Bice in Hilton Dubai Jumeirah, Dubai Marina, Dubai - Restaurant Reviews

Bice

Although we normally reserve Time Out’s Red Hot spot for a new outlet, this month’s entry is an old-timer, a seasoned veteran in the high-turnover world of Dubaian eateries 10 Reviews

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Although we normally reserve Time Out’s Red Hot spot for a new outlet, this month’s entry is an old-timer, a seasoned veteran in the high-turnover world of Dubaian eateries. The absence of Bice from the restaurant roll of honour has been niggling at us for a while and over the most recent in a long line of beautiful meals there, we decided the time had come to elevate it to Hot Table status. Run by a Riminian restaurant manager who keeps it real by importing top-class ingredients from Italy, Bice is a sophsiticated and authentic joint that comes with a cast-iron guarantee of a good evening.

Sauntering in one famished Tuesday, we went for a pre-dinner tipple, making like Romans over a cheeky campari and a faceful of salty almonds. Having drained the bar of snacks, we moved to a pretty, linen-wrapped table overlooked by thousands of dirhams-worth of aged olive oil. After decimating a potful of grissinis and focaccia loaded with pungent black tapenade, we asked for bresaola, risotto, spaghetti and soave.

All were immaculate. The bresaola was a softly-scented, musky cut, matched with a bouquet of rocket and shards of aged parmesan that crumbled in the mouth, sending quivers of glee through our cheeks. The risotto was richer than Croesus, hummed with morel mushroom flavor and came laced with a smokey truffle oil that turned the puffy arborio into a playground of scents. Spaghetti alla chitarra kept the Bice end up beautifully, blending veal and beef in a seamless fresh tomato ragú draped home-made pasta.

While my dinner date has never been a dessert aficionado, reserving her sweet tooth for occasional banana cake binges, the cioccolatissimo soufflé was enough to turn her head. A teak-brown cocoa masterpiece, it mingled yin-yangishly with the pistachio icecream to genius effect, leaving us overwhelmingly content. We quit the table and dropped into snug armchairs for grappa and sated chat. Time Out salutes its newest hot table, the effortless maestro of this city’s trattorias.

By Rob Orchard