IL PASSAGGIO

A taste of Italy on the doorstep of The Pointe

Even if you take food out of the equation, an Italian would still be one of our favourite restaurants to go to. It’s the way you’re made to feel like family from the moment you step through the door. And it’s that ‘coming home’ feeling that really struck us after spending the evening at new unlicensed Palm Jumeirah restaurant, Il Passaggio.

Given its name thanks to the passage which runs from the front to the back of the open plan restaurant, Il Passaggio has nothing to hide when it comes to its cooking ethos. Open kitchens line each side of the passage, encouraging guests to be nosy at what’s cookin’, with the main dining area close to the Palm Fountain-end of the restaurant.

The décor is somewhere between Parisian chic and Art Deco, with white leather seats and dark green hardware finished with gold accents. There’s black and white photography along the walls, and a faux-greenhouse roof – all of which help set the ambience.

We’re greeted with a warm smile and shown to a table next to the bar, where a glass-walled room houses a retro bread maker. We immediately start off with a basket of freshly baked bread and the truffle share and tear (Dhs36) which is so absolutely to-die-for that we immediately have to order another. A super thin flatbread pillow is torn to reveal an oozing creamy truffle sauce and warm melted cheese from within.

Carrying on the cheese theme, we order the burrata (Dhs60) and halloumi fries (Dhs30). The latter is perhaps too salty for our taste, but that doesn’t stop us from polishing off the lot. We balance the starters out (yeah, right) with a Greca salad (Dhs46), and the finely-sliced peppers, cucumber and kalamata olives make us feel less gluttonous.

For the main course we opt for the veal Milanese (Dhs144), and a generous portion arrives, which is perfect for sharing. The meat is perfectly seasoned and lightly fried to create a crisp outer coating, with a handful of Rocca leaves and parmesan on top. To complement it, we go for another truffle treat – the truffallata pizza (Dhs84).

We can’t tell you if it’s better than the tear and share starter, you simply have to have both. This one has a variety of mushrooms and a serving of mascarpone, giving a delicious creamy flavour.

After previously trying the French toast from the breakfast menu and falling in love with its crispy-on-the-outside and fluffy-in-the-middle texture, we were thrilled to see it on the dessert selection. This time, however, it arrived a little over-crispy (erring on the burnt side) and failed to live up to our first experience with the dish. The tiramisu (Dhs44) was everything a traditional Italian dessert should be though, with a balance of sweet and bitter flavours and plenty to share around.

We were well looked after throughout the entire night, and felt at ease in the restaurant’s knowledge of its cuisine. For every dish ordered, we were given the main ingredient’s origins, and picked up some useful knowledge about the region. Having the new Palm Fountains just outside is an added bonus as well.

Il Passaggio, The Pointe, Palm Jumeirah, Sun to Thur 9am to 10pm, Fri and Sat 8am to 10pm. Tel: (0)45873111. @ilpassaggio_dxb