Dubai: There are Italian restaurants and then there’s Per Te, the stylish new ‘ristorante e cafè’ that opened earlier this year behind Jumeirah Plaza in the heart of Jumeirah 1.
If you thought food from Lo Stivale was all about pizzas and pastas, then Per Te ( Italian for ‘for you’) – styled out of a sprawling old villa – is the place for you to take a nice little gastronomic tour of the country noted for its regional diversity. You will be surprised by the range of ingredients – from fresh vegetables to choices of meat and fish – they use, just like a family would at home in Italia!
For instance, if you order their Antipasto Classico (Dh83) – a typical platter of starters, you will know what I mean. It’s got pretty much everything – from spicy salami to black sesame tuna to prawns wrapped with bacon to grilled vegetables and, of course, sundried tomato pesto and some fresh buffalo mozzarella cheese. In the centre of it all sits beef bresaola - (or in Italian dialect brisaola) air-dried, salted and tastefully aged for about two months for a hallmark of northern Italy’s Lombardy region.
Another starter worth trying is their Fritto Misto (Dh52) or a platter of breaded mixed fries of seafood (prawns and calamari) with sale e pepe or salt and pepper thrown in for good measure and served alongside a delicious pesto mayonnaise dip. However, if pasta is your order of the day then do ask for their Paccheri con Aragosta e Granchio (Dh72) – the big-sized tubelike pasta from Campania and Calabria in the country’s south that comes with lobster and crab in a delectably tangy tomato sauce and garnished with asparagus. Order a Pizza Bufalina (Dh52) made of fresh buffalo mozzarella cheese along with it and you won’t be disappointed.
The highlight of the lunch though was their Branzino alla Griglia con fregola (Dh86) or grilled sea bass with clams as the main course. The presentation – fashioned with a type of Italian white rice – takes the crown, but if you care to dig into the soft, fleshy grill served with tomato salsa you know it’s a real wonder item.
Details:
Meal for two: Dh300 (approx)
Location: Villa no. 54, Behind Jumeirah Plaza, Jumeirah 1
Timings: Noon to 11.30pm
Contact: 04-344 6455
Our Recommendations: Antipasto Classico, Paccheri with lobster and crab, Pizza Bufalina, Grilled Seabass
