Sophisticated Italian Fine Dining – Al Grissino

Last evening I was invited to Al Grissino to experience their set menu curated for the Dubai Restaurant Month. This restaurant is undoubtedly one of best in class locations for sophisticated Italian fine dining, perched on the 16th floor in Emirates Finacial Towers in DIFC. A part of the collaboration between Dining & Nightlife DXB, Zomato UAE and Emirates NBD, the Dubai Restaurant Month allowed diners to sample a set menu with signature offerings at participating 5 star restaurants for a special price of AED 250 per person or AED 200 if you pay using Emirates NBD cards.

These prawns marked the starters of our 3-course dinner. Just look at that juicy goodness. Now imagine sinking your teeth into that tenderness and relishing the crunch that follows.
These are just words, but you get a lot more in every bite of these delicious Gamberi alla Catalana. These Catalan styled prawns are basted with rustic tomatoes and onions in a vinegar reduction where the prawns soak up all that concoction that makes them so juicy.

Ahh, nothing can get as creamy as this. The name of this Burrata starter might be long, but the deliciousness justifies it. The Burrata con concassé di pomodori e olio al basilico is basically a very creamy and generous portion of Burrata cheese with luscious cherry tomatoes and basil oil. It is garnished with fresh basil leaves, pesto and crackled black pepper.
I simply loved how it was presented in a pastry shell.

Now we all know Burrata is my all time favorite, so there was no way I would ignore this off the Dubai Restaurant Month set menu. But if you are not a fan of prawns or Burrata, you could also opt for the beef carpaccio.

I have always loved rissotos. And mushrooms. It’s something about the creaminess that comes together with the soft Italian rice, tender mushrooms and grated parmesan that melts in your mouth and gives you a comforting feeling taking you to the rustic countryside of Italy. The Risotto ai porcini e funghi di bosco comes with porcini and mixed mushrooms, making it a must have a mushroom lovers.

Now that’s a massive plate of veal chops, isn’t it? The Cotoletta alla Milanese con pomodorini Pachino features extremely tender pan fried veal chops covered with a crispy crumbed coating. It is served with lusciously juicy cherry tomatoes on a bed of fresh rocket leaves and fleshy roasted potato wedges.
The potato wedges were such a delight and the veal meat was flattened and fried which made it amazingly tender.

If you preferred surf over turf and plants, the third option in their set menu for the Dubai Restaurant Month was Sicilian style sea bass which was served with cherry tomatoes and olives in true Italian style.

This, honestly, is by far the best tiramisu I’ve had in Dubai. It is infact not your traditional Italian layered dessert, but comes with a creamy modern twist. Layers of mascarpone cheese and whipped cream is accented with coffee “kisses” and topped with chocolate swirls. The cocoa dusting adds a dreamy finish.

We were still reminiscing over the tiramisu, when the Sottobosco stepped in to take us by surprise. The drunken rum ice cream flavored with orange zabaione came garnished with dried fruits and berries, and topped with a smooth chocolate shell. This creamy dessert was perfect for a sweet ending. Still not impressed by the tiramisu and rum ice cream? You could also try out the panna cotta with berries from their set menu.