“You do business. We do lunch.” Roberto’s Abu Dhabi
Are business lunches just for business people? The answer is no. While of course restaurants design these two or three course affordable lunch menus with the business man or woman in mind they are also a great way to sample what establishments have to offer and are becoming increasingly popular with ladies who lunch.
Robertos Abu Dhabi, located in the lower ground concourse of Galleria Mall under the Rosewood hotel, is a high-end Italian restaurant that offers traditional yet contemporary top-notch Italian cuisine. The business lunch is a really good representation of both the cuisine and overall ethos, the menu devised by executive Head Chef Andrea Falcone changes weekly so even regular diners can enjoy the seasonal variation and never tire of what’s on offer.
Portion size at Roberto’s has always been a somewhat contentious issue in my experience and the business lunch is no exception with perfectically presented dishes that focus on quality over quantity, in this instance ideal for a lunchtime meal. Available as two or three courses for just AED 90 or AED 125, the menu features vegetarian, meat and seafood choices as well as a soup, pasta and two desserts options, something for everyone’s taste and budget. For those more health conscious folk there’s a Health Express option that features three different salads (chicken, seafood or veggie) and two juices, choose one dish and one juice for AED 90.
Proceedings always start with a complementary Italian bread basket served with three dips (vegetarians are offered veggie friendly options), the warm focaccia and grissini breadsticks were hard to resist however hard we tried. On this occasion myself and my dining companion chose soup and prawns to start followed by a pretty plate of pasta and my favourite, the melanzana (a cheeky special request). The food was both flavoursome and surprisingly filling, so much so that we decided to share dessert. The creamy, thick pea soup with crispy croutons was quite simply delicious, the seared tiger prawns presented on pureed edamame with smoked red capsium looked so good and was cooked to perfection, so much so that were devoured in record speed.
The potato filled homemade pasta was minimal but appetising, the fresh tortelli was flavoursome and complemented by a datterino tomato sauce, a plate of food that looked like art. The melanzana, layers of oven baked eggplant with a rich tomato sauce combined with mozzarella and parmesan was as always fantastic, a dish I would return for time and time again. Empty plates are always a good sign of full, happy customers.
The open-topped eclair topped was certainly instagrammable and tasted as good as it looked. The oversized choux base was topped with vanilla ganache, berry compote and pecan sable, honestly the kind of dish that you would have licked the plate clean in the privacy of your own home.
The venue is such a stunning place to dine, manager Kristen and her team are attentive and friendly and the food is just divine. If you need a venue for a midday meeting, an affordable yet tasty lunch with a friend or just find yourself in the downtown area head to Al Maryah island and try the business lunch at Roberto’s, I don’t think you will be disappointed.
Business Lunch
Location: Roberto’s Abu Dhabi, Rosewood Hotel, Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi.
Telephone: 02 627 9009
E-mail: reservationsauh@robertos.ae
Website: www.robertos.ae/abudhabi/
Business Lunch: Sunday to Thursday – 12 noon – 3:30pm
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Roberto’s Weekend Summer Brunch – Every Friday and Saturday from 12 noon until 4:00 pm guests can join Roberto’s Abu Dhabi for an Italian brunch in their covered and air conditioned terrace with a four course menu served at the table. Available until 31st August 2018 – click HERE for more information
Read more about Roberto’s Abu Dhabi in my previous post HERE
I was invited to review the Business Lunch at Roberto’s Abu Dhabi. The views in this post are all my own based on my experience. Unless otherwise stated all photos © Jo Brett 2018. All rights reserved. One additional photos used with courtesy of instagram.com/robertosAE