Can the popular Italian restaurant compete with Dubai’s more established weekend brunches? 

Earlier this year, Eataly at The Beach opened its doors at Pavilion in JBR, becoming the brand’s first licensed venue in the Middle East. Fast forward a few months and the restaurant has launched its very own weekend brunch, Brunch All’Italiana, taking place every Saturday.

Set against the stunning postcard backdrop of the Arabian Gulf and Ain Dubai, we arrived at the restaurant, which spans over two floors,  and were immediately transported to the sunny Italian coast.

On the ground floor, an open kitchen overlooks a spacious outdoor terrace with sea views. Inside, a food market and cheese room where you can shop high-quality products imported all the way from from Italy including pasta, olive oil, cheese, and tomatoes. The restaurant is fairly quiet but we make our way upstairs for the brunch where a talented live music duo are covering hits like Gloria by Umberto Tozzi, The Best by Tina Turner, and That’s Amore by Dean Martin

@whatsondubai Brunching with a view at the new Eataly in Pavilion JBR #whatsondubai #jbr #jbrdubai #brunchtok #dubaibrunch ♬ vegas – favsoundds

The food

To start, we help ourselves to the generous buffet of traditional antipasti dishes including a selection of Italian cheese, homemade breads, tomato bruschetta served on crunchy baguette, mixed seafood salad, and baked choux filled with ricotta and smoked salmon. It’s light, it’s fresh, and this particular spread is definitely up there with some of the best we’ve had at a brunch.

Our main courses are served sharing-style straight from the kitchen. This is music to our ears as oftentimes buffet-style cuisine can lack in quality.  The Saffron risotto was simple yet flavourful and the Sardinian fregola pasta with prawns oozed with a deep aroma and delicious creaminess.

We also encourage you to try the rustic eggplant parmigiana, there’s something so comforting about the layers of eggplant, tomato, and mozzarella baked together.  The tomatoey parmigiana married perfectly well with the pan-seared chicken and beef ham.

Desserts were available from the buffet – the tiramisu, Sicilian cannoli, and profiteroles were looking at us and it would have been rude not to try some. All in all, the menu was executed very well with plenty on offer for vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. However, it would have been nice to see a pizza option on the menu. We are in Eataly after all!

Verdict…

To answer our initial question: yes absolutely. Brunch All’Italiana at Eataly at the Beach is a true embodiment of the Italian way of life and a unique, refined alternative to your usual Dubai brunches. Instead, it offers guests an opportunity to appreciate the simpler things, spending time with family and friends, enjoying each others company, with honest food and drinks. The definition of la dolce vita.

Eataly, Pavilion at The Beach, JBR, Dubai. 12pm to 4pm, Saturdays. Dhs295 soft, Dhs395 house, Dhs495 premium. Tel: (0)4 561 1185, eatalyarabia.com

Images: Provided