The Best Italian Restaurants In Abu Dhabi

Antonia ... s!

Visiting any of the Antonia branches is like dining in Italy. Chef Simone Federici and his team work hard on producing an authentic Italian experience and the queues outside the doors are testament to its success!

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ANTONIA

MAMSHA AL SAADIYAT

Antonia Mamsha is the OG, and definitely one of the best Italian restaurants in Abu Dhabi. Take a seat inside the cool, contemporary interior or outside on the terrace as you watch the world go by and enjoy the best Romanesque Italian cuisine. We love the pizzas which are sold al taglia (by the slice) on full or half boards - the rosemarino and patate is a great choice,  but you can’t go past the margherita for the freshness of the tomatoes, mozzarella and basil. 

Enjoy a superb pasta - the cacio e pepe is a popular choice amongst the Italian clientele, while we love the bucatini … absolutely divine. 

Finish with a good tiramisu or a bomba, while enjoying your Aperol spritz or Birra Moretti on the terrace.

You can't book, but in cooler weather there's often a queue outside, so be prepared to wait with a little cup of house made gelato.

Open: 12PM - 11PM

Contact: 02 667 2554

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ANTONIA TRATTORIA

AL ZEINA

Antonia Trattoria in Al Zeina is your friendly neighbourhood Italian, serving breakfast on the weekends - the cornetti and bomba are a must try - and great pizzas, pastas and meat dishes every day of the week. It's not a massive space, so always has a vibe and the happy, knowledgeable staff make it easy to love. It's a great option for off-islanders asking the question 'is there a great Italian restaurant near me?'

Serves alcohol

Open: 9AM - 10PM

Contact: 02 622 0480

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ANTONIA CHIC

THE GALLERIA AL MARYAH

The recently opened Antonia Chic inside the Galleria Mall is a groundbreaker, being the first mall restaurant in Abu Dhabi to serve alcohol. Frequented by Italians looking for the perfect restaurant Italien It has a super terrace, great in the cooler weather and the  interior decor is slick and chic, living up to its name.  This is a bustling little Italian restaurant, which often sees people queuing at the door at lunchtime, waiting for a seat to become available.  Get a carafe of red or white to have with your pasta or a beer to go with your pizza, and you truly feel like you’re at an upscale Italian restaurant somewhere in Milan. 

Serves alcohol

Open: 12PM - 11PM

Contact: 02 674 9781

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MARE MARE

JUMEIRAH SAADIYAT ISLAND

If you’re looking for a great Italian restaurant in Abu Dhabi, Mare Mare, as the name suggests, is right beside the sea. Vast windows look out to the Arabian Gulf, while the interior is cool and beautiful, the perfect place for a relaxed lunch or dinner. 

Enjoy the best of salads, pizzas, pastas and of course a delectable tiramisu for dessert. On a Sunday, pop in for Brunchissimo, a brunch that will leave you keen to try the rest of the menu. 

Serves alcohol

Open: 12PM - 11PM (Monday to Thursday) 12PM - 12AM (Friday to Saturday) 12PM - 11:30PM (Sunday)

Contact: 02 811 4342

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VILLA TOSCANA

ST REGIS ABU DHABI

The St Regis stormed into our consciousness when we first reviewed Catch at St Regis a few months ago … and we’re happy to say that Villa Toscana is equally as good, in fact, it makes our list of the top 3 Italian restaurants in Abu Dhabi. 

Start with excellent focaccia, move to glorious tartares, risottos and an absolutely outstanding ravioli dish that is absolutely delicious. 

A must-try dish is Chef Vittorio’s stuffed octopus: we can guarantee this is unlike any other dish you will find in Abu Dhabi. It’s one of those dishes that speaks to the Italian distaste for waste. Leftover bread is made into crumbs, put together with anchovies, capers and olives and stuffed into octopus. It's baked with glorious yellow and red tomato reductions and a wash of basil and the result is magical!

We also recommend you don’t stint on dessert: yes, get the tiramisu but also try the fondant, accompanied by great gelato that will make you think of the streets of Bergamo.  

We’re happy to recommend Villa Toscana to Italians - and they love it as much as we do for a special occasion.

Serves alcohol

Open: 12PM - 11PM

Contact: 02 694 4553

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MARMELLATA

SOUQ AL MINA

This small Italian pizza restaurant is one of the best in Abu Dhabi and is an Abu Dhabi institution. Run by Raj Dagstani, Marmellata has quite the story: open only from Wednesday to Sunday, 4PM - 9PM, expect to queue, sometimes for almost an hour, to get a seat in this coveted Italian restaurant. Yes, it’s that good. 

Expect to find the most delicious of pizzas, thin of crust (yes, this means you can smash through a few different flavour combinations and not feel full!) and innovative of topping. Some of our favourites include the pepperoni with honey, and a split pizza of fig with gorgonzola, pistachio and lemon and half mushrooms/kale/garlic confit - absolutely incredible combinations that just work.  This is why it's popular, and this is why it’s worth the hype. You can’t book; just rock up and hope for the best - because this is what you’ll 100% get. 

Open: 4PM - 9:30PM (Wednesday to Sunday)

Contact: 055 802 9355

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Beach House 

PARK HYATT ABU DHABI

This upscale Italian restaurant is often overlooked but should be at the top of your list of Italian restaurants in Abu Dhabi: the coastal menu is wonderful and the restaurant is so close to the sand you could touch it.

Spearheaded by Executive Chef Danilo, Beach House produces some outstanding Italian food. We love the tris de tartare, the freshest seafood dish imaginable, but if you want to splurge, the gran crudo seafood tower (AED485) is glorious.

The half lobster, crammed with spaghetti with lobster is an excellent choice for main, and while the restaurant prides itself on its slick take on tiramisu, we love the golosini (gelato bites encased in chocolate) to finish.  Service is excellent, and views from the terrace across the sand are superb.

Serves alcohol

Open: 12:30PM - 12AM (Sunday to Thursday) 12:30PM - 1AM (Friday to Saturday)

Contact: 02 407 1138

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TALEA BY ANTONIA GUIDA

EMIRATES PALACE MANDARIN ORIENTAL

Talea is the place to go for Italian when you want to sample a mix of  Italian haute cuisine and home style cucina fare.  Guests applaud the pizza which is consistently excellent, and if you love tiramisu put together at your table, this is the place for you.  Service is, in true Emirates Palace style, exemplary. For a high end Italian restaurant, Talea is one of the most popular for Emirates Palace guests.

Serves alcohol

Open: 12:30PM - 3PM , 6:30PM - 11PM

Contact: 02 690 7999

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MARCO'S ITALIAN

FAIRMONT BAB AL BAHR

Marco’s Italian is a great Italian restaurant for anyone who loved simple, Italian fare - and as a side note, they also cater well for those with  gluten intolerance. 

Start at the cocktail bar for drinks, then sit at your table to peruse the menu.  Want a tip? Order a little bit of everything – portions are generous so you may be tempted to share. We love the burrata salad to start, while the agnolotti di manzo al tartufo pasta is what dreams are made of: the saltiness of the homemade agnolotti stuffed with braised beef compliments the slight sweetness of the butternut puree, and the truffle added a gorgeous earthy flavour.

Marco’s Italian is a versatile venue, well-suited to both families and couples and even that post-work crowd, perfect for Italian purists looking for a ristorante Italien, and those who want a broad choice. Nathan the accomplished pianist will have you tapping your toes every night except Sundays. 

Serves alcohol

Open: 12PM - 4PM , 6PM - 11PM (Sunday to Friday) 7PM - 11PM (Saturday)

Contact: 02 654 3238

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LOCALINO

RAHA BEACH BOULEVARD

This cosy little Italian restaurant is perfect for the burgeoning population of Raha Beach who’d love somewhere casual to go on weeknights, or as a stop while walking the dog on weekends. 

Don’t be fooled into thinking this might be second-rate; it’s far from that. The menu is small but perfectly formed and the food is good.  We love the pizza and the fact that they deliver is a bonus, but the pasta and the sweets to finish are also noteworthy. This is an Italian worth either the trot along the canal or a trip off island.

Open: 12PM - 10PM (Tuesday to Sunday)

Contact: 02 236 7493

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CAFE MILANO

FOUR SEASONS ABU DHABI

Fun fact about Cafe Milano: the only other outlet in the world is in Washington, and is heavily frequented by politicians and change makers. The Abu Dhabi version is naturally quite different: it’s got a gorgeous terrace, which looks out over the Al Maryah basin, with great city lights views in the evening.  Service is absolutely exemplary, and the interior comfortable. 

The menu includes the whole gamut of Italian staples, from antipasti to ziti and everything in between.  Pastas are excellent and do finish with the standard tiramisu, which is anything but ordinary! If you’re staying on al Maryah Island and you find yourself searching for ‘an Italian restaurant near me’, Cafe Milano is a fine choice. 

Serves alcohol

Open: 12PM - 12AM

Contact: 02 333 2444

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SOLE RISTORANTE

CONRAD ABU DHABI ETIHAD TOWERS

Sole is one both of the best and one most overlooked Italian restaurants in Ab Dhabi and the food, based on the Neapolitan traditions of Chef Simone de Vivo, is excellent.

Start with the good focaccia, the good olive oil and the good Modena balsamic, then wend your way through the starters, beginning with the tuna tartare which is excellent, with a little tomato bruschetta on the side.

Come in the evening, perhaps with kids in tow, and watch the pizzaiola shoving superbly-doughed pizzas into the gorgeous pizza oven, having had a good, long rise. This pizza is the real deal and we’re here for all the traditional and the gourmet toppings on the menu.

For the pasta course, lift away from your usual and try something different: the caramelle look for all the world like wrapped sweets, the delicate pasta stuffed with what was the most glorious octopus filling. It comes with a smooth butternut puree and splashes of squid ink aioli and surely counts as one of the best pasta dishes in Abu Dhabi.

The sea bass is a good choice for main, beautifully cooked, with a piquant, light salsa. We also love the slow-cooked costine de manzo, beef short rib with broad beans and tomatoes on the side and a beautiful, tender potato terrine. The meat falls off the bone, is well-seasoned and tasty.

We seem to be on a permanent tiramisu comparison trail and this is one of our favourites, looking cute in a little jar, with a fairly solid mascarpone cream which is the yardstick for me. The ‘Trust Me I’m From Napoli’ baba arrives, split in half, and sandwiched with cream and berries - delicious - but the star of the show is the sweet ravioli. These little parcels come stuffed with a chocolate orange cream, hazelnut mousse and a truffle ice-cream on the side. This is a ‘no sorry not sharing’ kind of dish that you’d make it a mission to finish solo. 

Sole is a great restaurant for both families, an Italian restaurant that’s perfect for date night on the terrace, and a good option for team catch-ups.  It’s an Abu Dhabi Italian favourite for a good reason!

Serves alcohol

Open: 12PM - 3PM, 7PM - 11PM

Contact: 02 811 5666

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VERSO

GRAND HYATT ABU DHABI

Verso is casual and fun and perfect for low-key family meals, or a good catch up with friends.  The menu is traditional Italian with some twists and we’re here for it.

We love the tuna tartare with little hints of apple to freshen it up, the beautiful calamari … and the bread. The foccacia especially is just so pillowy, and soft and begged to be dipped generously into house-made pesto. Delightful.

Pizza comes fresh and hot from the oven - get the pizza verde, heavily laden with peas and prosciutto and the uncomplicated margherita. Risottos are done well and extremely popular.  

Finish with the best thing to come out of Italy, tiramisu! Creamy and smooth, with a good coffee hit, this was a fine ending to any meal at Verso. 

Drinks are good, and there’s nothing better on a winter afternoon than a seat on the terrace, cradling an Aperol Spritz or a great glass of Italian wine. 

Verso is a really funky restaurant and it's very easy just to sit back and let the afternoons and evenings unfold, until you find yourself awash with food and drinks and it's time to go home. It’s one of the best Italian restaurants in Abu Dhabi for families and superbly casual catch-ups with good food.

Serves alcohol

Open: 12PM - 11PM

Contact: 02 510 1234

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DINO'S BISTRO ITALIANO

PEARL ROTANA

Dino’s is a good Italian restaurant in Abu Dhabi if you’re staying anywhere near ADNEC or at Pearl Rotana itself, if you’re looking for casual Italian food at a good price. 

The food is hearty and filling, pizzas come frest from the oven and pastas made to order.  We enjoy the hand-rolled pasta with chicken and mushrooms and flavoured with a delicious parmesan cream sauce, spinach and pine nuts. The mushroom risotto (a good vegetarian option) is rich and creamy and hard to go past. 

We love the range of desserts, especially the pot of tiramisu that’s so smooth, you feel like you could go again.

For a quick lunch on the go, a casual working dinner or a weekend brunch that’s well-priced, Dino’s is an Italian option in Abu Dhabi that’s worth your time. 

Serves alcohol

Open: 12PM - 3:30PM , 6PM - 11PM (Monday to Friday) 12PM - 4PM , 6PM - 11PM (Saturday to Sunday)

Contact: 02 307 5551

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PIZZA DI ROCCO

SALAM ST AND ETIHAD PLAZA

Abu Dhabi’s most popular pizza for delivery is Pizza Di Rocco but it’s often overlooked for dine-in.  The space in both the Salam St and the Etihad Plaza branch is small, but it feels very simple and Italian.  We love the pizzas and in fact, while we enjoy the traditional offerings, we love the brisket, the pesto pollo and the chicken tikka just as much! 

Open: 11AM - 12AM (Sunday to Thursday) 11AM to 2AM (Friday to Saturday)

Contact: 800 76226

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AMORITALIA

AL RAHA BEACH BOULEVARD

Amoritalia is a lovely option for a casual Italian restaurant in Abu Dhabi, especially if you live ‘off island’. Menu highlights include the gorgeous calzone, stuffed full of incredible fillings and so large, they’re almost impossible to finish, the superb pizza and excellent pasta options. We love their iteration of tiramisu - one you really must try. Pricing is good and is a definite option for a casual mid-week Italian meal or a leisurely weekend Italian feast. 

Open: 1PM - 10:30PM (Monday to Thursday) 1PM - 11PM (Friday) 9AM - 11PM (Saturday to Sunday)

Contact: 055 418 8167

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