The location:
The Artisan is tucked away on level 5 of the Burj Daman Building in Dubai’s International Financial Centre. The venue is easily reached from Sheikh Zayed Road or Financial Centre and Emirates Towers Metro stations. Valet parking is also available.
The atmosphere:
Very chic indeed. The main restaurant’s decor is tasteful and elegant with its palette of smokey grey and duck egg blue. Providing splashes of colour are vibrant pieces of modern art from the surrounding galleries in the DIFC district. From the velvet teal seats to the polished parquet floors and floating Murano glass light installations, this venue is an interior designer’s dream. Even the powder room sparkles from floor to ceiling with a rare — locally sourced — emerald vein marble.
The restaurant was filled with groups of Italian ladies and gents, French tourists and plenty of Emirati couples. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming with laughter reverberating throughout the eatery, as diners retreated from the daily grind.
The food:
The Artisan has impressive culinary roots stemming from Florence and the three-star Michelin restaurant L’Enoteca Pinchiorri, founded in the 1970s by Annie Féolde and her husband Giorgio Pinchiorri. The Dubai restaurant is the couple’s first foreign foray and it’s off to a flying start with executive chef Luca Tresoldi running the pass.
Much like the contemporary dishes offered during The Artisan’s evening service, the new business lunch is a condensed, express version of the à la carte menu.
My dining companion was impressed with a signature salad bursting with sweet and juicy heirloom tomatoes, fresh from the vine. While my polpo cotto, consisted of beautifully slow-cooked octopus drizzled in a fragrant homemade olive oil. Accompanied by al dente green beans, the dish worked well, however it was too liberally salted in places.
For mains, I chartered new culinary territory with salty grilled scallops and earthy chickpeas. The combination was very pleasing and the dish surprisingly filling. My companion opted for Hamburg rooster which was succulent, with crispy skin, and perfectly paired with a generous side of the house fries and grilled vegetables.
Desert comprised a large portion of The Artisan’s indulgent tiramisu and, my number one dish of the day, a Florentine take on a classic lemon meringue. The buttery pastry was a triumph, the filling just the right side of tart and the meringue peaks ever-so-lightly set.
Who’s it best for?
Those in need of a smart and speedy business lunch. Three courses can be served in as little as 30-minutes and the service is incredibly slick without feeling hurried. Equally, ‘ladies who lunch’ can enjoy the fare while taking their time to drink in the sophisticated surroundings.
The verdict:
Superb value at Dh120 for two courses, considering the provenance of the ingredients, standard of the cooking and pedigree of the restaurant. Desert costs an additional Dh30 — a bargain price for a heavenly slice of bella Italia.
• The Artisan's business lunch is available from 12-3pm daily from Sunday to Thursday. For reservations call 043388133, email reservations@theartisan.ae or go to www.theartisan.ae for more information.
The National was a guest of the venue.
rduane@thenational.ae
