DUBAITABLE
Updated 26 September 2026
DubaiTable’s ten picks cover neighbourhood pasta restaurants, dressed-up DIFC dining rooms and meals with a view. The comparison below will help you choose by occasion and location; each entry includes dishes to consider, menu prices and official Instagram links. The restaurants are unranked.
The restaurants at a glance
| Restaurant | Area | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Il Ristorante – Niko Romito | Jumeira Bay Island | A major fine-dining occasion |
| Il Borro Tuscan Bistro | Umm Suqeim | Tuscan pasta and a long lunch |
| L’Amo Bistrò del Mare | Dubai Harbour | Seafood and waterfront dining |
| Chic Nonna | DIFC | A dressed-up dinner |
| Scalini | Jumeirah 2 | Classic Italian celebration dining |
| Roberto’s Dubai | DIFC | Client dinners and social evenings |
| Fi’lia | Business Bay | Skyline views and a set lunch |
| Sagra Italian Pastificio | Jumeirah 3 | A small, pasta-focused meal |
| Luigia | JBR | Family pizza nights |
| Cinque | Palm Jumeirah | A lively resort lunch or dinner |
Price examples below come from menus checked on 26 September 2026 and may change.
Il Ristorante – Niko Romito
For a fine-dining occasion
Two MICHELIN stars and a setting at Bvlgari Resort Dubai make Il Ristorante – Niko Romito our pick for an anniversary or a dinner devoted to the cooking. The marina-facing terrace adds to the appeal when the weather suits an evening outdoors.
Choose between the tasting menu and à la carte. The cooking turns familiar Italian flavours into precise, contemporary plates, making this the most food-focused special-occasion choice in the guide.
What to order The tasting menu; alternatively, tomato spaghetti and ricotta tortelli from the à-la-carte menu.
Price examples Tasting menu AED 1,100 per person; tomato spaghetti AED 180.
Location Bvlgari Resort Dubai, Jumeira Bay Island, Jumeira 2.
Good to know Dinner runs Tuesday–Saturday. The tasting menu must be ordered by the whole table.
View this post on Instagram
Il Borro Tuscan Bistro Dubai
For Tuscan cooking and an unhurried lunch
Il Borro suits a long lunch beside the Turtle Lagoon at Jumeirah Al Naseem. Its connection to a Tuscan estate gives the restaurant a regional focus, with estate olive oil and other selected products finding their way into the kitchen.
The broad menu works well for mixed appetites, while the lagoon-side setting encourages a slower meal. Choose it for visiting friends or a group happy to share starters before moving on to pasta or meat.
What to order Pici all’aglione or tagliatelle al battuto di manzo.
Price examples Pici AED 110; beef tagliatelle AED 130.
Location Turtle Lagoon, Jumeirah Al Naseem, Umm Suqeim.
Good to know Lunch and dinner are served daily; indoor and terrace seating are available.
View this post on Instagram
L’Amo Bistrò del Mare
For Italian seafood by the water
Seafood is the reason to book L’Amo at Dubai Harbour Yacht Club. The waterfront setting accompanies a menu of crudo, fish from the display and seafood pasta, making this our pick for a date or celebration by the water.
The menu moves from crudo and seafood pasta to whole fish and shellfish for sharing.
What to order Spaghetti with clams, squid and bottarga, or fish from the display for sharing.
Price examples Seafood spaghetti AED 170; display fish and shellfish are priced by weight or piece.
Location Dubai Harbour Yacht Club, Dubai Harbour.
Good to know Dinner runs Tuesday–Sunday, with lunch on selected days. The restaurant is closed on Mondays.
View this post on Instagram
Chic Nonna
For a dressed-up DIFC dinner
Chic Nonna combines a main dining room built around an open kitchen with an upstairs lounge in DIFC. It suits a dressed-up birthday dinner, especially when the group wants somewhere to continue the evening after eating.
The menu balances familiar Italian comfort dishes with more elaborate pasta and seafood choices.
What to order Cavatelli cacio e pepe, parmigiana della Nonna or pumpkin tortelli.
Price examples Cavatelli AED 90; parmigiana AED 75.
Location Gate Avenue, Zone D, DIFC.
Good to know The venue has a main restaurant and a separate upstairs lounge.
View this post on Instagram
Scalini
For classic Italian celebration dining
Scalini is a good choice for a celebration built around Italian classics. The Jumeirah restaurant, in the Restaurant Village by Four Seasons Resort Dubai, reopened on 1 September 2026 following a refurbishment.
The broad menu suits a group with different appetites, while the polished setting gives a birthday or reunion a sense of occasion. This recommendation is for Scalini in Jumeirah, so select that location when booking.
What to order Spinach-and-ricotta ravioli or pappardelle with veal ragù and black truffle.
Price examples Spinach-and-ricotta ravioli AED 110; veal-ragù pappardelle AED 180.
Location Restaurant Village, Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach, Jumeirah 2.
Good to know This recommendation is for Scalini Jumeirah, which opens daily from noon to midnight.
View this post on Instagram
Roberto’s Dubai
For client dinners and social evenings
Roberto’s is the DIFC option for a social dinner that can carry on into cocktails. Following its January 2026 reopening, the venue pairs the Ristorante dining room with Scala, a separate lounge.
The menu takes a contemporary Italian approach, and the restaurant-and-lounge format works especially well for a group evening that does not need to end after dessert.
What to order Gnocco with beef nduja or fusilloni with white veal ragù.
Price examples Gnocco with beef nduja AED 115; fusilloni with white veal ragù AED 110.
Location Gate Village 1, DIFC.
Good to know Ristorante is the dining room; Scala is the separate lounge.
View this post on Instagram
Fi’lia
For skyline views and a set lunch
Fi’lia makes the view part of lunch. On the 70th floor of SLS Dubai in Business Bay, the restaurant combines city views with Italian family recipes and a female-led team.
The business lunch offers several packages built around different dishes. It is a useful choice for catching up with a friend or showing a visitor Dubai from above.
What to order Choose a lunch package around pizza or risotto, with Fi’liamisu where included.
Price examples Weekday business lunch from AED 105 per person.
Location Level 70, SLS Dubai, Marasi Drive, Business Bay.
Good to know Business-lunch packages are offered on weekdays.
View this post on Instagram
Sagra Italian Pastificio
For handmade pasta in a small neighbourhood restaurant
At Sagra, the focus is fresh pasta and the scale is intimate: the Jumeirah pastificio has just 16 seats. It suits an informal date, lunch with a friend or an evening built around a particular pasta craving.
The compact menu keeps pasta at the centre of the meal, from filled ravioli to slow-cooked ragù. Prices are gentler than at the hotel restaurants in this guide.
What to order Mushroom ravioli with truffle sauce or pappardelle with white lamb ragù.
Price examples Mushroom ravioli AED 93; lamb-ragù pappardelle AED 72.
Location 560 Jumeirah Beach Road, Jumeirah 3.
Good to know The dining room has only 16 seats, so reserve ahead. Open Tuesday–Sunday.
View this post on Instagram
Luigia
For pizza with the family
Luigia at Rixos Premium Dubai in JBR is our family pick. A children’s area and cinema room give younger diners something beyond a place at the table, while a substantial pizza menu keeps the food central to the visit.
The restaurant uses a 72-hour dough process and also serves pasta, salads and fried appetisers, giving non-pizza eaters plenty to choose from.
What to order Margherita Classica, with pasta or antipasti to share according to the group’s appetite.
Price examples Margherita Classica AED 69.
Location Rixos Premium Dubai, Jumeirah Beach Residence.
Good to know Dinner runs on weekdays, with lunch and dinner at weekends. A children’s menu is available.
View this post on Instagram
Cinque
For a lively Italian meal on Palm Jumeirah
Cinque at FIVE Palm Jumeirah suits a leisurely resort lunch or a lively evening with friends. The poolside setting and terrace are part of the draw, with a music programme on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.
The MICHELIN Guide includes Cinque for Italian cooking with contemporary touches, while the resort setting makes it suitable for groups planning a longer afternoon or evening.
What to order The two- or three-course lunch; see the restaurant’s current selection when booking.
Price examples Two-course lunch AED 149; three-course lunch AED 179 per person.
Location FIVE Palm Jumeirah, No. 1 Palm Jumeirah, Palm West Beach.
Good to know Lunch and dinner are served daily. DJ sessions are listed Thursday–Saturday from 8pm.
View this post on Instagram
Choose by occasion
An anniversary Il Ristorante – Niko Romito for a tasting menu; Il Borro for an à-la-carte Tuscan meal.
A date with a view L’Amo for seafood at Dubai Harbour; Fi’lia for the skyline from the 70th floor.
A birthday with friends Chic Nonna for a restaurant-and-lounge evening, Scalini for Italian classics, or Cinque for a lively Palm setting.
A client dinner in DIFC Roberto’s Ristorante for dinner, with Scala as a separate lounge for drinks afterwards.
An informal pasta meal Sagra for handmade pasta in a small dining room.
Dinner with children Luigia for pizza, a children’s menu and dedicated family facilities.
How we selected these restaurants
DubaiTable reviewed 35 venues and selected ten for their current menus, recent guest feedback, independent recognition, distinctiveness and usefulness for different occasions. The list is unranked and was checked on 26 September 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Which Italian restaurant in Dubai is best for a special occasion?
Il Ristorante – Niko Romito is our pick for a tasting-menu occasion, with two MICHELIN stars. Il Borro suits a long Tuscan meal, while Chic Nonna and Scalini work well for dressed-up group celebrations.
Where should I go for fresh pasta?
Choose Sagra for a small restaurant devoted to handmade pasta. Il Borro is a good alternative for Tuscan pasta as part of a broader meal; Chic Nonna offers a more elaborate DIFC setting.
Which restaurant is best for families?
Luigia is our family choice thanks to its children’s menu, dedicated children’s area and cinema room. It serves weekday dinners and weekend lunch and dinner.
Which Italian restaurants have a view?
L’Amo overlooks Dubai Harbour, Fi’lia offers city views from the 70th floor of SLS Dubai, and Il Ristorante – Niko Romito has a marina-facing terrace.
What should I budget for the food?
For individual dishes, examples include a Margherita at Luigia for AED 69 and lamb-ragù pappardelle at Sagra for AED 72. Set lunches start at AED 105 at Fi’lia and AED 149 for two courses at Cinque. Niko Romito’s tasting menu costs AED 1,100 per person. Drinks, extra courses and any additional charges affect the final bill.
Are there vegetarian options?
Menus include vegetable- and cheese-based choices such as Il Borro’s pici all’aglione, Chic Nonna’s pumpkin tortelli and Luigia’s Margherita. Ask the restaurant to confirm ingredients for strict vegetarian or vegan diets, and discuss allergies directly.
Do I need to book?
Book ahead for Sagra’s 16-seat dining room and for tasting-menu dinners or celebrations. Roberto’s and Chic Nonna each have separate restaurant and lounge spaces.
Source notes
Details were checked against official restaurant information on 26 September 2026. Prices, opening times and offers can change, so confirm them when booking. Photographs and carousels are displayed through native embeds from the restaurants’ official Instagram accounts.
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