From signature Italian dishes to inventive cocktails, discover what’s shaping Roberto’s next chapter.
- Enrico Bartolini continues his decade-long culinary collaboration with Roberto’s Dubai.
- Signature Italian dishes meet fresh additions under Chef Danilo Valla.
- Scala pairs six Bartolini creations with five specially crafted cocktails.
- Renewed interiors bring mid-century Milanese design into DIFC.
There is a particular pleasure in stretching an after-work evening into something more memorable, especially when it begins with an aperitivo, a few carefully prepared bites and conversations that don’t need to end after dinner. DIFC has developed its own appetite for this Italian ritual, and Roberto’s Dubai is giving the experience a fresh direction with Michelin-starred chef Enrico Bartolini returning to his long-standing culinary home in the UAE.
For more than a decade, Bartolini has worked alongside Roberto’s kitchen team, contributing to menu development, chef training and culinary innovation. His latest visit brings that relationship into focus across three parts of the brand: Roberto’s restaurant, Scala and Roberto’s Catering.
A familiar favourite can tell you plenty about a restaurant’s identity. At Roberto’s, Executive Chef Danilo Valla continues to balance established signatures such as Fettuccina Roberto’s, Il Bosco and Tortello al Tartufo with newer creations including Calamarata al Pomod’orato e Basilico, Impanata and Le Vie del Sale.
The I Crudi selection has also expanded with dry-aged, natural and lightly marinated fish preparations. Ingredient quality takes centre stage. Italian producers including Pomodori D’Auria, Dono Dorato extra virgin olive oil, Mancini Pastificio Agricolo and Riso San Massimo Riserva contribute to the menu’s Italian character.
Other details deserve attention, too. Whole fish cooked in sea-salt crusts or aromatic salt dough are carved tableside, while the Frollato selection explores dry-aged fish. Valla, who trained under Bartolini before joining Roberto’s in 2016, now leads the kitchen as Executive Chef.
A change of scenery can make a familiar dinner feel different. Roberto’s refreshed interiors, developed by Forsite Creative, draw inspiration from Milanese design of the 1950s and 1960s, with sculpted stone, rich wood, tailored upholstery and clean architectural lines.
The main dining room, Stile Milano, carries a polished yet welcoming character. As evening arrives, Notte Milano brings deeper tones, sculptural details and more dramatic lighting. The transition feels natural. It’s a setting that moves from daytime business lunches to more atmospheric dinners without changing the restaurant’s identity.
For those who enjoy making an evening out of cocktails and small plates, 2 November brings a particularly interesting experience to Scala. Called Aperitivo N°1, the first edition pairs six culinary creations developed by Bartolini with five Scala cocktails.
Inspired by Milan’s Line 1 tram route, which passes Teatro alla Scala, the concept presents each pairing as a different stop. Even the menu takes the form of a tram ticket.Expect fennel tartelette with radish and oscietra caviar, saffron rice with Parmigiano Reggiano and gold, sesame cannolo with tuna tartare, pulled wagyu oxtail, and soft broccoli with black winter truffle and Piedmont hazelnut. A distinctive aperitivo menu awaits.
Private dining takes a different shape when the restaurant’s culinary identity travels beyond its usual address. On 3 November, Roberto’s Catering will host an invitation-only dinner with Bartolini, bringing the brand’s food, service and hospitality into a bespoke off-site setting. It completes a wider programme that connects restaurant dining, cocktail culture and private events through one continuing culinary collaboration.
Since opening at Gate Village, Building No. 1, in 2012, Roberto’s has built its identity around contemporary Italian cuisine and hospitality. Reservations for Roberto’s and Scala are available daily.
Instagram: @robertosdubai | @barscaladubai
