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Food Review: Talea at Emirates Palace proves a family-friendly eatery

Michelin-lauded chef Antonio Guida's Italian fare compliments the fine service

Talea, Emirates Palace, has a cosy family-friendly feel akin to what one experiences after walking through the glamorous hotel in Abu Dhabi. It's a fine-dining restaurant, which opened in March this year and it is the first restaurant of the franchise outside Italy.

The Italian restaurant is a culinary experience driven by multiple Michelin Star Chef Antonio Guida. The restaurant, which is tucked away on the lower level of the spacious hotel is opulent with an atmosphere that is laid back yet sophisticated.

As you walk through the doors of Talea, you’ll discover vibrant hues and the warmth of Italian hospitality. The restaurant’s interiors highlight magnificent two-toned columns and walls layered with beautiful art inspired by the landscapes of Italy: ports and palaces, lakes and luxe manors, cities and Roman ruins, embellished by jewelled lights and geometric floors. It gives the restaurant a contemporary feel.

My dining companion and I chose to sit in a quieter private dining area where the tables are set far apart. But there are other options such as seating with giant glass windows overlooking the cityscapes. A chic outdoor terrace with its elegant water feature is also available for a decadent alfresco dining experience. A select few seats have a prime view of the skilled chefs at work.

Service at this Italian restaurant was the most enjoyable part of the evening. The staff was extremely warm and welcoming. Our waiter took out the time to guide us through the comprehensive menu.

The menu at Talea draws on Guida’s distinctive culinary alchemy and interpretation of classical dishes that are traditionally known and cherished by many households across Italy. Each dish is freshly made by the restaurant’s team using only the finest and freshest ingredients.

From its famed ravioli, handcrafted carbonara and other pasta to artisanal pizza, the freshest salads and antipasti, creamy and irresistible burrata, ossobuco – stewed veal shanks in meat sauce, and vitello tonnato – the summer dish of chilled veal in tuna-caper sauce that forms an indispensable part of the Assumption Day feast in Milan, the gastronomic delights of Talea fuse the traditional techniques of Milanese classics with an innovative edge to present a tantalising interpretation that is the signature trademark of Guida.

At first, we were served the artisanal pizza followed by the ricciola, an amberjack tuna dish which was a delight. The delicious dish contains a chunk of fish seared to a light blush. It comes placed on top of a green minty vinegar sauce giving it a balanced flavour.

Some dishes worth mentioning are the ravioli and the ricciola amberjack tuna as the pasta was made to perfection in terms of texture and taste. The dish filled with ricotta is saturated in a lemony, buttery and wonderfully flavoursome sauce. Also, the Tartare-containing seabass and red prawns with yellow cherry and tomato coulis and the spaghetti - a homemade spaghetti with garlic, olive oil, chili flakes and seafood sauce. Dessert-lovers can also enjoy classic tiramisu, petit fours and more.

“With our concept of ‘Italy meets Abu Dhabi’, I am delighted to offer our guests at Talea a new culinary theatre that presents a fresh interpretation of enduring Italian favourites, along with some rare and unusual combinations. At the heart of the Talea experience lies simple dishes lovingly created with the freshest of seasonal ingredients that seek to delight guests with flavours and visual appeal,” said Chef Guida.

The chef’s talent for culinary alchemy has captivated numerous prestigious Michelin-starred restaurants throughout the globe and earned him recognition as one of Italy’s finest chefs. Guida has honed his skills around Europe and Asia, mainly at Michelin-starred restaurants including Pierre Gagnaire in Paris, Enoteca Pinchiorri and Don Alfonso in Florence, and La Terrazza Hotel Eden in Rome.

An Italian job extremely well done, dining at Talea is a genuine luxury experience which you will want to savour again and again.

Price: Appetisers at the restaurant go for Dh75 to Dh130, while main courses cost from Dh160 to Dh300. Pizzas range from Dh85 to Dh145.