Photojournalist: Sahar Rezvani

Do you know how difficult it is to find a good Italian restaurant in Dubai?

This week we got the chance to review the recently launched Per Te restaurant and cafe, which serves authentic Italian cuisine.

Where: Per Te, Jumeirah 1, Dubai [Google Map here]

How much:  AED 300 for 2

Cuisine: Italian

Recommended: Antipasto Classico, Spaghetti alle vongole.

Food:

Appetizers:

We started our meal with the Anitpasto Classico (pictured above). We ate with our eyes and licked the wooden dish clean; an artfully decorated compilation that consisted of hot grilled vegetables, fig salad, black sesame tuna and prawns wrapped with bacon (Mmm!).

The servings on this platter are of a healthy portion, so we recommend you share it, because you won’t want to miss out on the mains.

Entrees:

For our first entree, we devoured the Paccheri con aragosta e granchio. Fancy as it sounds, this was an elegantly cooked seafood paccheri pasta with chunks of lobster and crab meat, topped with shaved green asparagus in a tangy red sauce. The pasta was cooked ‘al dente.’ Despite being slightly heavy on the palate, we adored the complimentary flavours in this main.

Next, we were served the Bistecca alla griglia. Yet again, this ribeye steak had an impeccable presentation. That little drizzle os truffle oil added just the right earthy tinge to elevate the dish. Definitely recommended if you are a truffle fan!

We also got a chance to try their Capricciosa Pizza, which was tasty, yet average.

Dessert:

Our meal ended with their newly introduced dessert – Chocolate Mousse (made up of 80% cocoa) served with a side of passion fruit ice cream. The plating and flavor of this dessert definitely won the award (and our hearts). The smooth as silk dark mousse goes down beautifully with the sweet and cold spoon of ice cream.

Ambience and Service:

The duplex glass-window venue resembles upscale cafés on the streets of Italy. The restaurant is is perfect during the slightly chilly winters of Dubai with an outdoor terrace. The space is divided into various sections; a casual seating area, and a dining area more suited to families and formal meetings.

The service was top notch, the staff was attentive, polite and very patient while explaining the menu to us tirelessly.

Verdict:

We had a surprisingly pleasant experience, treating our taste buds to the flavors of Italy. A definite must-visit for lovers of Italian cuisine – this place won’t let you down.

B-Change’s Foodie Rating: 8/10

 

If you’re interested, take note:

• Per Te is an Italian word, which means ‘for you’.
• They have a mini retail store, located inside the restaurant, selling various goodies shipped directly from Italy. Some of the products they sell include chocolates, virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, truffle oil, fresh pasta and they are all 100% Italian.
• Their dishes are made using the same ingredients they sell.
• For more information or reservations, contact Per Te: +971 4 4535216