Showing posts with label Zaitoun. Show all posts

Zaitoun


While enjoying a recent family staycation at the fantastic Danat Jebel Dhanna resort, we had the distinct pleasure of dining at Zaitoun, the hotels award winning Italian restaurant.



Zaitoun is situated on the ground floor of the resort. Zaitoun features plush furnishing and dark wood, as opposed to the resorts distinct ocean theme. It’s a place you would go for a romantic dinner date. Zaitoun spells sophistication and class.

I was confused as to why an Italian restaurant had an Arabic inspired décor, from traditional lamps to cushions. It was only later that I realized that the name Zaitoun is the Arabic word for olive, which is a staple Italian ingredient.

Like the rest of the resort, Zaitoun has floor to ceiling windows that provide a beautiful view of the Arabian Gulf. They also have a beautiful private dining space, featuring a mural of an Italian beach scene complete with a large dining table for 6-8 guests and large mirrors.

As soon as we walked in soaking in the beauty of the restaurant we were ushered to our seats and were handed a set menu. Neither I nor my husband went beyond pasta’s, pizzas and tiramisu in Italian cuisine and hence we both were very excited to try Italian cuisine in one of the finest Italian restaurants.




Disclaimer: We went to Zaitoun post the poolside barbeque, which didn’t leave much space for us to enjoy Zaitoun as much as we would have loved to.

I loved the intertwined bottles of balsamic and olive oil kept at the table, along with fresh flowers embracing a lit red candle making the ambiance even more romantic. 






Our meal began with ‘Carpaccio di Manzo’. Red peppercorn aioli with handpicked vegetables and shaved parmesan was served with bread along with thin slices of Black Angus beef. The presentation of the dish and all to follow were impressive.



 ‘Minestra de verdure’ was  the classic Italian minestrone with basil pesto and black olive crostini. The soup was a bit too tangy for my palate, but Mr. loved it a lot.



Our main courses was a choice between ‘Filleto de Manzo’ or ‘Aragosta’. I went for the former and Mr. went for the latter. ‘Filleto de Manzo’ was a beautiful dish with Black Angus beef cooked to medium rare (my preference) with root vegetables, crispy onion rings and black pepper jus. The beef was juicy and succulent and the jus was just perfect. Combined with the root vegetables and jus, the beef just the best main course I could have ordered for. It can be rightfully said that it was one of the best beef steaks I have had in UAE.





‘Aragosta’ was a creamy feast with lobster and prawns gratinated in cheese sauce.

I have time and again mentioned my love for desserts, and Tiramisu has always been on the top list. I saved enough space for the dessert. Zaitoun doesn’t fail to recreate this Italian classic, with generous lashings of cream, biscotti and coffee infused mascarpone. We would have asked for a second serving, but since we were on the verge of exploding, we decided to give it a miss.





Not only is the food amazing but also the staff, they ensure maximum hospitality with minimum intrusion of privacy.



Though they missed an 'A' in my name, I'd give them A++




We were invited to Zaitoun and all views and images are 
© Urbanmodish, unless stated otherwise.

Zaitoun - Danat Jebel Dhanna Resort Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato