Competition between Italian restaurants is tough in Dubai and L’Olivo Ristorante in Rixos The Palm appears to have found a winning formula. The first thing my dining companion and I noticed as we entered the venue was its ambience. It was incredibly romantic. The lighting was flatteringly soft and low, with candles dotting every table. Then there was the music, courtesy of a pianist, saxophonist and singer who delivered pitch-perfect Norah Jones ballads all evening. Having taken our seats at a window table with a palm tree fringed view of Dubai’s coastline, we tucked into freshly-baked rolls dipping them in an award-winning Casaliva olive oil by Italian purveyors Comincioli.
29-year-old chef Francesco Cavazzina had prepared for us a four course menu, the first dish of which was a starter of Buffalo Burrata. It was a thing of beauty, with the cheese gleaming proudly atop a bed of green, yellow and red heirloom tomatoes. It tasted as good as it looked with dots of basil pesto and a sticky-sweet aged Balsamic bringing all the elements together.
Up next, I was served a hearty portion of pasta alla puttanesca with Mediterranean lobster and capers. Unable to eat shellfish, my friend opted instead for carbonara with duck and air-dried veal pancetta. And that’s when everything changed. Food envy was building. Not to detract from the tastiness of my stellar seafood dish, but the angalotti pasta parcels, packed with smoky meat, zucchini and 24-month old Parmigiano, were truly sensational.
Next to be served, our main course of slow cooked rack of lamb served. The meat was crusted with sweet and crunchy pistachios which contrasted well with the accompaniment of fluffy gnocchi alla Romana.
To round-off our meal we enjoyed a desert of chocolate fondant Amedei, named after the famous artisanal chocolatiers from Tuscany. Warming, rich and served with a vanilla creme, it was a contemporary end to an otherwise classic Italian meal.
If you’re a fan of modern Mediterranean cuisine, L’Olivo should definitely be on your list. Adventurous diners will also no doubt love chef Cavazzina’s current favourite dish of saffron risotto with liquorice and zucchini flowers. Clearly passionate about his craft, chef likes to greet patrons at their table, recommending seasonal menu highlights and discussing the provenance of his produce. Whether, he’ll be as willing to disclose the secret behind his covetable carbonara sauce, however, is quite another story.
• Four course set menus, with paired beverages, at L'Olivo range from Dh399-Dh499 per person. Rixos The Palm is located on the east crescent of Dubai's Palm Jumeirah. For restaurant reservations and spa appointments call +971 4 457 55 55 or click here.
