An Italian Affair

After a busy week of work, events and what not, we vowed to pop a serious chill pill last Thursday but only after an immensely satisfying cheat meal. Manzoni at the newly opened Pullman JLT had the perfect atmosphere to absorb all that work week stress and drown it all in sinful Italian cuisine.

We did not notice the hotel amongst the glittering sky rises in JLT until a colleague from out of town happened to mention it. The Pullman JLT is located in Cluster T, a few steps from Damac Metro Station but we warn you do not be fooled by the plain glass tower. Although it is a corporate hotel, the place has the most beautiful rooms and outlets to suit every mood. The rooms are tastefully designed with a muted palette of cream, light gray and purple that literally mesmerizes you to snuggle up and sleep till eternity. If you don’t believe me, have a look below.

Image - Supplied by Pullman JLT

Image - Supplied by Pullman JLT

But what caught our interest was their in-house Tapastry and Bar called Amarillo. Another thing you should know about us is that we love exploring new restaurants/lounges and for all those you looking for a place to pre-drink before a heavy night of shimmy-ing, I think we found a gem. This place has some serious good vibes with an awesome singer who really knew how to pump up the atmosphere for a Thursday night. We were quite tempted to turn up the weekend fun factor but luckily the place was packed (as early as 8 PM mind you) so we headed to Manzoni for a night of food and conversation.

Outfit details: Top - ICONIC, Pants - Marks & Spencer, Clutch - New Look, Pumps - Call It Spring

Image - Supplied by Pullman JLT

For those looking for a chilled outdoor zone, La Vue is perfect to sit back and relax with your favorite shisha (hookah) but believe it or not that was full too!

Image - Supplied by Pullman JLT

Exploring the hotel, really built up our appetite and we were ready to throw our diet out the window. We went with Fritturina Calamari, Gamberi, Acquadelle e Zucchini and Carpacccio di Manzo alla Cipriani for the Anti-Pasti and while the beef tenderloin was delightful, the squid was alright – let’s just say it wasn’t fried to perfection.

For mains, Stacey ordered the Gnocci di Ricotta Mascarporne Porcini and I went with the Paccheri di Gragnano, Pomodorini Infornati e Pane Profumato (basically pasta in baked tomato sauce coz I just had to). The portions are amazing and while the abundance of sun-dried tomatoes did make the pasta slightly salty, I kind of enjoyed it. What actually tickled my taste buds was the creative presentation. (I have always been served pasta in a bowl or a deep dish). The gnocchi was soft and melted in your mouth like cotton candy but neither of us was too impressed with the dish. The pizza calzone (Calzone con Pere Gorgonzola e Noci) was a full on carb-fest with pieces of pear to pacify your guilt – I know Italians love their calories but I have to say I have tasted better.

We are suckers for impeccably dressed men, stunning views, perfectly tailored outfits and exquisitely designed restaurants. Manzoni scores a perfect ten for their décor, setup and ambience. Soothing, relaxed yet sophisticated and welcoming, the candle light lamps together with the fire place set the perfect mood for a light tête–à–tête……

…..that ended pretty late for what meant to be an early dinner. We concluded our cosy cheat night with a Tortino Caldo Variegato al Doppio Cioccolato which is basically a white and dark hot chocolate flan and some pistachio gelato. Sadly it was a bit disappointing because it was far from what we thought flan was. It was more like warm vanilla cake with a molten centre of hot chocolate and a scoop of ice cream on the side and certainly not worth the calories!

Also I want to mention that as the food is freshly prepared in an open kitchen, we had to wait a while for the food to arrive but then again if you have good company that should not really be a problem. The restaurant scores on experience, service and ambience but it could do heaps better with the food and the menu options.

Outfit details: Blazer - ICONIC, Top - F&F, Leggings - Splash Fashions, Necklace - Aldo, Bag - Accessorize

I know one thing for sure; I am definitely heading back to Amarillo coming weekend! Care to join us for a round of Jagers?

#restaurantreview #hotelreview #foodforthought