Rialto.

Save me the Sgroppino. 🍋

Like many a restaurant in Dubai, Rialto has been on my radar for a few months. For the record, I don’t usually get excited about Italian restaurants, and they don’t always rank highly compared to local concepts or other dining styles. Long-time followers will know that it’s my belief that, for the most part, many of the dishes are just the sort of thing I can make at home. I’m not saying I’m rolling out fresh pasta every weekend, more that there are usually other cuisines I crave more. And so, on a recent Thursday evening, I pull up my trusty Google Maps to have a look: 1 hour, 4 minutes (one way). At that point, I’m sort of second-guessing my choices. Traffic in Dubai, y u like this?

Inside, I still hate the weirdly tiny main hallway of the Marsa Al Arab. At one point, it’s 2 meters across, which is not enough for a hotel (especially one that opened in 2025). Yes, I’m cranky about this, mostly because we have a look at Booking.com while we’re there, and the nightly average is AED6,000…