Luigia Dubai: a pizzeria where quality AND quantity rule
A new licensed Italian restaurant in Dubai boasts a menu with 33 pizzas, and that excludes five calzone dishes. Couple that with feedback from foodie friends raving about the pizza, is enough to encourage a visit. Luigia is a Swiss restaurant chain with five locations that has recently opened its sixth outlet and the first outside Switzerland at Rixos Premium JBR.
The pizzas here are Neapolitan, even though the team avoids describing these as such (apparently the crust should rise higher). In my experience, it’s pretty much the real deal from Naples in Italy’s southern Campania region where the wood-fired oven temperature is set to a minimum of 400C+. The most important element of a pizza is the ‘cornicione’ crust. I’ll even go as far as saying that pizzaiolos who get too creative with the toppings are trying to distract you from a failed pizza crust. At Luigia, the dough is proofed for 48 hours, for which I understand imported Turkish water is used! Well, it certainly does the trick. The crust is puffy with a crisp, charred outer shell, and a soft fluffy centre. The pizza base itself is supple and elastic, so much so, you can fold it in half, or roll it into a wrap. These ancient flatbreads are freshly made on the spot in full view of diners. Attention to detail in both the cooking technique and quality ingredients is evident with a dough that is light and easily digestible – and what differentiates a good from a bad pizza.
Interestingly, and unusual for Dubai, the pizza menu is divided according to the toppings – ‘Margherita’ options with tomato sauce and fior di latte (cow’s milk mozzarella); ‘Marinare’ without cheese; ‘Senza Pomodoro’ without tomatoes; ‘Pomodorino Piennolo’ with Piennolo tomatoes; and ‘Fantasia del Sud’ for a dash of creativity.
I steer away from my purist tendencies and opt for the Cetarese pizza with sweet and robust Piennolo cherry tomatoes, grown exclusively in the Vesuvius volcanic area, which have protected designation status (DOP). Other toppings include anchovies, garlic, parsley and extra virgin olive oil. The latter is the first cold press from two regions – Liguria and Calabria. I also add buffalo mozzarella from the Caserta province in the Campania region, which unusually arrives dotted raw on the pizza, not cooked through. The team is very happy to add and extract ingredients as you wish. It’s so delicious and well executed; we can’t polish it quickly enough. As one of the best Neapolitan pizzas I have eaten in Dubai, I will liken it to Rossovivo…with wine 🙂 The only reason we share a pizza is because I want to leave room to try some other dishes from the menu.
An appetiser of vitello tonnato, a traditional dish from the northwestern Piedmont region is served with a twist, literally – as wraps of soft, sliced rosy veal encase a rich tuna mayonnaise sauce. Delicious, and easy to eat with fingers. From the pasta section, I choose another Neapolitan classic – spaghetti alle vongole. Cooked ‘in bianco’ i.e without tomatoes, the pasta is beautifully al dente with no skimping on the clams, garlic and parsley – and drizzled with a little EVO. Considering the carb overload, it’s surprisingly light. The Luigina petal is essentially a bite-size pizza pastry with various filling combinations, all pre-stuffed with mushrooms and truffles, which I can’t eat so my dining companion happily obliges. Whilst enjoyable, he would have preferred more of the stuffing, and less of the dough. A clever touch though to munch over aperitivo at the bar.
I should add that I am recognised as we are escorted to our table (having had a drink at the bar). Oh sigh…our desserts are offered complimentary, but, thankfully, I do pay the rest of the bill. The chiacchiere platter consists of pizza bites smothered in Nutella and crushed hazelnuts – like a decadent Ferrero Rocher. Enough to feed a table of four, if not more. The tiramisu is moist and sways between light and rich. We can only stomach a bite of each.
The wine list is comprehensive and well priced with a decent selection by the glass. You won’t go wrong with the crisp and well-rounded M de Minuty rose from Provence. Service right from the start from a near-all Italian team is excellent even before I am recognised. The waitress that serves us in the bar area is sweet, smiley and knowledgeable. Pizzas range from AED65 to AED95 – and expect a reasonable bill of AED205 per person for three courses each without alcohol.
Two things let Luigia down though – the bizarre cabaret-like décor is kitsch and out of sync with what is essentially a pizzeria, whilst the blaring pop music is also a mismatch. But I am willing to set these qualms aside, given the terrific, well-priced pizzas, and the use of quality Italian ingredients across all dishes in a well located restaurant that is buzzing on a Friday night. Frankly, I would happily eat this pizza on the floor. Bravo – here’s to a high four out of five FooDiva knife rating.
Where’s your go-to spot for good pizza? For a guide on where else to eat pizza in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, click here.
A bientôt.
FooDiva. x
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