Are you looking for an upscale restaurant to enjoy a romantic dinner? Perhaps you would like to have a fun night out with a group of friends. Whatever the occasion, Amalfi Italian Restaurant at Le Royal Meridien Abu Dhabi needs to be on your radar. This newly renovated restaurant is sophisticatedly stylish with its chic decor, dim lighting, warm atmosphere and, best of all, heavenly food.
Recently the Real Housewives of Abu Dhabi headed down to Amalfi for dinner. We were not sure what to expect but were delightfully pleased upon arrival. We were given the royal treatment by the staff. It was easy to see that we were not the only ones receiving such treatment. From what we could observe, the staff were attentive to all guests in the restaurant.
There are so many different dishes on the menu, we had no idea where to begin. The restaurant staff were so accommodating. Instead of individual portions, they created sharing platters. This is a modification that is possible for all their guests if requested. On hand was the chef who came out to help us select the best dish. Can you imagine being surrounded by 9 chatty women trying to decide what to eat? That could take ages in most cases but Chef Justin did an amazing job describing the dishes. His input did make the decision process easier and quicker.
Appetizers
We were given a selection of real Italian meats and cheese, Caprese salad, Tartare of tuna and salmon with caviar, Lobster salad, Fennel salad and most impressive was the Roasted octopus salad. We were off to a great start and in true Italian fashion the food kept coming.
In between the course we were given wood oven baked pizza to try. This was absolutely delicious. We had a simple Margarita pizza but it was so tasty. Most of us agreed that this would have been good enough as we ate our way through 2 pizzas.
Main Course
With there being 9 of us, the most popular choice was the Filet of beef with foie gras, spinach, potato and truffle. The ladies that enjoyed this dish said it was the best filet they had tasted in a long time. One selection was the Lobster California. This is served as a whole lobster which made it a visual favourite for everyone, although I was told it tasted divine too! Other dishes selected included the Ravioli, Pan fried sea bass with apples and sautéed spinach. I choose Rolled veal filled with parmesan, covered in tomato sauce served with eggplant flan and chocolate sauce. Yes – chocolate sauce. I have never seen that as part of the main so I had to try. I was not disappointed. Who knew chocolate and eggplant could go together? Just proof that chocolate goes with everything. With all of the various dishes being served, there was not one discontented person. All the ladies raved about how delicious their selection was.
Dessert
We returned to the group style of sharing dessert. We tried the white chocolate vanilla pannacotta. This was so smooth and creamy. We also tried the puff pastry with lemon custard and cherries – another incredible combination of flavour. The table favourite was the Deconstructed Tiramisu. If you are a Tiramisu lover, the appearance will have you with one eyebrow raised asking, “What the?” It looks like a big ball of candy floss. Chef Pascal came out to explain the dessert. This is a layer of candy floss which provides the sweet and is meant to be ripped open with your hands as a child would. Underneath is the marscapone cream with the layer of coffee flavour. You need to eat all together (candy floss which is sweet with the bitter cream). Ripping into the cotton candy makes dessert fun to eat this way. Despite the different appearance, it successfully maintained the tiramisu flavour and creaminess that you would expect from the traditional Tiramisu.
Would we recommend?
Yes!!! This is the perfect place to for a gathering of friends or an enchanting dinner for two. Every single lady that came to dinner said they would definitely return again. The friendly staff looked after us very well. We love that the restaurant will cater to your needs whether the group is large or small. Even if you are craving something but don’t see it on the menu, the Chefs will do their best to meet your needs. With first rate staff, efficient service and an amazing Italian dishes this is one place you need to book in your social calendar.
Amalfi Restaurant is located at Le Royal Meridien Hotel. They are open 12:00 – 3:00pm for lunch, 7:00 – 11:00 for dinner. If you want to have a further look, you can follow on instagram @AmalfiAbuDhabi or check out the website www.amalfiabudhabi.com .
Let us know what you think!
