Alici — Restaurant in Dubai

I recently had the pleasure of dining at Alici restaurant for their premium brunch experience, and it was nothing short of sublime.

The ambiance at Alici is a masterpiece in itself. The decor exudes elegance, it simply felt like a journey to the coast of Italy.

What truly sets Alici apart is the impeccable service. From the moment we were seated, the staff's genuine warmth and attentiveness made us feel truly special. Their professionalism, courtesy, and exceptional manners were evident in every interaction. It's clear that the team at Alici has undergone the highest level of training, as their service is truly top-notch.

We had the pleasure of experiencing the weekend brunch, and it was a seafood lover's dream come true.

Before diving into the main course feast, Alici treats you to a carefully crafted crudo bar selection that sets the stage for an extraordinary culinary journey. The Dibba Bay oysters and caviar are nothing short of perfection, showcasing the restaurant's commitment to sourcing the finest and freshest ingredients. The caviar twist with anchovies as part of the accompaniments was a unique and delightful surprise that added a burst of flavor to every bite. Each dish was a work of art, beautifully presented and bursting with the fresh flavors of the sea. To complement the oysters and caviar, I highly recommend the sparkling package, which includes premium-quality champagne. The champagne served is a true indulgence that elevates the dining experience to another level. Next, are the specially crafted antipasti selection and artisanal pizza, and, as you move on to your chosen main course, you already know you're in for a treat. And when it's time for dessert, you're met with a beautiful summary of Italian flavors that leave a lasting impression. I recommend indulging in one of their cocktails from the meticulously curated cocktail menu. The finesse in presentation, just like every other aspect of the dining experience, is beyond compare, making it a truly exceptional gastronomic journey from start to finish.

I must take a moment to compliment the amazing service provided by our waiter, Andrea, during our visit to Alici. His attentiveness, knowledge, and genuine enthusiasm for ensuring our dining experience was exceptional truly stood out. Moreover, the fantastic service we received from Igor, the restaurant manager, was absolutely impressive. His leadership and dedication to ensuring every detail was taken care of further enhanced our overall experience. Igor's exceptional service played a pivotal role in making our visit to Alici truly unforgettable.

If you're looking for a brunch that combines class, sophistication, and delectable seafood dishes, Alici is the place to be :) I cannot recommend it highly enough, and I can't wait to return for another...

We visited Alici to celebrate my sister's birthday, as she fell in love with the Amalfi Coast on a trip to Europe last year. Hence, our top choice was Alici to celebrate.

The booking process to make a reservation online was easy, and the staff promptly took us to our seats which had a view of Bluewaters. The interiors were lovely and well themed. However, when we were given our menus and the plates were moved around, there was noticeable dirt on the tablecloth; this could've easily just been some residue from the candle but it was day time and the restaurant had just opened, so it was unexpected to say the least.

Initially, the service was quite slow and it took us around 15 minutes to even order drinks. We ordered:

🍋 Amalfi Spritz ❤️ Brindisi Rosa 🍕 Bufala 🍄 Tagliolini al tartufo ☕️ Tiramisu (on the house)

The food itself was a bit disappointing. Starting with the Brindisi Rosa, it was rosemary heavy and tasted more like an herbal medicinal tea than a delicious, refreshing mocktail. The Amalfi Spritz was quite bitter, but not bad overall. The Bufala had a bright red tomato sauce which tasted heavily of tomato paste, rather than fresh tomatoes. The crust was good but the mozzarella was not stretchy or elastic, and was a bit rubbery instead which was not very enjoyable. The tagliolini was alright and buttery, but barely had a hint of a truffle taste.

As I mentioned, we were out for a birthday lunch so the staff brought out a tiramisu and sang happy birthday to my sister which added a generous touch to our experience! It was totally unexpected and caught my sister by surprise, and we truly appreciated this nice gesture. When it came time to try the actual tiramisu, it tasted like a coffee flavoured milk cake with an overly-generous heap of cocoa powder sifted on top. It did not exactly reflect the components that were advertised on the menu, which were traditional tiramisu ingredients.

The service was inconsistent making our experience an odd one. The staff were extremely friendly and hospitable, but took quite long to complete tasks - especially considering that there were only around 4 tables with guests when we visited. We had to wait around an hour to pay for our food. Moreover, the staff would pay attention to minute details like pulling out a chair every time we would return to our seats (which was nice), but did not keep up the same energy when it came to more important tasks like paying the bill, or even ordering our food.

It's safe to say I would not come back to Alici for the food. However the ambience of the restaurant truly made our experience special. The gorgeous interiors and generosity of the staff made up for the average food and our...

We have been to Alici on at least 4 occasions. But it seemed that for the staff, we were no different from a first time visitor. We had requested to be seated upstairs which was fully booked despite asking 5 days in advance. Which is fine and great for the brand that they were full upstairs.

Due to that, we were seated downstairs outdoors. It was supposed to be a nice romantic dinner for two which very quickly and obviously was impossible with the screams of kids playing feet away from where we were seated and the large number of passing families and all the noise that came along with it. The neighbouring restaurant was also blasting their music which made it even worse. All this again, was not the restaurants doing and i guess comes with the area and although upstairs helps, we were unfortunate and had to settle for the horrible atmosphere.

What was terrible was that despite going back to the reception and requesting again to see if there was an option available upstairs, they didn't have the courtesy to come back to the table later in the night just to say that there was no opportunity. Something you would expect. But again, fine. We ignored it.

Finally the food. After 3 separate waiters that asked us to order within a span of 2 min between each other. We got tired of saying that we were still enjoying our first beverage and just placed the order. 1 Tuna Tartare and 1 Burrata to start. The Tartare was terrible with a fishy smell and slimy texture. The plate was left with no more than 1 spoon eaten. The waiter took no notice and whisked it away when we said we were done.

The mains came. A simple Pasta al pomodoro for the wife as she wanted no fish or meat for the evening. And Scallops for me. The pasta was okay and nothing special however the same item in Il Borro which is their sister company does it perfectly.

The disaster was the Scallops. With every single bite came a crunch in your teeth from the badly cleaned scallops meaning, you are literally biting into sand. Just the worst feeling. 4 scallops on the plate made me believe it was just 1 bad piece. But trying a bite from each and every one revealed the same to be the case. Left that dish as well.

Waiter came and this time we decided to complain and explain what was wrong. The waiters response was "You may have had bad luck". Lovely.

Not a single manager approached us nor did anything get comped because I guess, we were not important enough for them to deal with.

After several previous visits and recommending to many people, we would never...