Meet grandmas from Italy serving handmade pizza at Dubai restaurant

Move over celebrity chefs—Dubai’s latest culinary stars are here, and they’re armed not with Michelin stars, but with wooden spoons, rolling pins, and centuries-old secrets.

At Mamabella in Kempinski The Boulevard, the Cucina Mamma Experience is turning dining into a family affair—literally—by flying in real Italian grandmothers from the south of Italy, specifically Sicily, to feed you like you just came home from a 14-hour journey across the Mediterranean.

This 12-seat communal table isn’t just a dinner—it’s a Netflix-style moment. You know the global obsession with Italian nonnas who go viral for tossing pasta like it’s a religious ritual? That’s the vibe.

Except this time, you’re not watching from your couch. You’re living it, with Nonna Teresa Parasiliti and Corradina Manzella cooking from recipes passed down through generations.

“It is about family, tradition and heritage and going back to roots,” says marketing manager Lucile of Mamabella. And in true Italian fashion, roots sit at the center of the experience: pasta, pizza, handmade and from their old recipes. No fancy foam. No gold leaf. Just Nonna telling you to finish your plate or else.

Every month, a new nonna will fly in from Italy to host Dubai’s most intimate dinner party.

“What we do in the kitchen—our main cucina mamma—it is a studio where they cook. It is very intimate, looks like a home kitchen,” adds Lucille. Think less ‘hotel’ and more Nonna’s house with a DJ.

Last night? Packed. “The place was full,” she confirms. “They love the vibe—dancers, DJs, Italian.”

In a city obsessed with novelty, Mamabella is playing a brilliant reverse psychology game: less innovation, more nostalgia.

“It is all about tradition. When you miss home, home-cooked food. This is home away from home.”

This concept isn’t a gimmick—it’s forever. “FOREVER,” Lucille emphasises. A culinary residency program powered by love, flour, and probably a few stern looks if you ask for ketchup.

Dubai wanted authenticity. They got Nonna.

And she’s not asking. She’s serving.