Restaurant review: Don Alfonso 1890

Focusing on fresh, organic ingredients, Don Alfonso 1890 mixes the traditions of its homeland (specifically Sant’Agata, located between the Sorrento Peninsula and the Amalfi Coast) with the glitz that Dubai diners have come to expect as standard at the city’s restaurants.

The intimately sized space at Don Alfonso 1890 encourages a bustling but not uncomfortably full vibe. Courtesy Don Alfonso

Not many cuisines are as ubiquitous in the hotels and malls of the UAE as Italian. In Dubai alone, there’s the best part of 200 outlets to choose from. Getting a taste of the Old Country right, however, requires more than pumping out plates of pasta and pizza.

The latter staple is nowhere to be seen on the menu at Don Alfonso 1890 – as you might expect from a restaurant that’s aiming at the higher end of the Italian-fine-dining spectrum.

Focusing on fresh, organic ingredients, Don Alfonso mixes the traditions of its homeland (specifically Sant’Agata, located between the Sorrento Peninsula and the Amalfi Coast, about 60 kilometres south of Naples) with the glitz that Dubai diners have come to expect as standard at the city’s restaurants. But while outwardly that seems like nothing espe­cially new, there’s more to Don Alfonso than uprooting a handful of European history and plonking it in the desert.

For one, while a restaurant can nurture its atmosphere, its clientele will inevitably dictate it. The intimately sized space encourages a bustling but not uncomfortably full vibe, with less of the look-at-me, place-to-be-seen attitude exuding from the diners than in other recently opened Dubai hotspots. The clincher is a smattering of Italian waiters.

Even so, getting those facets spot on would all have been for nought if the food hadn’t proved equally excellent. The antipasti scored the first victory. My dining partner nodded in approval at the mozzarella souffle with cherry tomato sauce, crispy basil and oregano. The deep-fried lobster “zeppola” (their quotes, not ours) and citrus gained similar kudos.

We selected one dish apiece from the pasta-dominated primi piatti and the sturdier selections within the secondi piatti. The lasagnetta – a mini-lasagne – with crispy vegetables, broccoli purée and fresh black truffles was a genuine vegetarian-friendly treat and a snip for Dh95. The chicken rolls saltimbocca with creamy polenta and mushroom ragout put a poultry twist on things – saltimbocca, which is a fabulously Italian word that literally translates to “jumps in the mouth”, is traditionally made with veal. The chicken wasn’t quite moist enough for us, sadly, making it slightly reminiscent of a posh, sliced meatloaf and rendering it the only real disappointment of the evening.

After that misstep, anticipation was high for the final course, given that Italy is so celebrated for its desserts.

The traditional Neapolitan sfogliatelle with cinnamon cream was a tastily delicate pastry – sfogliatelle is another of those words that just doesn’t sound right without an Italian accent, to the extent that it’s actually an event to hear the waiter repeat back our order. The contrasting flavours of the ricotta and caramelised pears with gingerbread crumble upped the bar further still. Both desserts were only Dh50 each, confirming Don Alfonso’s nose for offering top-shelf service and food at mid-level prices.

My dining partner, who speaks fluent Italian, would probably have cheerily labelled the whole experience “bellissimo”. As a monolingual Englishman unable to pull off a sufficiently passable Italian accent to avoid public embarrassment, I’ll stick to saying that Don Alfonso 1890 is really jolly good.

• A meal for two at Don Alfonso 1890, Shangri-La Hotel, Dubai, costs Dh555. For more information, call 04 355 1591. Reviewed meals are paid for by The National and conducted incognito