After a few amazing meals at Armani/Ristorante, we decided to broaden our horizons and try… Armani/Deli, Armani’s casual-er dining venue that still packs the swank and makes you feel very special the moment you walk down the spiral staircase that leads to the restaurant.
We visited for the deli’s Friday brunch, an unusual all-day affair, with tables offered between noon and nine. We couldn't get a reservation for earlier than four, so that’s when we visited. The European, in a smart move, was coerced into lunch with her friends so wasn't even that hungry by the time we got there. In her own words, “if the food is good, I shall eat”.
It had better be good. The deli only offers Italian cuisine, of which we are both very picky. Immediately we are greeted with, well, no food. But look closer! Because there it all is, behind deli-screens, guarded by the chefs. The whole feel is very minimal — like the sparse, bold, chequered décor of the room — and oddly, very strange as well. After being seated and wined up by our quiet but charming waiter, we went up and began exploring. The chefs at the deli-counters are nice enough; they hand you plates, and serve you with a smile. I totally get that here we are, in one of the smartest hotels in the city, and clearly there has been a great deal of thought going into cultivating this resounding image of decorum and service, but it just doesn't suit a brunch. Asking chef’s things like a “bit more of this”, “oh no, stop, that’s a little too much” and requesting for olive oil (in an Italian restaurant!) is very, very strange. I feel if this level of interaction is what the management wanted, then go all out and offer an à la carte brunch. To my own personal dismay, things got worse when the time came for dessert, as this particular counter wasn’t even attended to by anyone, leading me to having to find a chef and bring him over to stack my plate with cakes and pastries like the greedy pig that I am.
Don’t get me wrong, there were more positives at the brunch. The wine selection for the brunch is great, and the food is very, very, good. I loved the fresh burrata station, where chefs will make AND stuff the cheese, right in front of you. There’s a pork room, which is so well-hidden you are escorted down two or three corridors and to a black mirrored door, to partake of the delights of the pig. And no deli counters in this room! The salads and cold cuts are all so fresh and immaculately prepared. There are live pasta and risotto stations, of which you cannot fault what is prepared for you. The beef and saffron risotto was mind-bindingly good. There are also à la carte mains available, but we just stuck on the pasta and risotto. So yes, The European was eating after all.
The brunch comes to three hundred and ninety dirhams per person including house beverages. It’s good value as you can eat and drink well here. Service is typically great for this hotel, and I did enjoy chatting to the chefs, and there is a live two-piece band that is exceptionally talented and not too intrusive. But I do think the concept needs to be sharpened up. There were too many awkward moments caused by a reliance of handing your plate over to a chef. Polite queues were forming as the evening wore on, and sometimes chefs would have to disappear into the back rooms, leaving a lot of diners (not just me) wondering what on earth to do as all that lovely food was locked away behind glass screens!
So, if you, like me, are really into Italian food, then head along, brave the awkwardness and give the Armani/Deli brunch a go. Otherwise, if you are looking for an easy-going, all-out affair with food that is almost as amazing, then the Sunday evening brunch at Positano at the JW Marriott Marquis Dubai will cater better to your inner glutton.
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