Food & Drink

Credit: Scalini

10 best Italian restaurants in Dubai 2025 to book next

Transport to the Mediterranean, one plate at a time

July 22, 2025

cred: time out dubai

Whether it’s pasta or pizza you’re after or one of the meat and seafood signatures that’s made Italian food famous, you’re bound to find a top-rated Italian restaurant in Dubai.Picking the best Italian restaurants in Dubai isn’t easy, but after months of tasting our way around the city, we’ve narrowed it down. These standout spots serve top-tier cuisine, warm hospitality, and that unmistakable Italian charm.

10 of the best Italian restaurants in Dubai. Credit: L’Amo Bistrò del Mare

The best Italian restaurant for 2025 can be found in a beautiful location at Dubai Harbour, offering superb views and a sophisticated vibe.

A recent shake up to the menu and a new chef in the form of Alessandro Salvatico have put this Italian restaurant right to the top of the list. Serving simple Italian food and seafood-focused dishes with ingredients imported daily from the Mediterranean, including Sicily and Adriatic Sea, there’s a little bit of something for everyone.

With a charming setting, views of Ain Dubai, Palm Jumeirah and Dubai Marina, the set-up is pretty special – making for a popular spot for special occasion meals and officially the best Italian restaurant of the year.

Time Out Dubai reviewers say: “With views, vibes and super seafood, it’s the perfect spot for a date night, especially now it’s shining more brightly than before.”

Check out our full L’Amo Bistrò del Mare review here

Licensed. Dubai Harbour Yacht Club, lamorestaurant.com (04 278 4800).

Highly commended

Chic Nonna

Best Italian restaurants in Dubai. Credit: Chic Nonna

This stunning DIFC restaurant is comfortably one of the top Italian eateries in town. Offering up classic Italian food that’s a perfect mix of homely dishes like pizza and pasta and more refined options that truly show off the chefs’ skills.

The dining room is delightful, too, with huge floor-to-ceiling windows that open fully in the winter to reveal views of Burj Khalifa and an elegant feel. The massive grape cellar is also a plus.

Time Out Dubai reviewers say: “This is one of those hard-to-find restaurant bars that you’ll want to spend just as much time in as you do the main dining room. It’s classic and on trend all at once, and already a new gathering place for the DIFC lot, with live jazz late at night.

“Go for lunch, go for dinner, go with friends, go on a date night, it’s the best Italian in Dubai with good reason.”

Check out our full Chic Nonna review here

Licensed. DIFC, chicnonna.com (04 605 2000).

Scalini

Best Italian restaurants in Dubai. Credit: Scalini

To find Scalini, you need to hop into a lift and head down to Scalini’s sunken garden at Restaurant Village at Four Seasons Resort Dubai. A popular place at any given time of day or night, Scalini draws in a loyal crowd.

The terrace is a charming spot for an al fresco dinner with friends, while inside bright whites and modern art give a cool feel. Pizzas, pasta, grills, salads and more all fly out the kitchen.

Having started out in London’s Knightsbridge, this chic Italian restaurant has made a name for itself in Dubai.

Time Out Dubai reviewers say: “As you’d expect, a robust collection of classic Italian dishes makes up the menu. It’s clearly humble and lovingly prepared food. The portions are generous and the quality of the ingredients is evident with every bite.”

Check out our full Scalini review here.

Licensed. Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach, Jumeirah, scalini-dubai.com (04 349 0068).

Shortlisted

Cipriani

10 of the best places to eat Italian food in Dubai

A stalwart on the scene, this longstanding spot in DIFC is one of the best Italian restaurants in Dubai. With a sophisticated vibe, white tablecloths and a classic menu of authentic dishes, Cipriani attracts a well-heeled crowd looking for business lunches or date night dinners.

With a history relating back to Harry’s Bar in Venice in the 1930s, expect traditional cooking with simple plates done well, and don’t miss the moreish cacio e pepe.

Time Out Dubai reviewers say: “Main courses deliver the high-end quality you expect from a renowned chain. The succulent lamb chops served on a sizzling hot plate are a delight, and the grilled Chilean sea bass is rich, flaky and delicious from first bite to last.”

Check out our full Cipriani review here

Licensed. Gate Village 3, DIFC, cipranidubai.com (04 347 0003).

Gigi Rigolatto

(Credit: Gigi Rigolatto)

Stunning beachfront restaurant Gigi Rigolatto offers a bit of everything – a fancy dining room, two sun-dappled terraces, pool, beach, bar, kids’ club and boutique.

Underpinning it all is Italian cuisine and culture, with a menu packed with favourites like arancini al tartufo, caprese, gambero rosso, linguine alle vongole, tonno scottato and cotoletta alla Milanese (a classic veal escalope).

Served in the most gorgeous setting in one of Dubai’s hottest new destinations, Gigi Rigolatto is a place for long, leisurely lunches and sophisticated dinners.

Time Out Dubai reviewers say: “The atmosphere gives vacay vibes with a breezy atmosphere but on-point service. Don’t forget to wander through its charming boutique to pick up a memento, but it won’t be long until you return.” 

Check out our full Gigi Rigolatto review here

Licensed. J1 Beach, La Mer gigi-restaurant.com/dubai (04 558 2067).

Il Borro Tuscan Bistro

Best Italian restaurants in Dubai. Credit: Il Borro Tuscan Bistro

A multiple winner of this award in previous years and still one of the best Italian restaurants in Dubai, Il Borro has a tried-and-tested formula it sticks too, and with good reason.

A charming setting next to the Turtle Lagoon at Jumeirah Al Naseem, this is a buzzing spot that you’ll need to book for. Ingredients come from Il Borro’s estate in Tuscany and authentic flavours and quality produce shine through.

Time Out Dubai reviewers say: “Own-brand olive oil? You’ll want to bathe in the stuff. A choice of five 1.2kg T-bone steaks to share? You’ll be talking about it for days. Warm apple tarte? Find room, whatever it takes.”

Check out our full Il Borro Tuscan Bistro review here

Licensed. Jumeirah Al Naseem, Umm Suqeim, ilborrotuscanbistro.ae (04 275 2555).

Isabella Cucina Italiana

Credit: Isabella Cucina Italiana

Authenticity is the order of the day at Isabella’s, which prides itself on its house-made fresh pastas and pizza doughs, fermented for 48 hours.

There are soups, salads, raw dishes and antipasti along with hearty mains, including popular picks like ossobuco and lamb chops. Every table should feature at least one wood-fired pizza, filled pasta and if you like fish, go for the classic branzino al sale, or salt-baked seabass to share.

This is homestyle food served with care and a perfect option for a meal with all the family.

Licensed. Vida Hills Hotel, Emirates Hills, isabellas.ae (04 323 7347).

Osteria Funkcoolio

(Credit: Funkcoolio)

If the name alone doesn’t draw you in, the menu at this quirky Italian-Japanese spot from chef Akmal Anuar will. With only 30 seats, the place screams cool and if you’re looking for an Italian restaurant with a twist, this is the one for you.

Itameshi dishes include tempting treats like the tuna and uni arancinigiri, foie gras with corn koshihikari rice, coffee and orange, and the spaghettini Hongkong stye seafood noodles. Yes, really.

Plus, you get to soak up all the waterside vibes at Port De La Mer, an up-and-coming Dubai destination.

Time Out Dubai reviewers say: “Kick off with one of the most exceptional dishes at Funkcoolio, the fried octopus, which is expertly battered and cooked. The exterior is crispy and savoury, while the inside retains a tender bounce.”

Check out our full Osteria Funkcoolio review here

Unlicensed. Port De La Mer, Jumeirah 1 @funkcoolio (050 284 7173).

Ristorante Loren

10 of the best Italian restaurants in Dubai Credit: Ristorante Loren

A stylish spot perched above the beach clubs at The Club at Palm West Beach, Ristorante Loren has been a popular location since opening in 2022.

There’s a seafood-style market setup if you’re in the mood for fish – pick your catch and choose your cooking style, while you can’t go wrong with the pillowy pizzas.

The spaghetti vongole and tortelli Loren are top picks from the pastas too. The views are undeniably a draw, with the restaurant boasting all the holiday feels.

Time Out Dubai reviewers say: “The pretty Italian spot, which you’ll find perched above SĀN Beach at Palm West Beach, has a casual-fine feel, meaning it’s the ideal location whether you’re after a romantic date night or laid-back family lunch, and everything in between.”

Check out our full Ristorante Loren review here.

Licensed. Palm West Beach, Palm Jumeirah, lorenristorantedubai.com (04 557 8293).

The Artisan

The best Italian restaurants in Dubai. Credit: The Artisan

A sophisticated spot hidden away in the Waldorf Astoria DIFC, there’s an exclusive vibe at The Artisan. There’s a traditional menu with plenty of pizza and pasta to try, while the vitello tonnato is a must-order for an excellent version of a classic.

Pizzas are worth ordering to share, (go for the truffle version), boasting a 72-hour fermented base. Pastas are mainly of the stuffed variety, so if you’re a fan, you’re in luck, while the cannoncini made tableside are a delicious end to the experience.

Time Out Dubai reviewers say: “Never has a slip of a space served such fantastic food, or pulled off effortless class like this. It works for date night, a business dinner or simply for pizzas and a pint. We’ve never left disappointed. We’ve always left full. We’re certain you will, too.”

Check out our full The Artisan review here.

Licensed. Waldorf Astoria Dubai International Financial Centre, theartisan.ae (04 338 8133).