With or without a pandemic, the winter months are clearly the climactic sweet spot for Torno Subito, the relaxed, diner-style Italian restaurant that spreads over a decked, beach-facing terrace at W Hotel on The Palm, Dubai.
The informality of the alfresco setting complements the playful design palette – citrus greens, swimming-pool blues, candy pinks, pop-art posters – for an easy, endless vacation ambiance that attracts youthful groups of both guests and residents. Indeed the name, which means “I’ll be right back” in Italian, suggests this is a nightly destination for most of those staying at the hotel and, happily, the menu is textured and interesting enough to sustain repeat visits on even the longest of staycations.
It would, though, be a mistake to think this is an unserious dining experience. For one thing, this is the brainchild of Chef Massimo Bottura, the owner of three-time Michelin starred Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy, which has also been named the Best Restaurant in the World twice in the last five years.
For another, a cursory glance at the dishes on offer confirms this is several dozen rungs above poolside snacking. Take the starters, from which we opted for creamed salted cod in a bread and onion sauce, a lobster salad on a pan brioche with pickled cucumbers, and steamed Mediterranean shrimps with a cocktail foam and seaweed essence. Each was a neat encapsulation of Chef Bottura’s concept: innovative interpretations of conteporary classics that delivered a range of intriguing but familiar flavour profiles – with the sea breeze-scented salted cod a particular success.
It was a theme that continued through to the pasta selection, where traditional combinations were given an infusion of new ideas. A cheese and pepper spaghetti with a burst of orange may have been the most novel, but the tagliatelle al ragu was a hearty, gamey and ever-so-slightly overwhelming take on the original. It may pay here to share one portion between friends, with a solitary forkful able to pass for a meal in itself.
The name means “I’ll be right back” in Italian
Main events
There was only a momentary pause to imbibe the view of the beach front, punctuated here by the venue’s stylised, zebra-striped beach ephemera, before the mains arrived. There are only seven options listed but that didn’t exactly narrow the choice. The grilled lamb saddle with tartara sauce, yellow and red peppers and salsa verde only just lost out to the roasted seabass with goose bacon and cacciatore sauce – and rustic brew of tomatoes, onions, peppers and herbs. The reward was a dish of contrasts, not all of them subtle but all extremely welcome, between the soft, immaculately cooked fish and its hearty accompaniment.
The other selection was the buttery Wagyu cheek, which arrived with sides of fennel, beetroot and what they called a chlorophyll sauce – in reality, a salty, tangy green purée of spinach leaves. Another triumph, but only if you’ve left sufficient room.
Torno Subito is the brainchild of Chef Massimo Bottura
We didn’t have the scope to venture into the pizzas, but needless to say there were no quattro stagionis on offer here. Quite what the drift-off-the-beach customer would make of high focaccia dough and pear mustard is anyone’s guess, but again this is a place that seems to enjoy upending expectations. The house version of tiramisu and their gelato flavours, which rounded off the meal, were about as standard as things got.
The Torno Subito experience, then, is one of almost constant surprise. It isn’t what you think it is – or even what Chef Bottura wants you to think it is. Is it fine dining with a playful side – or casual dining that requires an uncommonly sophisticated palate? Maybe it requires a long weekend at the W to work it out.
Torno Subito is open from 6.30pm, Sun-Thurs and from 12.30pm, Fri-Sat. www.tornosubitodubai.com
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