Bocca in Hilton Abu Dhabi, Al Khubeirah, Abu Dhabi - Restaurant Reviews

Bocca

An underrated Italian that can easily match its newer competitors 13 Reviews

Meal Deal

Bocca

Enjoy a savoury lunch of antipasti, pasta, desserts, juices and grape beverages made from 100 percent certified organic ingredients. Visit the farmers market offering a variety of organic products for sale. Dhs299 per person, Dhs149 for children from six-12, children under six eat for free Timings: Noon-4pm (Friday)

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Ask any of Abu Dhabi’s gastronomes which is the best Italian in town, and chances are Bice won’t be the first name that rolls off their highly attuned tongues.

The place comes some way down the pecking order, lagging behind such illustrious Mediterranean eateries as Frankie’s at the Fairmont, or Pregos at the Beach Rotana. We’re not sure why this is, maybe because it’s one of the older establishments in town and so has lost some of its sparkle when compared with its glitzier siblings. But, despite its age, we don’t think it’s time to put Bice out to pasture yet, as it can easily hold its own against any other Italian in the city.

While it is not the most modern restaurant in town, it is by no means shabby. The spacious dining room is decked out in dark wood, and, in the evening, candles flicker on each table, adding an air of romance and mystery.

The food is also superb, adhering to the mantra that keeping it simple is the key factor when cooking Italian cuisine. We started with the bresola, which the menu described as dried beef. Thankfully, the word ‘dried’ was something of a misnomer, because, although the meat may have been cured, it was moist and chewy – a million miles away from your supermarket beef jerky.

Moving on, we opted for chicken breast stuffed with a basil and ricotta, which was again competently cooked and bursting with the flavours of the fresh ingredients. If we have one complaint, and it is a minor one, it is that the chef needs to curb his use of olive oil. We’re big fans of the aromatic ingredient, but when your chicken oozes grease with every slice, we’re not impressed.

Thankfully, desserts rescued the slight slip in standards, with a decadent slice of strawberry cheesecake and one of the gooiest chocolate fondues we’ve ever had the pleasure of attacking with a spoon, and both were both demolished in seconds.

So ignore your ageist sentiments, Bice’s still going strong and, like a fine parmesan, it keeps getting better with age.

The bill (for two)
Burrata mozzarella Dhs59
Bresola Dhs81
Tortelli ricotta Dhs89
Chicken breast Dhs99
Chocolate fondue Dhs37
Strawberry cheesecake Dhs37
Bottle of sparkling water Dhs26
Total (excluding service) Dhs428