A meaty decision

Le Royal Meridien Abu Dhabi

Amalfi

Meat lovers, rejoice. Amalfi's beef promotion will please your cravings for a hearty piece of steak, and this is coming from a wannabe-vegetarian who generally shies away from carnivorous delicacies.

A meal like the one my lunch-buddy and I had at Le Royal Meridien's Italian restaurant reminds me of precisely why I could never eliminate meat from my life.

The choices were rib eye, tenderloin and prime rib, American, Australian or Argentinean.

For the not so meat-savvy as ourselves, Amalfi's hostess offered a brief explanation; my partner opted for the 220g Australian Angus Branded beef with steak fried potatoes, while I went for the more conventional USA Certified Angus beef with sautéed vegetables.

Salad first

Being in an Italian restaurant, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to cool down with a refreshing plate of mozzarella di buffalo e pomodori pachino, i.e., the typical mozzarella and cherry tomato with basil oil appetiser.

Given the sweltering heat outside, the entrée came as a revitalising delight.

While the wait for our main course was a little longer than generally appreciated, once the two beef plates came around, we were in for a filling meal.

The steaks are generally topped off with one of three sauces, pizzaiola (very mildly spicy tomato), ai funghi (mushroom) or al vino rosso (red grape), but my lunch buddy decided she wanted to sample all three, and the staff obliged.

Natural penchant

My friend and I both have a natural penchant for anything with mushrooms, and this sauce did not disappoint.

The red grape sauce was also good, but the tomato sauce was not as spicy as we had predicted.

Both the steak fried potato and sautéed vegetables came in generous portions and complemented the meat well.

My USA Certified Angus beef (Dh95) was faultless, while my lunch-buddy's Australian Angus Branded beef (Dh85) paled a little in comparison.

After sampling each other's dishes, we both agreed that the American steak was more flavourful.

Generous portion

I was somehow able to wipe my plate clean (a rare occurrence!) and thought it would be the end of lunchtime at the airy and quiet restaurant.

But the staff had other plans for us.

The hostess tempted us with what she called the best tiramisu in town - people supposedly come to Amalfi just to have this.

Not ones to turn our back on Italian desserts, we ordered the tiramisu.

My friend gasped when she saw the size of our shared dessert; very generous!

And the taste? Let me just say the hostess was not lying.

Every time we tried to put our spoons down to finally end our meal, we kept going back for more.

The verdict

Meat lovers will undeniably find something to suit their taste buds during Amalfi's beef promotion.

At lunchtime, the restaurant is peaceful and overlooks lucky pool-dwellers, while later dining surely sees a bit more of a crowd.

Amalfi also caters to al fresco dining, with a cute little terrace by the pool.

Amalfi's beef promotion runs until June 15.

Checklist

GETTING THERE: Le Royal Meridien Abu Dhabi, Khalifa Street
OPEN: 12.30-3pm and 7-11pm
DÉCOR: Modern with an Italian flavour
SEATING: 125
DRESS CODE: Smart casual
RECOMMENDED: USA Angus Steak and Tiramisu