If there’s one food that will unite a passionate gourmand and a picky eater, it’s probably pasta. Italian food is one of the most revered globally, and for good reason. From sun-sweet San Marzano tomatoes to aromatic olives harvested from the ancient groves of Lake Garda, the backbone of Italian cuisine is simple: exceptional ingredients, served with love. Palm Jumeirah may be a world away from the foothills of Italy, but it’s home to a growing number of Italian restaurants that capture both the flavours and the amore. Read on to discover seven of the very best.
Ristorante Loren
Ristorante Loren brings a distinctly 1960s Italian Riviera sensibility to Palm Jumeirah, with crisp white linens and a sea-facing terrace angled straight at the horizon. The menu leans on clean, confident cooking: handmade pasta, locally-caught seafood (including Dibba Bay oysters), and generous sharing plates. Angus beef carpaccio is a highlight here, best polished off with the restaurant’s signature ‘Loren No 5’ – a fluffy brioche drenched in citrus syrup, aged rum and chantilly. Lunchtime draws a steady mix of refined business diners and beachgoers from SĀN Beach Club below. By night, dim interiors and sunset views over West Beach set the tone for an effortlessly romantic date night.
Cucina
Cucina offers something increasingly rare on Palm Jumeirah: a laid-back, trattoria-style eatery where the whole family is welcome. Spearheaded by Sardinian-born chef Marco Deriu, the kitchen runs from morning until late, turning out wood-fired pizzas, antipasti and more than 35 creative pasta dishes. Cucina is particularly inviting on weekend mornings, serving up an authentic Italian breakfast menu of pork ribs Benedict, porcini and parmesan scrambled eggs, and the giant Cucina Cornetto croissant.
Coffee craft is taken seriously, reflected in the motto printed across the menu: Il buon giorno si vede dal mattino, ma il buon giorno inizia con un caffè (approximately, ‘you can tell a good day from the morning, and a good morning starts with coffee’). Evenings bring a more convivial mood, with free-flowing Italian bubbles, lively group tables and midweek diversions like games nights and pesto-making workshops.
Cinque, FIVE Hotel The Palm
A critic’s favourite, Cinque in Palm Jumeirah’s storied FIVE Hotel has featured in the Michelin Guide for two consecutive years, lauded for its buzzy atmosphere and consistently assured cooking. It also holds one toque from Gault & Millau and was named BBC Good Food’s Italian Restaurant of the Year in 2024. Beyond the accolades, the menu is authentic but unconventional for an Italian restaurant, with wild duck in foie gras mousse, king crab spaghetto granchio, and the signature 1.2 kg Piedmont T-Bone Fassona.
The dining room is bold and theatrical – all deep ocean teal with vaulted arched ceilings and a self-playing, postbox-red piano at the centre. On weekend evenings, live music and entertainment keep the energy high, supported by a well-curated wine cellar and cocktail list. This is high-gloss Italian dining, where one glass almost always becomes two.
Brunello, Kempinski Hotel
If Cinque honours the colourful aesthetic of its namesake coast, Brunello pays homage to the ancient palazzos of Rome. Located in the Kempinski Hotel on the Palm’s crescent, the interiors feature ornate white columns with a breezy al fresco terrace overlooking the resort’s lush gardens. House dishes here include ravioli with whipped potato and cod, hand-stretched tagliolini pecorino pasta, and a fall-off-the-bone veal shank with rich saffron risotto. The wine list is exclusively Italian, with standout grapes from Sardinia, Tuscany and Piedmont. To make the most of Brunello’s beachfront setting, the weekend ‘Breakfast & Swim’ begins with a generous buffet of fresh pastries and ‘build-your-own’ bircher muesli, followed by a full day of private beach access.
Social, Waldorf Astoria Palm Jumeirah
Social is the brainchild of Chef Carmine Faravolo – a Naples native whose pedigree comes not only from formal training in Rome, but from his nonna in San Gennaro Vesuviano. Located inside the Waldorf Astoria, it’s one of Palm Jumeirah’s most food-focused restaurants: quiet, serious, and deeply committed to contemporary Italian cooking. The menu goes well beyond the usual pasta and pizza staples, with dishes like Fine de Claire oysters with prosecco sorbet, wagyu beef meatballs, and fried zucchini flowers filled with smoked cheese.
The best way to explore the menu is through the exclusive Chef’s Table – a seven-course tasting experience built around seasonal produce. It’s also a fitting space to mark a celebration, with personalised welcome drinks and live Italian music on select evenings. Recently awarded a Gault&Millau toque, Social also hosts hands-on Italian workshops, including pasta-making sessions led by the kitchen team.
Lolli, The Palm Tower
Mangia bene, ridi spesso, ama molto (‘eat well, laugh often, love much’) is the motto of this luminous, sky-high Italian restaurant in The Palm Tower. Located on the 52nd floor, it’s one of the best venues in Dubai for dinner with a view. The menu is hearty and nostalgic – think Angus beef bolognese, mushroom risotto, and Lolli’s signature pizzini topped with bresaola and balsamic reduction. Wines are mostly Italian, joined by a playful cocktail list featuring twists like the ‘Not an Americano’ – a gin and Mancino Rosso-infused drink sharpened with coffee liqueur. The mood is elevated but relaxed, with planted olive trees and minimalist interiors that let the views do the talking.
Piatti by the Beach, Raffles Palm Jumeirah
With its whitewashed archways, lemon trees, and draping pink bougainvillaea, Piatti feels lifted straight from the Amalfi coast. This Palm Jumeirah Italian restaurant opens directly onto the beach, with a menu that blends Italian coastal traditions with polished Riviera flavours. Seafood is the standout, with dishes like Gillardeaux N3 oysters and slow-cooked octopus with cherry tomatoes. Pizza is served thin and crispy, topped generously with fresh truffles from Norcia.
Piatti honours the Italian ritual of the sundown aperitivo, hosting its nightly ‘Serata in Piazzetta’ – a three-hour affair of unlimited Aperol and Negroni, paired with small plates. The setting is breezy and romantic, with crisp white tablecloths, flickering candlelight, and the occasional live violinist.
