The true Italian

If you still haven’t been to Cipriani Yas Island then it’s about time you booked a table, if only to enjoy some simple Italian food and some great company.

Ushered into the lounge area for one (or a few) of Cipriani’s famous peach aperitifs, it was time to catch up on a little of the history surrounding the family business with the friendly staff – most of whom have already earned their stripes in London, New York or even Harry’s Bar in Venice, where it all started.

The lounge area itself is decorated to resemble the interior of one of the luxury yachts moored in the berths below. The overall effect is effortlessly chic and immediately transmits an informal air. The waiters are suited and booted, but the clientele wear whatever’s comfortable.

With stomachs rumbling we decide to dine on the terrace where we’re seated at an intimate round table overlooking the Marina, each with its own lamp, crisp white linen tablecloth and perfectly positioned setting.

It’s these small details that have made Cipriani so famous, but the food is spectacular. First a pasta course of taglioni with bresaola, which, served straight from the oven dish at the table, retains a wonderfully crunchy Parmesan crust complimenting the creamy texture of the sauce. Then it’s on to the meat course: an enormous and impossibly tender veal chop for our guest and thin slices of veal steak cooked in a lemon sauce for us. Served with ample sides of crisp roast potatoes, tender white rice and smooth slices of calves liver, this was a meal to remember.

On to dessert: three of them to be precise. First a light and fluffy crêpe flambé with fresh summer berries – again created with a flourish at the table – followed by vanilla cream meringue pie and chocolate cake. While we avoided this for fear of exploding at the table, the vanilla cream pie was as light as air and easily disappeared.

Megan Wynes

What? Cipriani Yas Island
Where? Yas Marina Yacht Club
Cost: Starting at AED 800-1,000 for a meal for two
We say: A meal at Cipriani is simple yet sumptuous. Expect to pay a little above the average for a meal to remember
Contact: 02 565 0050