fresh ingredients imported from Italy. The menu changes seasonally with an emphasis on simplistic cooking and classic presentation. Recommended dishes include vegetable, meat and seafood antipasti; seafood ravioli with cherry tomatoes and black olive tapenade; beef caprese with buffalo mozzarella, grilled tomato and basil olive oil; and veal escalope with sage and crunchy bresaola with sauteed spinach, raising butter and hazelnut sauce. The restaurant has a good selection of Italian wine from various winemaking regions of Italy and includes affordable classics as well as exclusive labels.
AmiCi
The Yas Hotel 02 6560600
Enjoy views of Yas Marina and the F1 race track while feasting on authentic cuisine. FrAnkie’s
Fairmont Bab Al Bahr 02 6543000
A collaboration between famed jockey Frankie Detori and Michelin-star chef Marco Pierre White. LA mAmmA
Sheraton Abu Dhabi 02 6773333
Italian trattoria with an antipasti buffet, pizza, pasta and a selection of delicious mains. mezzALunA
Emirates Palace 02 6909000
Delicious Italian cuisine with views of the beach and gardens, and an al fresco dining area. PortobeLLo
Grand Millennium Al Wahda 02 4439999
A relative newcomer, yet still a favourite on the Italian dining scene. Prego’s
Beach Rotana Abu Dhabi 02 6979000
Busy Italian restaurant with a terrace overlooking the beach and gardens.
Where: Radisson Blu Hotel, Abu Dhabi Yas Island When: 12 to 3pm and 6 to 11.30pm / Contact:02 6562000
Among the highlights is a light and refreshing starter with layers of parma ham, melon and buffalo mozzarella, while the dish that comes highly recommended by staff is the tagliolini con scampi Spaccanapoli This central Abu Dhabi restaurant serves simple traditional food that an Italian family would prepare at home. In fact, according to restaurant manager Luca Busato, when the team was putting together the initial menu, “we had to think of what our mums would cook at home”. With its warm, themed restaurant interior, Spaccanapoli has a relaxed atmosphere making it perfect for families. Upstairs, Spaccanapoli’s surroundings depict views of old Naples with vaults and visible bricks adding to the authenticity. But the real treat is in the eating and this is something Spaccanapoli does on a grand scale. The large wood-fired pizza oven can produce customised one-metre-long pizzas, a concept taken from a little town between Napoli and Sorrento called Vico Equense, where the speciality is metre-long pizzas. Other favourite dishes include veal scaloppini with mushroom sauce and risotto croquette, oven-baked buffalo mozzarella with tomato sauce and the highly recommended involtini di melanzane alla parmigiana (rolled baked aubergines with mozzarella, parmesan, tomato sauce and basil). All recipes are prepared using traditional methods and with an Italian chef and restaurant manager, diners know they are in for the real deal. Where: Crowne Plaza Abu Dhabi / When: Noon to 4pm and 7 to 11pm / Contact: 02 6166122
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