Italian Food connoisseurs will love Il Borro, the ultimate fancy Italian restaurant in Jumeirah Al Naseem.
If there’s two things the Italians know how to do well, it’s fashion and food, so learning of Salvatore Ferragamo’s foray into the hospitality industry shouldn’t come as a surprise.
The original Il Borro is a lovingly restored medieval village surrounded by wooded hillsides nestled inside a 750-hectare organic estate and winery. Owned by fashion conglomerate Salvatore Ferragamo, the rural estate can be found just outside Florence. Which is a far cry from its Dubai outpost at Jumeirah Al Naseem where the sleek, crisp white and beige restaurant is a decidedly contemporary affair. Here, head chef Fulvio Opalio is plating Tuscany his way.
It’s highly recommended you share – especially when it comes to the antipasti. Start with a grilled octopus and baby potato salad; the octopus is expertly cooked with just the right amount of char and bite to it. The menu also features perennial favourite burrata served with organic tomatoes and fragrant basil and a decadently rich chicken liver crostini. The only minor let down of the evening was the somewhat confusing artichoke salad with roasted walnuts and pecorino cheese. The shaved artichokes were dry and chalky, a bit like wood chippings. Maybe the thistles were having an off day.
The homemade tagliatelle with black winter truffles quickly made up for it; it’s one of those luxuriously comforting dishes that you just know is good for the soul. The seabass too is excellent, with the delicate fish beautifully firm and flaky. It’s a generous portion and we were relieved we were sharing.
Chef Fulvio Opalio has been perfecting his grandmother’s tiramisu recipe for years, striving to make a fluffier, less sugary version of it. He’s succeeded. Its flavour is full-bodied, but its texture is so light, it could almost pass as virtuous.
The excellent cuisine is completed by a buzzing atmosphere and service that manages to be both polished and personalised. Even on a Monday night the restaurant was heaving – Italian fare, it appears, has never been more fashionable.
Il Borro Tuscan Bistro Dubai
Jumeirah Al Naseem Hotel
Turtle Lagoon
Dubai
Tel: +971 4 275 2555
E-mail: reservations@ilborrotuscanbistro.ae
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