TOTÓ Abu Dhabi — Restaurant in Abu Dhabi

What do Rafael Nadal, Cristiano Ronaldo, and I have in common? Well, it’s not sporting prowess—my golf swing is as hazardous as a toddler with a cricket bat. It’s not the money either; I wore trousers last night that last saw the light of day when Oasis was still topping charts. No, the answer is simple: we’ve all been to TOTÓ in Abu Dhabi. They own it; I just ate there.

Yes, the Portuguese footballer and Spanish tennis legend have joined forces not to launch some predictable sports bar with their memorabilia slapped all over the walls but to open... an Italian restaurant. As you do. And not just any Italian, mind you, but a rather splendid one. Scratch that—exquisite.

We’ve come a long way since the cringe-worthy days when Arnie, Sly, and Bruce hawked overpriced burgers and plastic memorabilia at Planet Hollywood. Now, celebrity-backed restaurants are all about where they’d actually want to eat. And if the mere sprinkling of stardust adds some glamour to your meal, all the better.

TOTÓ manages to capture the opulence of old-school Italian fine dining but without the stuffy pretence. It’s polished yet contemporary, with just enough cheekiness in the details to remind you it’s all meant to be enjoyed. The peppermill, for instance, is a monstrosity that would need a license to operate in the UK—it’s glorious.

And when the desert heat finally dips, the terrace seating is going to be prime real estate, with sunsets so spectacular you’ll wonder if you’ve wandered into a Fellini film.

But let’s talk about the food, shall we? That open kitchen is like peeking behind the curtain of a magic show, and the chefs work culinary wizardry. Every plate bursts with bold flavours and is cooked with a precision that would make a Michelin inspector weep.

So, who should go here? If you’re looking for a special night out with stellar food, impeccable service, and an atmosphere that balances elegance with warmth, then book yourself a table. Because if it’s good enough for Rafa and Cristiano, it’s definitely good enough for me. And I suspect,...

Was really looking forward to this last night.

We’ve come to Abu Dhabi for a short staycay from Dubai.

We love the area and love Antonia but wanted somewhere we could dress up. I was hearing and seeing TOTÓ pop up a lot so thought we’d give it a go!

restaurant is beautiful, staff were friendly, our waiter was friendly, helpful and not pushy (sometimes they can be!), atmosphere was nice. Due to the weather a lot were outside but stil quite a nice vibe inside, we were sat at a table facing the kitchen which we like.

Sadly the food let the experience down. We LOVE Italian, but sadly TOTÓ didn’t meet our expectation at all.

Starters we had the bresola carpaccio - nothing special, yellowfin tuna tartare with coconut which I was so excited for - lacked flavour and was bland (we didn’t even finish it), followed by the parmigiana - disaster. The cheese on the top felt rubbery as if it was supermarket bought.

Mains we had the carbonara - a proper Italian carbonara (not the British one) the ones our Italian friends make had more flavour than this one! We also had the cod which said it came with veggies (didn’t see any other than the tomato sauce). It would have been good for the waiter to point this it for us to order sides but the cod was quite bland, again lacked flavour.

Both mains weren’t finished and we are foodies, we love food and never really do this. So I think it says a lot.. the waiter did ask if it was okay and we were honest saying it lacked a lot of flavour - which I can see from other reviews it’s clearly a common thing. After the disappointing experience we didn’t even look at desserts never mind order one, we decided to head back to our hotel and order room service!

Sadly despite the pretty venue, I’d still choose Antonia as our go to Italian and wouldn’t return to TOTÓ.

Hope you guys can take the feedback...

My husband and I finally came to Toto after a long time of planning, and probably won’t return.

The atmosphere - gorgeous! Beautiful tables, nice lighting, quiet ambiance - very well done.

The service - lackluster and also over the top at the same time. No “can i explain the menu” or “welcome to Toto, have you dined with us before?” just sort of sat us and immediately “Do you know what you want to drink?” And i had to ask for a wine menu. It was a little odd and very disjointed. Not bad - just not polished as I expected…kind of amateur hour. . During our meal our server literally stood less than a meter behind my husband while we were trying to have a nice quiet date night and private conversation. It was very intrusive and over the top. While we were served our pasta, literally 5 staff members stood near our table and stared at us without breaking gaze…..it was uncomfortable.

The food?…..Eh at best. I was incredibly disappointed. We fine at Antonia’s often and I will stay with them. This homemade fresh ravioli was gummy, thick, chewy, and the sauce was disgusting. It tasted like they threw a jar of tomato paste on a plate. Homemade pasta should be delicate, thin, and flavorful. This was NOT good. The oxtail bolognese was “their specialty” after we asked what the server recommended, and it was the most bland pasta ever - we had to douse it in salt and pepper to make it edible. The duck lasagna was very good though - we very much enjoyed that. Would recommend it visiting!

For dessert we had the tiramisu and pistachio cake which were lovely.

Overall - it just fell flat. A lot of potential! Beautiful and thoughtful interior but their pasta needs a LOT of help if it’s an “authentic” Italian restaurant. Just go to...