Cucina, The Palm — Restaurant in Dubai

I take review writing seriously as a passion.

Let’s start with the ambiance. It was around 8:15pm, evening time, and the dining room was well lit but still vibey and dim enough to feel comfortable and at ease. Candles added a nice touch, and the music fit perfectly—not too loud, just enough to bring life to the space.

Service was top notch. We had a booking and were quickly escorted to our table. It was still pretty empty (Thursday night), but you can tell this place fills up on weekends.

We were just getting settled when the star of the night—Shah (King, eh?)—came through and introduced himself. I’ve been around Dubai and other parts of the world where service is world-class, and I can say with confidence: Shah is one of those rare people who actually loves their job. It really shows, and it speaks volumes about the team and their Head Chef—who I’ll get to later.

Shah introduced us to the menu, which might seem a little confusing at first, especially if you’re not familiar with Italian cuisine—not a worry for me though! He recommended a few pasta dishes and explained the restaurant’s culture of sharing. Most dishes can come as individual portions or be shared (which obviously cost more, but hey—you’re sharing). Shah’s pride in the place was obvious—he even told us how they grow their own herbs for the pesto, right in-house. You can see the little garden across from your table (though it’s off-limits for food safety, understandably).

Already, I was impressed. I had the pleasure of shaking Shah’s hand and was genuinely excited for the rest of the night.

The food came out quickly. We started with focaccia and chunky tomatoes to build our own bruschetta—olive oil, balsamic, parmesan, a little salt and pepper. Simple and so good.

Shah recommended a pasta dish that was like a ravioli take on cacio e pepe. It was stuffed with mint, potato, and herbs, then coated in that cheesy peppery sauce—absolutely superb. We also tried a duck ragu pasta, with the duck served on the side at our request (one of our diners didn’t want it mixed in). Personally, I think the duck made the dish. It was juicy and rich, turned the whole thing into something else entirely. 2/2 for Shah’s recommendations—he killed it.

We had a tartufo pizza with creamy ricotta, pesto, and truffle—so fragrant and flavorful. The pork nduja pizza was another hit—spicy, slightly sour in a good way, full of umami.

Shah told us something cool—the dough is fried for about 10–15 seconds before being baked. And wow, it really makes a difference. The crust was airy, crispy, light—you could honestly just eat it plain. The Chef gets what makes pizza go from good to unforgettable.

For dessert, I went with this ricotta cheesecake-honey gelato combo that was pure deliciousness. Not too sweet, not too bland—just perfect. Creamy, with biscuit crumble for crunch. Amazing texture and flavor balance.

And here’s the moment that made me have to write this review: after all this, Shah brought us a pistachio gelato on the house. It was incredible. A kind gesture and the perfect ending to a fantastic evening.

Honestly, it doesn’t get much better than this. I know I’ll be coming back—if only to see Shah and enjoy this gem of a restaurant all over again.

Shah if you see this, you made our...

Yesterday, we visited Cucina restaurant, which is supposed to serve Italian cuisine. However, our experience was very disappointing, especially as Muslim diners with limited options on the menu. Most of the dishes contained pork, which we cannot eat, leaving us with very few choices.

After much deliberation, we ordered a chicken dish out of necessity rather than excitement. When we asked the waiter how it was prepared, he checked with the chef and informed us that it was pan-seared with butter, garlic, and herbs. When the dish arrived, it was boneless chicken with the skin on, and it was completely TASTELESS. The chicken lacked any seasoning and was oily. We had to add salt and pepper ourselves to make it somewhat palatable. The sauce on the side was equally flavorless and added nothing to the dish. The accompanying potatoes and mushrooms were bland and did not enhance the meal in any way. Overall, the dish was very disappointing, and we only ate it because we were hungry.

The second dish we ordered was ravioli filled with pecorino cheese with lamp chops on the top. It was excessively salty to the point where I had to drink a lot of water and couldn’t finish it.

This was the worst dining experiences we’ve had and did not resemble authentic Italian food at all. Simply serving pasta and pizza does not qualify a restaurant to be called Italian restaurant.

The only positive part of the experience was when, after sharing our feedback, the head waiter (or someone in charge) came over, acknowledged our concerns, and offered us a complimentary tiramisu. To be fair, the tiramisu was good and helped cleanse our palate after the unpleasant meal.

Despite this gesture, we cannot recommend Cucina restaurant and will not return. This was far from the authentic Italian dining experience we...

CUCINA Italian Restaurant at Marriott Palm Jumeriah Dubai Monday 24th March 2025.

Food Burrata Cheese tomato salad This is awesome. No doubt in house made Burrata Cheese. Light fluffy creamy perfect with tomatoes about 4 varieties in 1/4’s and 3 varieties of cherry. Very good starter. I just loved it.

Ravioli Al Granchio Ravioli filled with ricotta & basil, Blue Crab in crab bisque & confit datterino tomatoes (Plum tomatoes) and dill. The aroma is wonderful. Definitely of crustaceans. That deep smell of wonderfully cooked shells turned into delicious stock. Opps Bisque Crab you delicious thing get down my throat. So expertly prepared. Rich seafood with the bisque is just divine. 2 massive ravioli. Very well made. great homemade pasta smell and taste. The basil ricotta filling is light very light on the palette. Doesn’t interfere with the delicious bisque and crab. On that, I’d love more crab who wouldn’t. Actually I just heaped up all bisque I realised I was saving the good stuff for later read the crab. Yes there is plenty. Just being greedy. The depth of flavour in the bisque with the crab is just wonderful deliciousness. Can’t believe the depth of it. Crustacean flavours all over my lips even in my nose. Delightful. As I leave the deep crab bisque flavour remains on my taste buds and lips. Thank you. One small thing. On arrival I requested a glass on water. I wanted it to clear my throat. Unfortunately it took 2 people and 10 minutes to arrive. Sometimes it’s better to listen to the customer rather than follow...