Dante

Chances are that by the time this book hits the streets, the piercing bursts of construction work that punctuated our visit to Dante will have ceased Discuss this article

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From Time Out Dubai Eating Out 2008

Chances are that by the time this book hits the streets, the piercing bursts of construction work that punctuated our visit to Dante will have ceased. Less certain is whether or not the restaurant will evolve to become one of the bigger noises among the city’s Italian dining destinations.

The portents certainly look promising for this venue at the spanking new Grand Millennium Dubai. No expense has been spared in creating a suitably opulent ambience – the checked marble floor vying with the frescos on the ceiling for pre-eminence in the faux Italianate grandeur stakes.

Less impressive is a starter of scallops on a bed of poached courgette, which fails to bolster the mellow flavours of its components with anything like enough zing. The unpromising opening is rapidly allayed, however, by a robustly tangy bucatini matriciana – the perfectly al dente pasta enveloped in a tomato sauce made smoky and spicy by pancetta and chilli.

A crisp-skinned baby chicken with tender and juicy rosemary-infused meat is a sparkling main, while the concluding tiramisu is light, fluffy and creamy, and beautifully presented on a sugar-dusted platter.

The food at Dante may be a little rustic to justify the relatively high prices, but with fantastic service and an extensive wine-list adding to its allure, there’s nothing here that a bit of tweaking won’t fix.

• Previous reviews
  • 21 April,2008- reviewed by Mark Smith
  • 26 March,2008- reviewed by Jeremy Lawrence

Time Out reviews restaurants anonymously and pays for meals. Of course, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or independence of user reviews.