Wine Dine and Play: Roberto’s Ristorante

A Walk Into The Piemonte

DFIC, Dubai, UAE

Cuisine Style: Northern Italian

Average Price: $$$

Overall Rating: 5/5

Dined in June 2016

By Sean Overpeck (CFE)

**A full article and index glossary of restaurants, wines, recipes and travel for

Wine Dine and Play are in the pages section above, or by following these links:

By Cuisine / By Country

Executive Chef:

Chef Andrea Mugavero

Roberto’s Owner:

Mr. Amin Kadrie

Front Of House Manager:

Mr. Mustafa Turgul

Sommelier:

Ms. Alexandra Motte

Dubai is a city with a clash of cultures. Ruled by his Highness Sheikh Maktoum Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, it is a unique place in a growingly modern Middle Eastern country. Though uniquely Arabic, good luck trying to find Emirate restaurants on every corner like in Jordan, Baghdad, and other Middle Eastern cities. Is that a bad thing? I personally don’t think so. Dubai is called the city of tomorrow, catering to the world, as the world comes to them to do business, vacation, and shop. This will be my seventh year coming to the city, visiting a few times each year. When I visit, I always try a different place to eat for lunch or dinner. Sometimes it is Arabic Cuisine, but most of the time its European, Asian, or American fare. For this visit it was a taste of northern Italy at the DIFC Roberto’s Ristorante, where Chef Andrea Mugavero took me on a whirlwind tour of the kitchen and his menu, enlightening my palate to experience traditional Italian cooking, not what you get in America. The DIFC stands for the Dubai International Financial Centre a mecca for business and tax-free interests where the East and the West meet to promote business growth in the region.

Roberto’s is the passion project of Mustafa Turgul, Executive Chef Andrea Mugavero, and Skelmore Hospitality who sought to feed Dubai’s discerning gourmets’ desire for an authentic, thoughtful and contemporary Italian fine dining experience. They blend a Roman devotion to food with Venetian hospitality and Milanese flair resulting in a unique and homegrown reinterpretation of Italian cuisine that they are proud to share. Roberto’s is a culinary affair that marries signature Italian authenticity with Dubai’s renowned gastronomic scene. According to chef Mugavero, their aim is to create a quality brand showcasing their passion for food and commitment to excellence. “We are also aiming to expand to other regions and to be well known as a brand.”

Awards and accolades:

2015
What's On - Favorite Italian 2015, Ahlan Top 100 Restaurants 2015, and Time Out Highly Commended Italian 2015
2014
What's On - Best Italian 2014, Grana Padano Italian Cuisine Worldwide Award 2014, Three Black Hats on the Black Hat Guide (2012, 2013, 2014), Caterer Magazine Independent Restaurant Team of the Year 2014
2013
Highly Commended for Best New Bar - Time Out 2013 Awards
2012
Best Restaurant Design Middle East - The International Interior Design Association 2012, Best New Restaurant Middle East - Caterer Magazine 2012, Best New Restaurant - BBC Good Food 2012 Award, Favorite Italian Restaurant - What’s On 2012 Awards, Newcomer of the Year - What’s On 2012 Awards

It was Ramadan, and in the Middle East, the rules are very strict, especially when it comes to alcohol. Dubai is a lot more relaxed with their alcohol laws since they cater to a larger world that drinks alcohol without religious restrictions. Alcohol is sold at the airport duty-free shops, and at the bars and restaurants of hotels only. If it is a stand-alone restaurant then alcohol is usually not served. During Ramadan however, the rules say that no alcohol will be served. I dined during a Ramadan in 2013 at the DIFC restaurant Wheeler’s of ST. James by Marco Pierre White and they offered non-alcoholic “mocktails” to pair with the menu. This time, some of the DFIC locations and Roberto’s sold alcohol. I was at the Luna Sky Bar in the Four Seasons hotel where I enjoyed a cocktail, then went to eat dinner and the full bar and wine list was open for me. I had a nice Jordanian couple sitting next to me who was, of course, participating in Ramadan, and they drank water. They saw that I had wine, but it did not bother them.

The patio of Roberto's

The dining room was very spacious and beautiful, with very inviting ambiance to it. With white lights strung to trees around the walls and window areas, to all the tables set with white linen, grey chairs, and fluffy purple pillows to relax with. When I arrived, they had just opened, with modified dinner hours because of Ramadan, and the sun not going down until later in the evening. I was seated midway through the main dining room, at a banquette booth that ran across the center with two-seater tables, and a chair on the opposite side of the banquette booths. I did not realize until into my meal that the banquette was a separation from the dining room to the lounge area, where you were allowed to smoke. There was, unfortunately, no wall, or ventilation to deter the smoke and foul odored smell from entering the dining room if someone lit up. There were several seats open elsewhere, and I did contemplate moving, but the people that were smoking had moved elsewhere, and I and the couple next to me were fine for the remainder of the dining experience. It did, however, have a foul odor for some time after. The staff was primarily Asian, a combination of Indian, Chinese, and others, but all were exceptional with their job performance and customer service. As I was seated, I was given the dinner menu, specials, and wine list, all neatly bound into separate hard leather books. The main menu is à la carte, and was broken down into the following categories:

I Crudi Bar (uncooked)
Antipasti (appetizers)
Insalate (salads)
Zuppe (soups)
Pizza Croccante (crispy pizza)
Paste (pasta)
Risotti (risotto)
Pesci (fish)
Carni (meat)
Contorni Caldi (warm side dishes)
Dolci & Formaggi (deserts and cheese)

Some of their suppliers are SimplyGrourmet (for high-quality meat), Fresh Express (fresh Fish, high-quality vegetables), Cassineto (Italian product and fresh cheeses), and Truffleman “Vidoni” ( Italtouch Truffles).

Before booking my reservation for Roberto’s I explored their menu in great detail, and can tell you that is was one of neatest websites I had seen. I don’t know a lot about web design but can say that their menu section was extremely unique. It was broken down into four sections with the à la carte, wine list, bar & lounge, and cigar section. The à la carte menu was designed to be refined based on a person's individual dietary restrictions. They had the entire menu broken down by section like you see above, however, there was a section where there were two lines with four buttons each. The top line had the icons of alcohol, shellfish, dairy, and nuts. Click one of those buttons from green to the red, then it would remove any dish from any section of the menu that had that product in it, or part of the cooking procedure. So for example, if you have a shellfish allergy, you click it, and under the pasta section which has ten items, four are deleted automatically, and only the items that are safe to eat remain listed. Same for the Crudi (uncooked) section which has fourteen items, reduced to eight without shellfish. I have to say that is brilliant.

The tables were all preset with cutlery, a logo’d Roberto’s bread plates, white linen napkin, fresh flower display, cracked pepper, sea salt, and a water + wine glass. The table was small so with all the menus they gave me to look at, it took some juggling moving them from the banquette booth, and back to the table deciding what I wanted to have from the different sections. I started with a 12-year single malt scotch of Glenfiddich, no better way to start off a meal in my opinion.

Dining room

As I was reviewing the menu, a bread and dip selection was delivered which included 2 sauces; one being a tomato, and the second a black olive. There were three varieties of house-made bread, and two separate breadstick varieties, nicely displayed in wrapped paper held in an elegantly shaped metal rod holder, versus a plastic piece of junk you see at some restaurants.

Bread and dip selection

I bypassed the Crudi bar which did have some interesting dishes such as the Ostriche Gillardeau of fresh shucked French oysters, with pumpernickel bread and a French Tarbouriech Oyster with the same setup selections. There were two caviar dishes served with melba toast, Sicilian red shrimp carpaccio, scampi tartare, European sea bass or branzino carpaccio, and a Manzo beef tartare with smoked duck prosciutto and burrata cheese, which I came very close to ordering. I’m used to seeing prosciutto recipes with ham or boar, not the duck, but still as tempting as it was, the Antipasti (appetizers) were calling to me instead.

Eleven items were listed under the antipasti, from slow roasted pink veal, Alaskan king crab salad, a shellfish del mare dish of scallop, mussels, shrimp, cuttlefish, and squid, to an oven-baked eggplant in terracotta (“baked earth”) cocotte (small dish), with tomato sauce. Of all of these, my selection was the final item on that list, the Affettato (“sliced”), which was a combination of thinly sliced cold cuts from veal ham, beef salami, speck pancetta, bresaola, artichokes, and sun-dried tomatoes. Garnishments to the dish included arugula (rocket) lettuce, caramelized onion pearl, black olives, and gherkins, all served on a nice wood cutting board. The meats and sides sat on a large bottom piece of Salerno crusted pizza bread. With this dish, I enjoyed a glass of a 2011 Nebbiolo, from Beni di Batasiolo winery in Barolo. According to the Professional Friends of wine, the name Nebbiolo comes from "noble," Italian for “noble." Nebbiolo also goes by the names Spanna, Picutener, and Chiavennasca in various Italian districts. The Langhe wine region is in the Piedmonte province, southeast of Turin in the town of Barolo and is known for its production of the Nebbiolo grape. The winemakers' notes mention an intense garnet red color with delicate orange highlights on the nose and pleasing flavors of dried fruits and stewed prunes. Spices and aromas of roasting completely the olfactory range. The palate is full-bodied, tannic and balanced in the sensations of freshness, full, and very persistent.

Affettato

After finishing the first course, and while waiting for the second, Chef Andrea Mugavero came out from the kitchen and spent a few minutes chatting with me, welcoming me, and offered a tour of the kitchen once I finished my meal. During this time the service staff replaced my dirty cutlery with clean ones, which they did for each course, and crumbled the table. Every time I returned from the restroom, I had a new linen, folded, and the area cleaned, pillow fluffed.

The second course was from the Insalate (salads) menu which had a range of items from seasonal greens with baby vegetables, rocket (arugula) salad with Sicilian Datterini tomatoes, raw artichoke heart salad, and my selection, the quinoa. This salad was beautifully presented with the quinoa formed into a cake topped with pureed avocado, crispy basil chip leaf, all held with a frizzled beetroot slice, and a shaved pecorino cheese standing stick. The side salad display was made with a colorful watermelon tartar, asparagus, and topped with crispy breadcrumbs, with a lemon citronette dressing, over a balsamic reduction. I was still sipping on the Nebbiolo when this item came out, and the spicy aromas matched perfectly with the watermelon and quinoa.

Quinoa salad

The third course was better than first and second combined in my opinion. A salmon tartar from there specials menu, sliced paper thin and stacked over a chervil bed, with sour cream and balsamic reduction dollops, and a fennel - radicchio salad. The salmon was lightly acidic but not overpowering like some ceviche recipes can be, and the salad was very tart, which by itself took me by surprise. Mix some with the salmon and it balances perfectly. The dish accompanied my second glass of wine from Chablis, a 2014 petit Chablis (Chardonnay) “Pas si Petit,” produced by La Chablisienne, full of savory and mineral notes according to the winemaker, with lemons and white flowers on the nose. A flavor of lime dominates the tasting, giving this wine instant freshness. This refreshing quality is quickly counterbalanced by a pleasant bitterness along with conspicuous saltiness, indicating the authentic Chablis origin. It went wonderfully with the fennel salad. The minerals counteracted the tartness of the radicchio. I am a fan of Chablis and prefer them over the Australian, California and Oregon chardonnays.

Salmon tartar

During this time the Jordanian couple I spoke about earlier had been seated next to me and we struck up a conversation in between the courses, and talking about restaurants we had visited in Dubai getting recommendations from one another. After mentioning a trip to Amman and Petra in 2012, local restaurants were brought up, and they had been to the same two that I spoke so highly of, the Bourj Al Hamam, a Lebanese restaurant, and the uniquely award-winning local Jordanian favorite that they could not stop talking about, Sufra. They were both eating light meals, and allowed me to try the burrata from the Antipasto menu, served with Datterini tomatoes.

Burrata

They also ordered Roberto’s pizza Croccante, with beef carpaccio, wild rocket, parmesan cheese, and shaved black truffle. The other pizza’s on the menu were an André’s with roast pink veal, tuna caper sauce, and celery hearts, followed by the third and final selection called the Musti’s with burrata cheese, Datterini tomatoes, and rocket.

Course number four was served with my third glass of wine, a 2014 Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire produced by Sancerre Domaine Vacheron, which I called my acid grapefruit bomb. The winemaker mentions that it is a vibrant 100% organic and biodynamic Sauvignon Blanc from a mix of flint and chalk soils in the heart of Sancerre. Aromas suggest grapefruit zest and gunflint; In the mouth, the wine is pure and fresh, with plenty of mineral energy and citrus flavors. It was a wonderful yet light wine going perfectly with the Paste (pasta) choice. It was a hard choice to make, because below the pasta menu was risotto, and I love that dish, no matter how it is prepared. They had a Canadian lobster risotto, a seasonal seafood, asparagus, and a portobello risotto. Though it was hard, and I knew that I couldn’t have both, plus enjoy the main entree, I went with a pasta. There were also eleven choices on the menu. I went with the Tortelli, a type of pasta that according to Wikipedia is traditionally made in the Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, and Tuscany regions of Italy. To me, it looked nearly identical to tortellini pasta. The tortelli was filled with spinach and ricotta, and then topped with a light cream sauce and topped with a brunoise of black truffles. Though I love black truffles, the taste overpowered the dish and made it hard to taste the ricotta. At this point, the tables behind me started smoking, as I mentioned above. Luckily they didn’t sit their long, and I didn’t have to ask to change my seat.

Tortelli

The other options on the pasta menu included a fettuccini dish with Canadian Lobster, a shellfish Frutti di Mare (seafood/shellfish), a spaghetti carbonara of beef wagyu instead of the traditional pork, burrata cheese stuffed ravioli’s topped with pomodorina sauce, and a gluten-free gnocchi to name a few.

Course number five was the second entree course of the tasting and came from the Pesci (fish) portion of the menu. It seemed that the menu sections had a theme. Most of them had either ten or eleven items in the sections just like this one. There were selections such as Dover sole in caper butter sauce, citrus marinated black cod, roasted Wester Ross salmon, New Zealand langoustine, prawns, lobster, and my selection, the Mediterranean sea bass branzino. It was lightly oven roasted with the perfect amount of seasoning and citrus flavor, accompanied by some oven roasted potatoes, broccolini, and bell peppers. The fish was also garnished with some Datterini Tomatoes. I did add some salt to the broccolini as it was steamed and if it did have seasoning, then it wasn’t enough for my palette. The wine selection with this entree was a 2013 Pinot Noir, from the Matua, winery in Marlborough, New Zealand. The predominant flavor is cherry, which reflects the wine’s vivid cherry color. The winemaker also got blackberry notes and some lovely sweet smoky oak. Mouthfeel is initially soft and luscious, held up nicely by the supple tannins for a savory lingering finish. Its medium body paired well with this lighter flavored fish and complimented the lemon juice on the broccolini.

Seabass branzino

The menu finishes up with Carni or meat section and the Contorni Caldi (warm side dishes). With ten items on their meats section, to which I chose the seafood mainly because of the higher pricing of the beef which I have found to be common when I visit the Middle East. The Roberto’s selections included osso buco, spring chicken spatchcock, Canadian veal tenderloin, chargrilled wagyu, Angus ribeye on the bone, veal shank, and lamb chops. For sides, you can order sautéed artichokes, broccolini, spinach, asparagus, legumes, seasonal vegetable blends, and roasted or mashed potatoes. There was also an entirely separate menu of drinks and food for the bar and cocktail lounge sections.

At this point, I was stuffed and didn’t know if I would have a chance to enjoy anything from the dessert menu, so I walked around and was escorted into the kitchen where Chef Andrea gave me a tour and introduced me to his crew. He went over in detail about what he keeps on his raw bar display’s (pictured below), and how he makes his pasta. As we walked through the kitchen seeing the brigade system in action, then taken downstairs to the main preparation kitchen, where he showed me the homemade pasta process, amongst other things. While below the chef introduced me to the electric water system they had just installed which I first saw in 2015 while visiting Melbourne, Australia, and dining at Vue de Monde. It was very informative and great to see a chef with not only the passion for food but proud to show you how he does it. Some chefs are not people friendly, so this was enjoyable. I remember dining at Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud in Dublin back in 2013, and the manager was giving me a tour of the kitchen, while the French chef looked on in disgust at having a stranger in his kitchen. When the owner said for him to come over and take a picture, you should have seen his face, it was priceless. Chef Mugavero, on the other hand, was very friendly and loved pictures.

Dessert:

Dolci & Formaggi (deserts and cheese), just the name no matter what language it's in inspires visions of weight gain and future gym visits. With items like fondant and almond ice cream, poached pears, tiramisu, pistachio profiteroles, gelato’s, sorbets or a selection of cheeses brought out on a trolly and cut in front of you. I know your gaining weight just reading this section. There was one dessert I did not mention from the list, and it just so happens to be the one that made me give in and order it; the checkmate. The checkmate was a selection of nine or ten miniature homemade Italian desserts. Three truffles, two of the chocolate and one with coconut; a chocolate cannoli; strawberry cheesecake; fruit tarts; cream with chocolate shell and raspberry; chocolate profiterole; tiramisu, and more. It was absolutely divine. I would like to thank the entire kitchen and front of house staff at Roberto’s for a wonderful dining experience.

Checkmate dessert

Please see these guidelines for Tipping in Restaurants and on following proper etiquette, customs, cultures, and avoiding assumptions when you dine out.

A brief look at the wine list:

Roberto’s had a very nice and diverse list representing 150 bins of mainly old world from Italy, but that would make sense since it was an Italian restaurant. With my course selections, I did find it odd that the sommelier only gave me one Italian selection, and the other three being from France and New Zealand. Europe was well represented with Spanish, Austrian, German, and Hungarian wines. South America had a small showing with some Chilean and Argentinean wines. Of the three Stellenbosch, South African wines available, I had been to and done tastings at one of them, the Meerlust Winery, having both their merlot and rubicon selections. The United States and Canada had a poor showing, which I’ve noticed to be common in most Dubai restaurants, either because the suppliers are not available or the prices are too high for import. The USA wines they do have are typically table wines, and not a boutique or something wonderful to write home about. With so many great growing regions in the USA like Oregon, New York, and other parts of California, it is sad to see that they are not available for the world to enjoy. Australia and New Zealand finish the round up from the list with a few selections as well.

Wine regulatory’s for the tastings in this article:

European Union:

Protected Designation of Origin

France:

AOC: Appellation d'origine contrôlée

VDP: Vin de Pays

Italy:

DOCG: Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita

New Zealand:

COWA: The Central Otago Winegrowers Association

Other Noteworthy Italian Articles & Restaurants:

Alioto’s Restaurant Historic restaurant serving Sicilian-infused seafood in San Francisco, California

BiCE Restaurant, Dubai Marina Acclaimed upmarket classic & innovative Italian in Dubai, UAE

BRIO Tuscan Grille Relaxed Tuscan-inspired Italian chain eatery, reviewed in Sarasota, Florida

FarmTable Kitchen Casual Cal-Italian cuisine and chef tables in St. Petersburg, Florida

Feola’s Italian Ristorante relaxed eatery for pizza and pasta in Treasure Island, Florida

Gratzzi Italian Grille -Traditional and classic Italian plates in St. Petersburg, Florida

Gino’s East Pizzeria Chain serving Chicago-style deep dish pizza & other Italian eats in Chicago, Illinois

Gino’s Restaurant & Bar Old-school & modern genial Italian eatery in Tampa, Florida

Greystone Restaurant Italian CIA school restaurant in Calistoga, California (Now Gatehouse Restaurant)

La Petite Maison Relaxed French-Italian Restaurant at the DFIC in Dubai, UAE

Locale Seasonal Northern Italian at the De Bortoli Winery in the Yarra Valley, Australia

Noble Crust Modern contemporary Italian and Southern dishes in St Petersburg, Florida

Pia’s Trattoria Tuscan-themed old-school Italian restaurant In Gulfport, Florida

Pizza Republica Trendy Italian trattoria and pizza restaurant in Centennial, Colorado

Ponte Vecchio Fine dining Italian classics in the Fallsview Hotel, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada

Prato Rustic Italian bistro with modern takes on classic dishes in Winter Park, Florida

Romano’s Greek & Italian Restaurant Casual Greek & Mediterranean Dining in Brandon, Florida

Sea-Guini Chic restaurant with seafood & Italian-inspired cuisine in Clearwater Beach, Florida

The Garlic old world style Italian with Mediterranean classics in New Smyrna Beach, Florida

See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary”

Other Dubai, UAE restaurants, and articles on Wine Dine and Play:

Asail AlSham Sweets “Mastic” Ice-cream Deira, Dubai, UAE	Armani / Amal Fine Indian and Pakistani Cuisine at the Burj Khalifa Armani Hotel, Dubai, UAE	Burj Khalifa Tower Take a tour of the tallest building in the world Dubai, UAE
Al Fanar Restaurant and Café Authentic Emirati Cuisine Dubai, UAE	Junsui An eclectic taste of Asia with buffets at the Burj Al Arab Dubai, UAE	Al Tawasol Yemeni Cuisine featuring Mandi Deira, Dubai, UAE

See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary by country”

Final notes, review basics, observations and more pictures:

Most reviews are subjective, depending on the writer; but they should also be responsible, and respectfully written, upholding the truth, and accurately conveying the experience to the best of the writer's knowledge, even if it includes metaphors the restaurant may not like to read about. My ratings are by the stars I award (from 0 to 5). The rating is calculated on a point accumulation of six separate factors based on individual experience. They include wine and other beverage selections, plate presentation, customer service, restaurant or café ambiance, food quality, and wow factor. To see more details of this rating list, read this article:

What Is A Restaurant Review, And Am I Any Different?

Overall from this experience and the score factors outlined in the ‘about page’ section, based on my individual experience and rating, I give Roberto’s a 5 out of 5 stars, meaning that they exceeded my expectations and were far above the average dining experience of most restaurants.

Scores are detailed in the factor chart below:

Formula Factor Conclusions and Overall Ratings	Max Points Possible:	Total Points Awarded:	Total Points deducted:
Ambiance	10	9	1
Food quality	10	7	3
Plate presentation	9	9	0
Customer service	7.5	6.5	1
Alcohol and other beverages	10	8	1
Total regular points awarded	46.5	39.5	6
Total percentage Before Bonus		0.849462365591398
“Wow” factor BONUS	5	4	0
Total bonus percentage		0.0860215053763441
*Total percentage with a bonus for the final star rating*		0.935483870967742
Stars Awarded (see chart below)	0 - 5	5

**A full break down and explanation of the observations and point disbursement is available in the linked article above. To receive a detailed copy of your score, feel free to contact me at any time and I will provide it to you.**

***

Overall Star Rating:	5 of 5 Stars: 94% Rating with a 42 point “wow” bonus An Extraordinary Dining Experience
Wine List:	Click here to view the restaurants' wine list
Wine rating:	6.5 of 10 Old World selections: France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Hungary New World selections: Argentina, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, California, Canada, South Africa
Corkage fee’s:	This Restaurant does not list any corkage fee’s however, most American restaurants charge $25.00 per bottle
Restaurant style:	Casual dining, Formal dining, Conservative dining, Semi-formal dining
Cuisine style:	Italian, Allergen or dietary accommodations: Halal, Pescatarian, Vegetarian Options
Reservations:	Not Required, But Recommended Walk-Ins: Accepted, but not guaranteed
Dress code:	Business casual or Conservative attire Gentleman – Are required to wear a collared shirt, full-length trousers or elegant jeans and closed shoes (no trainers). Ladies – Are required to wear a suit or dress, long or short skirt or dressy slack and top. UAE national dress is welcomed
Child policy:	The Restaurants reviewed on this site may have a kids menu or cater to them; however, for full enjoyment of food and wine, it is recommended that kids not to be in attendance, unless they have been trained in proper etiquette. If not then: Hire a Babysitter!
Experiences:	Place for foodies, Modern, Lounge, Business parties, Hotspot, Great bar, Great outdoor dining, Good for special occasions, Scenic views, Upscale, and a Neighborhood Gem.
Payments:	Cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express
Parking:	Valet will validate up to three hours with a minimum expenditure of AED 200.00
Wifi	The restaurants reviewed on this site may have Wi-Fi, but do not require you to go online, because the excitement of the food and wine alone will keep you too entertained instead of checking your social media and emails.
Noise level:	Medium
Smoking:	WARNING: smoking restaurant, and a smoking patio
Patio or terrace:	Yes

Food Prices

(excludes, alcohol, taxes & 20% gratuity’s)

$£€¥ - Under 50.00 (inexpensive)

$£€¥ x 2 - 51.00- 99.00 (moderate)

$£€¥ x 3 - Over 100.00 (pricey)

$£€¥ x 4 - Over 200.00 (expensive)

$£€¥ x 5 - Over 400.00 (very expensive)

**Currencies reflect the world’s major travelers, restaurant, or wine connoisseur’s**

Currency:	Price
AED Arab Emerite Dirham	د.إ
United States Dollar (USD)	$$$
Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)	£££
Canadian Dollar (CAN)	$$$$
Chinese Yuan (CNY)	¥¥¥¥¥
European Union (EUR)	€€€

Alcohol prices:

د.إ 428 AED = US Dollars $116.00

Roberto’s Ristorante:

Gate Village Building No.1

DIFC - PO Box 482094

Dubai, UAE

Contact Information:

Restaurant website:	Roberto’s
Maître d or host:	(+971) 4 386 00 66
Online reservations ResPAK by OpenTable	Webpage
Email Contact:	Contact the restaurant Information
Serving hours: Dubai Standard Time (GMT, Zulu, or UTC + 3:00)	Daily: Mon-Sun 12:00 pm - 2:00 am Happy Hour: 4:00 - 7:00 pm Modified hours during Ramadan
Social Media & Accolades:	Facebook link
	Twitter @Robertos_AE
	Pinterest
	Instagram

****

The worlds best restaurants is a subjective list of who is writing it and changes on a regular basis. The Wine Dine and Play best experiences are based on my highest rated stared restaurants, meaning that the visit was an outstanding or extraordinary experience. From cafés, chains, mom + pops, hole in the walls, to fine dining including a few Michelin spots. Visit the Top 100 page to see the entire list.

A few to tease you with…

Brick and Mortar

Rustic New American Fare

St. Petersburg, Florida, USA

The Tasting Room at Le Quartier Français

Contemporary, African-French Tasting Journey

Franschhoek, South Africa

Restaurant Le Gabriel

Haute Gastronomique French restaurant & bistro

Bordeaux, France

Other Pictures: