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