One of only three Michelin-starred restaurants in Abu Dhabi, Talea by Antonio Guida has been one of the city’s most talked about venues since it opened just over two years ago.
Located within the palatial Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, its elevated Italian cuisine is renowned for being as lavish and extraordinary as its host hotel.
The Venue
Bright and welcoming, and adorned with vast painted murals of Rome, Venice, and other iconic Italian cities, the luxurious dining room of Talea sets the stage beautifully for the culinary wonders that are to come.
But for us, the outside area is just as idyllic. Surrounded by palms, fairy lights, and offering spectacular views of the hotel’s majestic golden domes, you’d be hard pressed to find a more romantic setting anywhere in the world.
The Food
Harnessing his years of experience working at Michelin-starred restaurants across Europe and Asia, Chef Guida’s menu is filled with exquisite, artistically presented dishes.
Giving a modern and creative touch to Italy’s most traditional and much-loved recipes, the signature pizzas, homemade pastas, and fresh Mediterranean starters offer the perfect blend of sophistication and comfort.
However, Talea’s incomprehensibly vast wine collection is just as impressive as its food, and this brings us nicely to why we visited on a pleasantly warm Friday evening in April.
Forming part of the restaurant’s on-going series of wine dinners, we were lucky enough to sample the exclusive, one-night-only, collaborative menu with Pio Cesare, the century-old Italian winery located near the Italian Alps.
Starting with a personal welcome from a Pisco Cesare representative, and ending with a blissful pairing of decadent chocolate praline cake and pleasantly sweet Italian digestif, every moment of the five-course experience was flawless.
The flavours of the photo-worthy red prawns carpaccio and caviar, and pan-fried sweet bread with asparagus popped when partnered with the light and refreshing whites, while the homemade lamb ragout pasta with ricotta made every other pasta dish we’ve tried – and we’ve been to Italy many times – seem quite unremarkable in comparison.
With a decadent plate of braised beef cheek and celeriac served as the main event, every moment was filled with explosive taste combinations, enrapturing textutes, and the finest ingredients and wines imaginable.
We honestly wished it would go on forever.
The Service
As you would expect from Emirates Palace, the service was second to none. Attentive without being overbearing, the knowledgeable sommelier’s wine descriptions were particularly enlightening, and he really helped us understand why every bite and sip worked so wonderfully together.
The Verdict
If you are in the mood to splash out and experience the very best of Abu Dhabi’s thriving culinary scene, it doesn’t get any better than Talea by Antonio Guida.
Romantic and elegant, yet still homey and welcoming, it perfectly demonstrates why no other country in the world tops Italy’s timeless cuisine.
Although we didn’t try the à la carte menu, we would bet our hats that it’s just as incredible as our amazing wine dinner. Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, Abu Dhabi. Tel: 02 690 7999. Instagram: @taleauae
