The Best Italian Restaurants in Abu Dhabi
Italian is the cuisine Abu Dhabi does most confidently outside the hotels. Wood-fired pizza in Al Zeina, fresh pasta rolled at Reem Mall, a trattoria in Khalifa City that people drive across the city for breakfast. Seven places, from a mall counter to a hotel dining room.
Checked August 2026. Ratings and hours drift. Each entry links to Google Maps for live figures.
Illustrative image, not the venue. Photo: Sarda Bamberg / Pexels
How we rate Italian restaurants
Every place is scored out of 100 on five things, so the order is repeatable rather than a matter of taste.
Google rating
Public rating, with 3.5 treated as the floor.
Review volume
A 4.9 from 480 people is weaker than a 4.9 from 4,400.
Italian specialist
An Italian kitchen outranks a mixed menu with a pasta section.
Community word
Local forums and independent write-ups, which surface neighbourhood places.
Price
Value counts, and this category spans mall counters to hotel dining.
No restaurant pays for placement and none is a GulfOnline advertiser. Figures were read in August 2026 and will drift.
GulfOnline Recommends
Six picks for six different reasons, chosen on the criteria above and not for payment.
Antonia Trattoria
A 4.9 across 4,447 reviews, which almost nothing in this category matches. Proper al dente pasta, pizza, gelato and cannoli, a house wine by the litre at a fair price, and a waterfront setting.
Bovini
A perfect 5.0 across 4,382 reviews, which is extraordinary at that volume. Italian and Lebanese under one roof, owner-run, with an Italian chef who is also an artist and did the interior.
Bella Vita by Labelle
Shakshouka pizza and Italian omelette in a room people compare to a cafe in Italy. Easy parking, strong outdoor space, and a 4.9 across 2,823 reviews. Open from nine.
1881 Italian
An open oven doing pizzas with a genuine smoky hit, in a modern room that opened recently. Short menu because every item is a signature. The olive oil gets its own praise.
Eataly
Cacio e pepe finished at your table in a cheese wheel, fresh pasta made in front of you, plus a food market attached. Strong vegan and vegetarian range, and fast service for a mall.
Dino’s Bistro Italiano
The Sunday brunch is the reason to come, generous and freshly made, with cocktails that get named repeatedly. Mains run AED 65 to 90. Portions can be inconsistent.
The 7 best Italian restaurants in Abu Dhabi, ranked
Ordered by score. Ratings and review counts are what Google showed in August 2026.
1. Antonia Trattoria
The strongest combination of rating and volume in the category. Pasta cooked properly al dente, pizza, gelato and cannoli, and a litre of house wine at a price that surprises people. The Al Zeina waterfront setting does a lot of work. One recurring note: some find the food good rather than remarkable, and go for the view as much as the plate.
- Al Zeina Complex, Block C, Al Raha
- From 8am to 10.30pm, later at weekends
- Al dente pasta, artichoke, cannoli, gelato
- House wine by the litre, reasonably priced
Illustrative image, not the venue. Photo: Ron Lach / Pexels
2. Bella Vita by Labelle
The breakfast specialist, and the room people describe as feeling like a cafe in Italy. Shakshouka pizza and the Italian omelette are the orders, presentation is a cut above, and the outdoor space is the pick in good weather. Easy parking, which matters out here. Open from nine in the morning to midnight.
- A Theyab Bin Eissa Street, Khalifa City
- 9am to midnight daily
- Shakshouka pizza, Italian omelette
- Easy parking, strong outdoor area
Illustrative image, not the venue. Photo: Shameel mukkath / Pexels
3. Antonia Chic
The polished sibling, on Level 2 of The Galleria with a balcony that is the spot in daylight. Truffle pizza, squid ink pasta, parmigiana and bruschetta all get named by reviewers, and the vegetarian range is genuinely deep. Licensed, with a good cocktail list. The inside room gets noisy; sit outside if you want to talk.
- The Galleria, Al Maryah Island, Level 2
- Noon to 11pm daily
- Truffle pizza, squid ink pasta, parmigiana
- Noisy indoors, balcony is better
Illustrative image, not the venue. Photo: Moussa Idrissi / Pexels
4. Eataly
More an experience than a restaurant. Cacio e pepe finished tableside in a cheese wheel, fresh pasta made in front of you, gelato and tiramisu, and a food market attached for taking things home. Unusually strong vegan and vegetarian range. Service is fast for a mall, though a few reviewers found it rushed.
- Ground Floor, Reem Mall, Al Reem Island
- 8am to 11pm, to midnight at weekends
- Cacio e pepe in the wheel, fresh pasta, gelato
- Strong vegan and vegetarian options
Illustrative image, not the venue. Photo: alleksana / Pexels
5. Bovini
The only perfect 5.0 we have found at this review volume anywhere in Abu Dhabi. Italian and Lebanese together, owner-run, in a room the Italian chef decorated himself with coffee paintings and coloured floors. Fresh bread, butter and vegetables get as much praise as the mains. It ranks fifth only because it is not purely Italian.
- Al Marakib Street, Al Danah
- 10am to 9.30pm daily
- Perfect 5.0 across 4,382 reviews
- Owner-run, very family friendly
Illustrative image, not the venue. Photo: Valeria Boltneva / Pexels
6. Dino’s Bistro Italiano
A hotel bistro where the Sunday brunch is the headline: generous, freshly made, with cocktails and coffee included. Mains run AED 65 to 90. Reviewers are split on the pasta, with some calling it mass-market, but the service gets named in almost every review.
- Pearl Rotana, Al Khaleej Al Arabi Street
- Noon to 11pm daily
- Licensed, Sunday brunch
- Mains around AED 65 to 90
Illustrative image, not the venue. Photo: Mateusz Feliksik / Pexels
7. 1881 Italian Restaurant
The newest room here and the best pizza in it, from an open oven that gives a proper smoky finish. The menu is deliberately short because each item is a signature. Pasta and risotto both land, the olive oil gets its own mentions, and complimentary dessert turns up more often than not. Small review base so far.
- Al Nakheel Hotel, Muroor Street
- Noon to 11pm daily
- Open pizza oven
- Recently opened, few reviews yet
Illustrative image, not the venue. Photo: The Castlebar / Pexels
Where the Italian food is
Al Raha and Al Zeina. Antonia Trattoria on the waterfront, and the highest-scoring Italian in the emirate.
Khalifa City. Bella Vita, and the only place here people specifically drive to for breakfast.
Al Maryah and Reem Island. Antonia Chic in The Galleria and Eataly at Reem Mall. Both licensed-adjacent mall dining with serious kitchens.
Al Danah and the old centre. Bovini and 1881, both smaller rooms and both better than their locations suggest.
The hotels. Dino’s at the Pearl Rotana for brunch, and where the wine lists are.
One practical note: licensed Italian dining in Abu Dhabi is almost entirely hotel or mall based. The standalone rooms are dry, which does not affect the cooking but is worth knowing before you book a long dinner.
Illustrative image, not the venue. Photo: Shameel mukkath / Pexels
Common questions
What is the best Italian restaurant in Abu Dhabi?
Antonia Trattoria at Al Zeina scores highest on our criteria, with a 4.9 across 4,447 reviews. Bella Vita in Khalifa City is the pick for breakfast, and Bovini in Al Danah holds a perfect 5.0.
Where is the best pizza in Abu Dhabi?
1881 at the Al Nakheel Hotel for the open-oven smoky finish, and Antonia Chic at The Galleria for the truffle pizza. Antonia Trattoria does a strong classic version.
Which Italian restaurants in Abu Dhabi are licensed?
The hotel and mall venues. Antonia Chic at The Galleria and Dino’s at the Pearl Rotana both serve alcohol, and Antonia Trattoria offers house wine by the litre. The standalone rooms are dry.
Where can I get fresh pasta made in front of me?
Eataly at Reem Mall makes pasta on site and finishes cacio e pepe tableside in a cheese wheel.
Where is the best Italian breakfast in Abu Dhabi?
Bella Vita by Labelle in Khalifa City, where the shakshouka pizza and Italian omelette are the orders, from nine in the morning.
How much does Italian food cost in Abu Dhabi?
A wide range. Mains at Dino’s run AED 65 to 90, the mall restaurants sit in the mid range, and Bovini and 1881 are more modest than their quality suggests.
Try another cuisine
Other cuisines in Abu Dhabi, ranked and scored the same way.