Corsini Café

DIFC’s Italian restaurant is more of a no-frills lunchtime haunt Discuss this article

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I had been meaning to explore the culinary terrain at DIFC for a long time. Often, it is an undervalued dining destination, which is odd, given the sheer numbers of office workers passing through in search of a reliable lunchtime haunt or after work nosh. Restaurants there open without a puff of fanfare, many independently run. Many of these spots – no matter how unassuming at the outset – are hidden gems.

Corsini Café was described to me as a traditional Italian café, and I was drawn by the lure of authentic Mediterranean fare. When we entered, though, it was clear ‘Italian’ was loosely applied. Though we were there in the evening, it seemed clear Corsini was better situated as a lunchtime spot, one specialising in burgers, sandwiches and the occasional pizza and pasta dish. The pictures on the walls of Indonesian children and the non-Italian spelling of café also did little to add to the authentic Italian feel of the place.

We had meant to split a pizza, but the waitress got confused when I placed our order and thought by ordering mains we had decided to forgo the starter. It ended up being for the best, because the portions were enormous. My date had the frutti di mari pasta, made with shrimp and chunks of salmon. As a pasta dish it was pretty standard, served up in a classic, out-of-a-jar-style marinara sauce. While it didn’t necessarily inspire, neither did it repel. My vegetable panino, however, was a sad disappointment. This sandwich is a no-brainer. What more do you need than an assortment of roasted vegetables, pesto and flatbread? Absent of pesto and served on a roll, this version proved dry and cumbersome. It was the kind of dish that makes you give up. I pushed it aside. I was done eating for the day. Maybe, if I felt like it, I’d resume the pastime tomorrow.

We attempted dessert, but the pickings behind the glass counter were so meagre that it was apparent the time to really make a go for Corsini’s pastries was earlier in the day. What was left was a sole, sad-looking cake. We gave it a miss and went home.

It could just have been the time of day we went there. Although it’s open at night, Corsini is as much an evening spot as it is an Italian restaurant. But for a no frills burger during the day, it’s probably makes for a simple, low-key spot for the DIFC lunch crowd.

The bill (for two)
1x Small Volvic water Dhs8
1x Fruitti di mari pasta Dhs50
1x Vegetable panino Dhs35
Total (including service) Dhs93

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