New eatery Isabella Cucina Italiana has a cosy, welcoming vibe

If there’s something that may put you off about the newest Italian joint in Dubai, it’s that the wait staff is too attentive. They are eager to please, and no wonder: Isabella Cucina Italiana, which is nestled in Emirates Hills, doesn’t seem to do things, including hospitality, by half measure.

You are greeted with great familiarity at this cosy restaurant, designed for food, yes, but also with the chatter of warm friendships in mind. On the first floor of the eatery is a lounge, which will be available for, well, lounging in a couple of weeks, but on opening day, the loci of attention was on the ground floor.

Musicians are kind of staple these days, especially during an opening, but Isabella didn’t have the usual piano man wooing crowds or harpist twanging notes; it had instead; a harmonium player with a love for numbers from the greats (think Billy Joel but on harmonium).

The bustle was real as we slid into our seats under the yellow lights. It was time to dig in. As we saw flames licking the sides of the wood-fire oven on one side, we were brought freshly baked bread with a spread of butter and tapenade, the tartness of which was well balanced by the smoky flavour of the bread.

Isabella Cucina Italiana’s head chef is Ruggiero Gissi, from Rimini in northern Italy, an he brings with him a season of flavour. There are many things of the menu that call for a repeat visit; there’s crudi, antipasti and a variety of insalate, as well as substantial secondi, mains and desserts. But the dish we dived into – no doubt in our minds it was to be a deal-maker or breaker – was a bowl of triple fried fries with Parmesan and truffle. As expected, the outer layer was a crispy crunchy gateway to a soft, moist and buttery potato inside. With flecks of truffle providing the end notes of the hot bites, it was difficult to not grab and stuff faces (I’d like to think we managed however).

Next, we shared a pizza, a pizza diavola (Dh95), which had a slim base with puffed up and (correctly) charred sides, slathered with tomato sauce and topped with mozzarella cheese, spicy salami, fresh basil and Parmesan.

And then came the penne all’arrabbiata (Dh85), done al dente, of course, was wrapped in tomato sauce, chili flakes, olive oil and Parmesan cheese.

If you are in the mood for something a bit more adventurous, try the Spaghetti al nero con astice (Dh120), which is freshly made squid ink spaghetti with fresh lobester and tomato sauce.

After the opening, Managing Director Rob de Villiers said: “Our head chef has curated a menu that features modern and innovative dishes with authentic Italian ingredients to offer an unparalleled dining experience.”

We couldn’t agree more.

My one regret? I loaded up on the bread and didn’t have the appetite to savour the delicate tiramisu (Dh55) that made an appearance. Now there’s yet another reason to go back.