Segreto | Souk Madinat Jumeirah

Hidden amidst the dreamy waterways and tucked within the summer homes, Segreto is certainly Souk Madinat Jumeirah’s best kept secret. While the name of this restaurant might mean ‘secret’, their AED 150 summer menu definitely doesn’t have to be one! This award-winning Italian restaurant is all set to step out and make its appearance under the Dubai limelight, or should I say sunlight. Segreto has come up with a value oriented 3-course Italian Delights menu priced at just AED 150 per person. This specially created summer menu includes a selection of some of their bestselling dishes across starters, mains and desserts, inspired from different regions of Italy, and will be available until the end of August.

Read on to take a look at what we ordered, and don’t blame me if you start drooling over the pics!

Before we move on to the food, here’s a friendly tip: Since this restaurant is so obviously one of the top romantic spots in Dubai, you might want to add a touch of charm by taking a scenic route to get to the restaurant. Now remember, in order to do so, make sure you arrive at Al Qasr Hotel and head to the abra station located at the property. This will allow you to sail over the Madinat Jumeriah waterways, and get a drop off at the foot of the restaurant. If you don’t fancy an abra ride though, you can always choose to arrive at Souk Madinat Jumeirah and take a walk through the maze like Middle Eastern inspired souk alleys before you can get to Segreto.

We parked at Souk Madinat and chose to walk to the restaurant. As soon as we arrived we were greeted by restaurant manager Ajay, who offered us some Italian Aperol Spritz* to beat the heat while we decided what we wanted to order. Along with the drinks, we we served a bread board that featured warm foccacia paired with sundried tomatoes and an artichoke dip. We had almost made up our minds on our 3 course menu for the day, but like always we asked for the staff’s recommendations on the bestselling dishes. Surprisingly, most of what our server Shakila recommended matched what we were hoping to try.

Our starters included the classic Caprese Di Bufala and Fritto Misto Di Pesce. The former featured creamy mozzarella slices alternated with red and green tomatoes, and topped with a drizzle of pesto and olive oil. My ultimate favorite, this rich starter was truly satisfying. The latter of our two starters was a mix of crispy golden calamari, shrimps, cream dori and zucchini. Although I am not a big fan of calamari, my plus one loved it. And as for the shrimps, they were so good, I was really hoping to ask them for a bowl full of these. Apart from these two, the other option among their starters was a chicken liver pate’ with sour cherries and pistachio.

Moving on to the mains, we chose to go surf and turf. One of our two mains was a classic Spaghetti Aglio Olio with Peperoncino and Gamberi (prawns). The garlicky spaghetti was cooked al dente, just the way I like it, and the chili oil dressing on the side made for such a flavor bomb. The other main, also my favorite of the day, was a Tagliata Style beef striploin served with a side salad of rocket leaves, cherry tomatoes and parmesan shavings. We had asked for the beef to be done medium, and it was blissfully perfect. The juicy meat made for such a comforting dish, I found it the most difficult to have to share this dish. However, if you’re not a fan of shrimps or striploin, you can also opt for tagliatelle pasta with bolognese sauce or the classic spaghetti carbonara.

For desserts, our choices were quite obvious. Leaving out the third option of fresh sliced fruits, we instead opted for the classic tiramisu’ and vanilla panna cotta. The tiramisu’ was something else. Utterly creamy and absolutely cloud like, this was one of the most delectable tiramisu’ I’ve had in Dubai. It’s totally worth a try, even if you’re on a diet, for this is something you will not regret. The vanilla panna cotta was equally smooth in terms of texture and the strawberry compote added a nice tanginess to balance out the sweet vanilla.

A great choice for a date night, this is one spot you definitely want to take your special someone to. And with the delightful limited time price of AED 150 for their 3-course summer menu, you’re all set to get the best of Italian cuisine without breaking your bank.

*P.S. Drinks are not included in the 3-course menu and will be charged additionally

Segreto

Location: Ground Level, Souk Madinat Jumeirah, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai
Contact: 800666353 | 04 3666125

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