Dubai: If you thought meat-eaters had all the fun, then you probably haven’t been to Quattro Ristorante, Dubai’s newest vegetarian restaurant specialising in Mexican and Italian cuisine with a modernist twist.
Opened barely weeks ago in Mankhool, this affordable fine diner has a homely décor and a very cozy ambience but it is the food – best from the two countries – that is all the reason why one must visit this place.
The menu is vast but starting with a broccoli and cheese soup here is a good idea. There’s a classic tomato soup too served with roasted corn and spinach ricotta ravioli as well, but it’s the thick Italian-styled cream soup flavoured with a combination of cheese and broccoli that set me up for their phenomenal lot of starters.
In trying to keep the Mexican-Italian combination going, I ordered Taquitos – fried tortilla cones stuffed with beans, jalapeños, tomato salsa and a tiny scoop of green avocado ice cream on top and a Risotto Palle - a combination of the signature cream risotto and cheese, crumbed and fried, presented with chilli oil pipettes. Both were stunning, yet I rate the stuffed mushrooms slightly higher than the two. Baked to such perfection that it almost feels like a tender barbecued chicken, the mushrooms are stuffed with spinach and cheddar and garnished with fried leeks before being served with a secret wasabi mayo in a tube.
The chilli Mexicano - literally explosive for its hotness, filled with monterey jack and cheddar cheese and batter fried - is another must try.
It isn’t easy to choose the mains but the two that stood out for me were the Ravioli Rose – sheets of pasta stuffed with spinach and ricotta and served with a unique combination of Italian plum tomatoes and cream sauce for a very pink finish and the spinach rice with vegetable stirred in a creamy paprika sauce.
We recommend: Broccoli and cheese soup, Risotto Palle, Stuffed Mushrooms, Ravioli Rose
Details:
Meal for two: Dh200
Location: Kuwait Street, Mankhool, Dubai
Contact: 04-393 1233
Opening hours: 11.30am to 3.30pm; 6.30pm to 11.30pm
Our ratings (out of 5):
Ambience: 4
Food: 5
Price: 4
Overall: 4
