Date Night: Tre By Roberto Rella

Looking for a fiery Italian date night? Check out our Tre review below…

Staring out your window at the scorching sun and humid air, longing to transport yourself to somewhere, far, far away? New York perhaps, or even London? Or whilst we’re at it, why not Italy too?! Then take a trip to Tre by Roberto Rella (the chef behind Roberto’s in DIFC) – a three-floor eatery that serves up sumptuous Italian cuisine in a setting fit for an old-school New York bar or classic London restaurant.

Located on the 49^th floor of the Radisson Royal Hotel, Tre has it all. A lounge floor, a bar floor, and a restaurant floor – all with a slight spin on the theme, which is cozy meets modern, classic meets cool. Starting our evening in the bar on the 51^st floor, staring out at the city lights of Dubai with cocktails in hand (try the Floor 50 – vodka, green apple, lemon, cucumber, and lavender, it’s deliciously refreshing) it was easy to forget we were in Dubai. The dimmed, warm lighting, dark wooden panels, soft leather seats, and the hum of jazz playing in the background instantly transported us to the top of a New York skyscraper. Super laid back and totally unpretentious, you could easily spend all night up here soaking in the stunning city view.

 
But our dinner table called, so after our pre-dinner tipples we made our way back down to floor 49 to treat our taste buds to some proper Italian grub. The restaurant floor features a small bar area, a private dining room, and a large, spacious main floor where tables aren’t crammed next each other, which makes being able to spend proper date-night time with your other half that much more intimate. The menu offers traditional Italian cuisine but with a contemporary twist, without being too fancy or fussy. There’s all the usual suspects – pasta (homemade of course), risotto, steak, and fish, but also a raw seafood and oyster bar that warrants a mention of its own.

Starting with a huge sharing platter of fresh, raw fish, which was presented so prettily it was tempting not to touch (that didn’t last long), there was lobster carpaccio with burrata, yellow fin tuna tartar, semi cooked octopus with micro greens…the perfect light start to what would become a decadent Italian feast. Aside from the homemade breads and olive oil trolley (yes, a trolley dedicated to every type of olive oil you could possibly want) we washed it down with…

Then on to the mains. When in Italy (well, almost) I can’t not have pasta, so for me it was a generous portion of ‘Tartufo e Punte’, fettuccine with black truffles and asparagus tips. Divine. My other half opted for the beef tenderloin with foie gras sauce and turned seasonal vegetables. He too wolfed his down, although we both picked up on a slight saltiness of the food, which – as we don’t cook with salt at home – was the only thing we could fault.

Then onto the desserts, the chocolate fondant with Baileys ice cream and sour cherry was creamy and rich and just the right size to not leave you feeling like you’ve over indulged too much (although if I could I would have eaten 5 more, it was that good). However, it was the ‘Cioccolato’ that stole the show. When it was placed on the table we were somewhat confused. This isn’t an ‘aerated pistachio cake with a toasted almond ganache and salted crumble’, it’s a salad! But upon closer inspection, what we thought was lettuce, tomatoes, and a poached egg, was in fact exactly what the menu said – but deconstructed. Just one of the examples of how the team at Tre get creative to turn something classic into something fun and unique.

Boasting one of the largest wine cellars in Dubai, there’s something to match every dish too, with drinks complementing our food every step of the way. With your post dinner tea and coffee a cake stand of various petit fours arrives, and the staff are incredibly knowledgeable – able to offer their recommendations without sounding like they’d just memorised a menu. More importantly, the relaxed and inviting atmosphere meant we left feeling stuffed and seriously relaxed, the perfect end to a day babysitting the sassy little nephews and nieces!

Tre, Radisson Royal Hotel, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, (+971) (0)4047700, reservations@tre.ae, www.tre.ae