The entire restaurant – from the interiors to the menu – has been inspired by the best of the Amalfi Coast…

It’s been the most hotly-anticipated opening on Bluewaters since we first learned of its arrival, and now Alici, the beautiful new seafood restaurant by the team behind multi What’s On award-winning Restaurant of the Year Il Borro, is now open.

Ahead of its official opening, What’s On headed inside for a first look at the stunning new spot…

Everything about Alici – meaning anchovies – has been inspired by the Almafi Coast.

“We wanted to capture the best part of Amalfi,” said Piero Giglio, Director F&B Operations. So, Piero and his team travelled the length of Amalfi, researching and tasting everything they could, from the signature dishes at Italy’s high-end restaurants to simple family-style food at humble trattorias to really discover the essence of what makes the Amalfi Coast special – and bring it to Dubai.

When deciding on the Bluewaters location Giglio said: “Everyone wants to open in DIFC, but not us. We want to be different. We saw something special at the turtle lagoon at Jumeirah Al Naseem for Il Borro, and we see something incredible about this space on Bluewaters”.

And it’s hard to disagree with him. The view across Dubai Marina is stunning, and you can admire it from both the outdoor terrace on the ground floor and an expansive first floor terrace, too.

Most of the art and pottery you see in the two-storey restaurant has been hand-painted by Lucio Liguori AKA The Anchovy Man, famous in Italy for his paintings of this marine creature. And outside, flowers typical of the Amalfi coast line the boulevard.

There are two kitchens: one upstairs and one downstairs – the latter home to a stunning blue-tiled pizza oven. There’s also a special raw food counter where guests can have an up-close experience with the chefs at work.

Details are exquisite. Blue and white olive oil pots (made especially for Alici) make the centerpiece of every table; original postcards from Italy are framed alongside the staircase; blue and white copyrighted tiles line the foyer, bathrooms and bag-stools; and a gorgeous painting of Positano looms overhead on the ground floor.

On the menu you’ll find dishes such as an elegant seafood platter, pasta with anchovy (obviously), whole Turbot and a signature langoustine. All the cooking techniques adopted by head chef Domenico Santagada are typical of Southern Italy.

We can’t wait to tuck in…

Alici, Bluewaters, off JBR, daily noon to 3.30pm and 7pm to 11.30pm. Tel: (04) 2752577. instagram.com/alicidubai