Standing out as the best Italian restaurant in Dubai is no easy feat.
The emirate boasts one of the most eclectic dining scenes on the planet and its offerings in the Italian genre are no different. Think Il Borro, Pierchic and Chic Nonna, to name but a few of some 200 venues vying for top spot alongside Il Ristorante-Niko Romito with its two Michelin stars.
Roberto’s, in the Dubai International Financial Centre's Gate Village, faces a tall order to be included in that conversation, but its recent refurbishment allows it to enter the chat. It’s a venue reinvigorated, matured and ready for its second wind.
Having reopened on January 31, Roberto's is stocked out in a way that maintains the classical feel many have come to know and love since its opening in 2012, while also demonstrating it can move with the times.
There’s now a crudo bar positioned outside the kitchen for guests to admire, and the team have incorporated fish dry-ageing techniques to their repertoire.
Chef Danilo Vala and his team spent their summer in Italy sourcing ingredients and meeting new producers. That passion and sense of creating a menu that tells a story is now a core characteristic of the restaurant.
You expect a certain level of quality with Italian cuisine of any budget, but it’s with a particular spring in our step that my dining partner and I arrive at this new-look Roberto’s for a leisurely Sunday lunch.
First impressions
What the refurb does effortlessly is blend old and new to make this a restaurant that sees the coming together of Milanese tradition and Dubai’s modernism.
Step inside, and there's a corner to suit any mood. The bright, open-plan dining room offers a classical fine dining feel; the terrace brings the sunshine and DIFC’s hustle and bustle; and the lounge captures a darker, more intense charm.
It feels simultaneously effortless and classy. A restaurant that knows its identity, that’s confident, and, more importantly, that makes you feel at ease.
We decide on the dining room given it’s an afternoon booking and we’re keen to watch the world go by with the helping hand of our server, Alessandro.
The menu
To start, we have the scallop carpaccio (Dh115), which is served in a citrus dressing. The beauty of this dish is its simplicity as it pays homage to the restaurant’s philosophy. Chef Vala is keen to stress that when the quality of the seafood is up to standard, you need to let the star ingredient do the talking rather than over-season. This scallop dish is an ideal starter for that reason; it’s delicate, sophisticated and delicious.
Next we go for the finocchi (Dh85), a fennel and goat's cheese salad served with a beetroot dressing, which continues the theme of fresh, expertly sourced stock presented in such a minimalist way that you can’t help admire the quality of the ingredients.
Alessandro guides us to the gnocco all nduja (Dh115) for our next course. It consists of homemade beef dumplings served in a sweet capsicum and burrata sauce, and its hearty, rich, flavour ticks the comfort food box.
Our main is the pan-fried breaded veal chop (Dh280). It’s a dish that, for me anyway, is always best reserved for a special occasion as you don’t see it on many menus. It’s served with scarmoza cheese, truffle, rocket and cherry tomatoes, but the lasting impression is in its presentation as the chop is brought out in its entirety to be carved at the table. The breadcrumbs keep the meat tender and succulent while the lightness of the side dishes is welcomed, allowing for the meat to be the main event.
To finish, we have the pistachio ice cream (Dh130), which earns its place as the dessert Roberto’s is most famous for.
Standout dish
Pistachio ice cream served with extra virgin olive oil may seem like a strange pairing, but the oil adds just the right contrasts of aromatic flavour to balance the sweetness of the ice cream. The fact it’s unusual is one of its charms, and it’s this delicious dessert more than any other dish that immediately comes to mind when I think of Roberto’s today.
Save or splurge
A three-course meal at Roberto’s can cost between Dh240 and Dh3,420. On the high end of the price spectrum lies the Beluga caviar (Dh2,750), the chargrilled Canadian lobster (Dh540) and the pistachio ice cream (Dh130).
The three most reasonable dishes are the pomodori salad (Dh85), the bianco ragu (Dh105) and the philo pastry tarte (Dh50).
A chat with the chef
Valla is the main man at Roberto’s. From Alba, in Italy’s Piedmont region, the chef Valla was brought up amid white truffles and vineyards.
He learnt his trade working across Italy before joining chef Gualtiero Marchesi’s kitchen, a moment Valla refers to as a “defining chapter” in his career given Marchesi is widely regarded as the founder of Italian nouvelle cuisine.
Chef Valla defines his favourite ingredient to cook with as raw seafood, noting with a smile that the very nature of its rawness “allows the quality of the product and the precision of technique to speak for themselves”.
He adds: “I would describe my cooking style as respectful of the ingredient, indulgent and contemporary. I enjoy creating dishes that are engaging and expressive without ever becoming predictable, reflecting both the times we live in and the modern, international energy of Dubai.
“Careful sourcing and precise preparation already define much of what makes a dish successful, allowing flavour to speak clearly without unnecessary complication,” he continues. “I am not drawn to banality or excess technique, but to generosity and depth of flavour, where indulgence feels intentional and balanced.”
For vegans, chef Valla's top tip is the four semi salad with baby spinach, clementines, peanuts, iceberg and mixed seeds with a light agave dressing.
Melanzane come una sorrentina, or gratin tomato eggplant, buffalo mozzarella and basil, gets the nod for his vegetarian suggestion.
The chef's favourite starter is the dry-aged yellowtail carpaccio, which is served dressed with purple cabbage and dill for, “just the right touch of acidity”.
For seafood it’s the spaghetto cacio e pepe limonato e scampi that gets the nod, with the chef describing it as a classic Italian pasta reimagined with marinated scampi, lime and a citrus-lifted cacio e pepe sauce.
The bombetta – a smoky grilled beef tenderloin filled with Wagyu coppa and provola cheese – is his “absolute must-try” recommendation for meat eaters.
While, for dessert, his suggestion is perhaps an obvious one; the pistachio ice cream. As chef Valla puts it, this “remains a non-negotiable” order.
Contact information
Roberto’s is in Gate Village, DIFC. It is open daily from noon to 3am. Bookings can be made by contacting 04 386 0066 or at wwwrobertosrestaurants.com/dubai.
This review was conducted at the invitation of the restaurant
