Dubai: If you are looking to invite friends over a non-traditional iftar at a place that’s chic, classy and removed from the ordinary, then Al Grissino is the address.
A stunning night-time view of the Burj Khalifa and Dubai’s bustling financial district from the 16th floor of the Emirates Financial Towers in DIFC is the real deal at this gorgeous restaurant – the newest to arrive in Dubai from Milan. This entire holy month, their chefs are presenting a special five-course iftar set menu (Dh205 per person) made up of Italy’s finest regional dishes.
So start with a light minestrone soup made with celery, leeks, carrots, cauliflowers and pretty much an entire back-garden for a healthy start before moving on to their second course – a quartet of cold starters made of cured fish and meat. The tangy salmon marinated with citrus fruit and yellowfin tuna with turmeric sauce will stir your senses if you are a seafood lover, but ask me and I will recommend their Al Grissino special chicken salad made with greens and topped with croutons and a mature gorgonzola dressing.
If you like cold meat, their beef carpaccio garnished with arugula pesto and shaved parmesan is worth a try as well. Their line-up of hot starters next is all about squid in all shapes and sizes – rings served with soya and walnuts and rosemary and other herbs infused mini skewers, grilled nicely. What I will recommend though is their octopus with potatoes that stood out for its amazing tenderness of a well-cooked baby chicken.
Three items – a vegetarian risotto, a platter of fried fish and a juicy steak make up the mains. The soupy yellow rissotto is likeable thanks to the small dollop of original burrata cheese from Puglia as is the fish platter for the deep batter fried calamari. However, it is the sliced Australian angus sirloin, well done in my case and finished with matured gorgonzola cheese and walnuts, that makes it some dish.
The ‘high five’ comes just after on a platter of fruit, panna cotta (Italian ‘cooked cream’) with strawberry and a devilish espresso flavoured traditional tiramisu to swear by.
Details:
Meal for Two: Dh410
Location: Level 16, Emirates Financial Towers, DIFC
Contact: 04 352 4000
Iftar timings: 7 to 8 pm daily
Our Recommendations: Al Grissino salad, octopus with potatoes, sliced beef, traditional tiramisu
