Splendido

The Ritz-Carlton’s Italian restaurant is as sophisticated as you’d expect 9 Reviews

Meal Deal

Friday brunch

There’s an extensive salad and appetiser buffet, an international range of main dishes (dahl sits alongside bolognese and roasted veggies), as well as a sushi station, grills and freshly cooked risotto. Dhs275 (soft drinks), Dhs375 (selected house beverages and sparkling grape), Dhs695 (premium bubbly), Dhs135 (children aged five to 12) Timings: 12.30pm-3.30pm (Friday)

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Splendido once offered an atmospheric view of the beach and sea. Now, another part of the Ritz is being constructed in front of it and this view is obscured. However, the outdoor area is still perfectly pleasant, encircled by trees and greenery. Inside you’ll find a traditional Italian restaurant, complete with white tablecloths and a slightly formal atmosphere. Dishes are not cheap, and service is not fantastically speedy. Dishes such as foie gras ravioli and prosciutto e fichi (Parma ham and fresh figs) from the lengthy menu come in small but rich and carefully-presented portions, and leave you pleasantly full.

By Time Out Dubai staff
Time Out Dubai, 22 March 2012

• Previous reviews
  • 24 March,2011- reviewed by Time Out Dubai staff
  • 05 May,2010- reviewed by Daisy Carrington
  • 06 April,2010- reviewed by Time Out Dubai staff
  • 19 March,2009- reviewed by Time Out Dubai staff
  • 26 March,2008- reviewed by Jeremy Lawrence
  • 08 August,2007- reviewed by James Brennan
  • 12 March,2007- reviewed by Time Out Dubai Staff
  • 12 July,2006- reviewed by Time Out Dubai
  • 30 April,2006- reviewed by TimeOut Dubai Staff
  • 01 June,2003- reviewed by Rob Orchard
  • 01 December,2001- reviewed by Time Out Dubai Staff

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

User reviews:

Posted by: yousef on 16 Dec ' 11 at 10:57

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

• Best for: Romantic
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

we celebrated my wife birthday and the services provided by splendido was pure excellent! we were seated in the terrace and welcomed by the manager and staff...the table was beautifully decorated and customized to reflect the high attention given by splendido. we were soon offered complementary welcome appitizer followed by top notch dishes...the staff later presented a complementary cake and my present to my wife which i intrusted to them the night before (high value gift)...rest assured this restaurant is ideal for celebrations as they make you feel really special and you would leave later praising them! the bill was only 400 dirhams which included 2 appitizers, 2 main dishes, sparkling water and a soft drink.
splendido is back in our view to #1 italian diamond class range of restaurants...you will have to try it to believe it :)

Posted by: B. A. on 02 May ' 10 at 13:49

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

• Best for: Brunch served
• Would you go back to this restaurant? No

The food is not good. Service slow. sorry no good

Posted by: Sonja Mathew on 24 Mar ' 10 at 07:51

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

• Best for: Business lunch
• Would you go back to this restaurant? No

You are looking for a restaurant that service authentic Italian food with a very nice ambiente and an impacible service, look now further and go to BICE.
Splednidio on the other hand diappointed me very much, as it used to be better then Bice. The terrace is nice, but now it is getting hot and you will be squeezeed into a small wooden hall (the inside).
The service is still ok, but I see everyone is always mentioning Massimo and Emanuel, who are these guyes and what happend to them. They must haved run the show in the past. Now the "show" is different. Somehow boring and monotone. The food is not authentic anymore and you can eat better Italian food for less, like in Bertuccis or Fratelli la Buffala (very good Pizza!). Obviously the main competitor is Bice, but Bice is now far ahead of the game. I would not return for lunch, maybe for Brunch, but the price is becoming a bit to high for what you get. The food is fresh and of high quality, but I think it needs more. Hopefully one day things will change and I will go back to the "splendid" restaurant that it once represented.
Sonja

Posted by: Abdul Gildroy on 21 Mar ' 10 at 09:00

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

• Best for: Business lunch
• Would you go back to this restaurant? No

I have been to Splendido many times, but things have changed. The service is average, the food, NOT Italian, and you just get bored. The terrace is nice, but you need more to compete against so many other restaurants in town. I guess we all miss the past (see other comments). Then you could see and feel the hard work of the management and its stuff. Get Masimo back. He knew how to run that place together with the Italian manager.
Keep the food simple and Italian, like in Urbano or Bice. The ambiance is ok, but when the terrace is closed it gets a bit boring.

Posted by: George Kettley on 16 Mar ' 10 at 10:28

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

• Best for: Family friendly
• Would you go back to this restaurant? No

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen of the Splendido Team, what happend to you. Your restaurant is now forgotten! No awards or nominations anymore. I guess your PR is not really working. Ijust saw the Time Out Dubai Awards nominees, but you have never been mentioned (not even for the brunch). The glorious days must be over, but you should now work even harder to compete with all the new restaurants around you. Follow Bice's example. they still know Roberto, but Splendido, nobody remembers you anymore. Whoever wrote about Chef Massimo and Emanuel was right. They were an unbeatable team giving true service and outstanding food in a classic Italian way.
It used to be a fun place to be, but know I would not return, sorry!
Improve your food, service, and advertising, its for your own good. Sorry for these hard words, but you know its true.
Good Luck, you can do it.

Posted by: Vincenzo Landini on 18 Jan ' 10 at 12:20

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

• Best for: Family friendly
• Would you go back to this restaurant? No

Oh Splendido mio! What happened to this once so wonderful restaurant? Five years ago people would see it as the best Italian restaurant in town (besides Bice), but now, who actually knows Splendido? The food is blend the ambiance average, and the serve, friendly, but not how it used to be. Yes, Massimo and Emanuele made it all happend back then. Where are they now? I believe it is over-priced for what you get. Urbano at Souk ALl Bahar serves similar food at much better prices. The food selection is ok, but nothing stands really out.
I wish you would listen to your customers and finally implement some changes. It is about time. Believe me, I am not allow asking for this.

Regards Vincenzo

Posted by: Laurent on 19 Aug ' 09 at 06:47

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

• Best for: Brunch served
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

Indeed, the prices have gone up, and AED295- (vs. 195 2 years ago) is bitter pill to swallow! On an other end, it's still the best brunch in town! The accent is not on the quantity of dishes available, but on the quality! I've never been disappointed! The french Patissier is a genius, and his work is not only great for your palate but for your eyes also! And the service is very good, not only towards adults but kids, whom are very welcome!!!

Posted by: Juliette on 01 Jun ' 09 at 11:45

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

• Best for: Brunch served
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

I've only been there for the brunch but it is my favorite in Dubai. The focus in not so much on getting hammered ( 2 flutes of Veuve Cliquot and unlimited house wines), but really what sets it apart from others is the quality of the food. Yes, it's not cheap, but neither are the products they use.

The variety is good, if not excessive, eclectic, but again the emphasis is really on getting the tastes right. The food is fresh and the plates are renewed frequently so you don't have things getting soggy in the chaffing dishes. I advise booking early and sitting in the garden in the pleasant months, very pleasant atmosphere, the food is fabulous and the dessert buffet is sensational, definitely worth saving lots of space for.

Posted by: Peter Smith on 29 Mar ' 09 at 07:24

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

• Best for: Brunch served
• Would you go back to this restaurant? No

This restaurant used to be really good 4 to 5 years ago. The service was outstanding and the food really really good and authentic Italian. I believe it used to be Chef Veronesi who made it all happen then and there was an Italian Manager, Emanuele, who used to be very good and professional.
This attentivness to detail is now unfortunatelly missing. The food is now very "playfull", but not authentic. Once again this restaurant has an identity crisis, which had been fixed in the past.
The brunch is fine, nice terrace and good atmosphere. The price is too much and in this current situation should certainly be revised. It was never cheap, but no it seems certainly very overpriced and value for money is not given.
I hope the Ladies and Gentlemen of the Ritz-Carlton will put some thought behind this, to bring the restaurant to its old glory.

O