JAZZ@ PIZZAEXPRESS
A good venue to hear live bands – but will the food go down just as well?
For UK expats living in the capital, Pizza Express isn’t that much of a big deal. But here in the UAE, a branch in Dubai has gained a bit of a cult following by adding the word ‘jazz’ and an @ sign to its title – and hosting regular live music events and a cheap brunch. Now, the brand is hoping to replicate that success in Abu Dhabi.
Its décor is certainly a cut above most high street, chain Italian restaurants. Snazzy white brickwork lines the walls and there’s a busy, open kitchen in one corner. A huge stage for bands to bash out tunes on dominates, and there’s a rather neat alfresco balcony area offering views of downtown Abu Dhabi’s skyscrapers. There’s also a long bar, royal blue sofas and saxophones and trumpets hanging from the walls. The toilets mirror this attempt to be a bit more upmarket, and have electronic sliding doors you’d expect to find in a Bond villain’s lair.
What about the grub? The starters excelled. The Fungotto (a Portobello mushroom with goat’s cheese, garlic butter and a piece of bread) was moreish, thanks to a subtle-flavoured cheese plus a bit of welcome texture from a coating of breadcrumbs. The Burrata and Beets was also top draw and exceedingly fresh, with huge slabs of cheese and veg looking almost ying and yang on the plate. The mains, though, didn’t fare so well. Both pizzas tasted like they’d been left in the oven a minute or two too long and were crispy, but not in a good way. The Affumicato with chicken, mushrooms, peppers, hot green peppers and Fontina cheese was adequate – the chicken was dry and the hot green peppers were a bit thermo and dominant (they had our noses pouring, not just streaming, from the heat). The Padana was better, and packed a punch flavour-wise thanks to goat’s cheese and perfectly caramelised onions.
Desserts were again patchy. The tiramisu’s most important ingredient – coffee – was awol. It was like eating a giant slice of cream. The chocolate fudge cake seemed to taste of marzipan – it didn’t work and lingered a little too long on the palate.
Jazz@PizzaExpress will eventually be licensed and its neat alfresco area, cheap prices and live music calendar means it’ll become a popular after-work haunt, but they must try a little harder when it comes to the food.
World Trade Center Mall, Al Markaziyah, Abu Dhabi, daily noon to midnight. Tel: (02) 4447752. Taxi: World Trade Center Mall. pizzaexpressuae.com