The new trattoria specialises in one thing – but is it good?

It’s often said that it’s better to concentrate on doing one thing well. For Ravioli & Co, as the name might suggest, that thing is pasta.

Tucked away in the Burj Daman in DIFC, this new trattoria specialises in fresh pasta – mostly, the sort that comes loaded with delicious stuff. It’s all made from scratch by an in-house sfoglina (pasta lady). The kitchen has a large glass window through which you can watch her preparing the dough.

The restaurant itself has a rustic charm, with its aged wooden tables, pot plants, and decor that wouldn’t look out of place in an Italian grandmother’s house. It all feels very cosy – especially once you’ve sorted yourself out with a little aperitivo from the list of expertly mixed cocktails.

The menu is small and simple, with a focus on high quality ingredients sourced directly from Italy, as well as local produce.

To start, we ordered a plate of 36-hour marinated salmon (Dhs80), and beef tartare with shaved black truffle (Dhs105), which were the perfect accompaniments to the complimentary basket of freshly baked bread, still warm from the oven. The generous portions impressed us, and both dishes were perfectly presented.

The tortelli al profumo di tomo ravioli (Dhs68) was pillowy pasta perfection, stuffed with tender lamb and swimming in a delicious cherry tomato sauce – a dish so fresh it alone calls for a repeat visit.

The risotto with zucchini, scallops and bottarga (Dhs98) was also excellent, packed with rich flavours, and that satisfying melt-in-your-mouth texture.

For dessert, the chocolate bonnet with amaretto biscuits (Dhs30) was a little too strong for our taste, but the cavolat (Dhs35) – a mix of mascarpone cream with meringue and hot chocolate cream – made for a surprisingly refreshing end to the evening.

One thing to note – there’s talk of the restaurant offering cooking classes and workshops in the near future. If they can teach us how to make pasta as good as theirs, well, sign us up.

Burj Daman, DIFC, Dubai, daily noon to midnight. Tel: (04) 241 1616. ravioliandco.ae

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