LUIGIA 

Place: Rixos Premium Dubai
Price:
AED 195(Soft beverages)
AED 240 (Beer & Wine)
AED 320 (House beverages)
Timings: 1.00pm- 4.00pm

“Garlic is divine. Few food items can taste so many distinct ways, handled correctly. Misuse of garlic is a crime…Please, treat your garlic with respect…Avoid at all costs that vile spew you see rotting in oil in screwtop jars. Too lazy to peel fresh? You don’t deserve to eat garlic.”
― Anthony Bourdain

Swiss brand Luigia opened its doors in Dubai, and also has outlets in Geneva, Nyon, Lausanne, and Fribourg. Famous for their pizza, the dough rests for 72 hours before being baked. The culinary philosophy is based on serving simple Italian classics, made with the freshest ingredients possible.

We are served the following selection of starters to share:

• Olives & Bread
• Chiacchiere Napoletane- deep fried pizza dough, mozzarella, olives and tomato. Think of it as a deconstructed pizza. The dough was deliciously addictive!
• Fried Calamari- light and crispy
• Melanzane alla Parmigiana- fried eggplant with cheese and tomato sauce. If you like eggplant you will love this dish
• Moscardini alla Luciana- Baby Octopus with tomatoes and olives- refreshing and light

Followed by pizza to share:

• Margherita- good and simple
• Marinara- was not a fan of cheese-less pizza; and this did not change my opinion

Followed by your choice of pasta:

• Calamarata alla Napoletana- fresh pasta with squid and tomatoes
• Paccheri alla Calabresa- served with sausage , eggplant and tomato
• Spaghtetti alla Carbonara- a classic pasta dish

Although all three pasta dishes were very simple, the flavors were fresh and well balanced.

Followed by your choice of:

• Salmon served with eggplant and tomato
• Ribeye served with potatoes

The entire table opted for the steak. It was good, but you do not go to Luigia’s to eat steak.

For Desserts:

• Gelati
• Tiramisu
• Profiteroles

Overall, the food was very good and plentiful.

The Beverage options are as follows:

• Beer: Birra Moretti (Draught)
• Wines: White (Mocaro Trebbiano- Italy). Red (Moncari San Giovese- Italy)
• Spirits: (Gin, Vodka, Whiskey, Rum, Tequila).
• Cocktails: Campari Tonic, Spritz, Italian Job, Casanova, Espresso Martini

The quality of wine was shockingly bad. The white was acidic and the red was horrific. Cocktails were average at best. I asked for a Negroni, but the staff declined.

Staff seemed unsure about use of the Entertainer (as is only valid for Beer & Wine; for house beverage a surplus is charged) but they could be forgiven, as this was their first week on the Entertainer. Unfortunately both food and drinks service was tardy and inefficient. The majority of customers were ordering A’ La Carte; therefore the service was not focused towards brunch.

If you are looking to brunch on simple Italian food and good value then this is definitely a good option.

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Rating:

Ambiance: 10/20.
The restaurant targets a family audience; therefore, the vibes are quite tame.
Beverages: 12/20.
The quality of wines is a major drawback.
Food: 16/20.
Overall, the quality of food is high.
Service: 10/20
perhaps because the restaurant is split between a l carte and brunch, the service was extremely unorganized and tardy
Value for Money: 16/20.
Given the quality of food, the price represents good value mainly let down by the cheap wine.
Total: 64%