Located in DIFC, it offers fun and fancy Italian food.
When you travel to different cities and come across the same restaurant, it feels like stepping into a trusted friend’s home – comforting, familiar and welcoming. The Italian fine dining restaurant Il Gattopardo offers that very experience, as it has expanded from London to Dubai.
In 2023, Il Gattopardo opened on Albemarle Street in London, and in 2024, it opened in ICD Brookfield Place in Dubai. The name translates to leopard, and draws inspiration from a novel by the Italian writer Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa. In the Dubai restaurant, the motif can be found on the prints of plates, and powdered on top of its Insta-hit tiramisu. It comes close to kitsch, but manages to remain plush and playful.
Located on the 50th floor, Il Gattopardo wows with its views. The ear-popping lift takes you to a decadent dining room, which showcases the beauty of the Burj Khalifa. The Dubai restaurant feels supersized compared to the London restaurant. When guests enter, they all do the same thing: they look up at the sky-high ceiling, and ahead at the showstopping view. The Art Deco design includes curved edges, gold finishes and plenty of plush fabrics. Every corner has been carefully curated – a bathroom with a view, anyone?
Il Gattopardo’s menu is similar in both Dubai and London. Spectacular for sharing, it spans antipasti, crudo, padella, pasta, pesce, pizzette, salads, sides, cheeses and desserts. We were firm fans of the Arancini in London and now Dubai. The beef bolognese balls came with a smoked scamorza and rich tomato sauce. The Bufala was a surprising success. The tomatoes tasted fantastically fresh, as though they had just been picked from a farm, and were dressed with the perfect amount of basil and balsamic.
The pizzas came in small sizes, but felt more kid-friendly than gourmet. The options included the Dubai-friendly Tartufo with truffles mascarpone, and the Piccante with spicy veal rather than nduja sausage. The Astice showcased a light lobster, but the base felt more like noodles rather than pasta.
No trip to Il Gattopardo is complete without ordering the Tiramisu. It’s one of the best versions of the dessert we’ve tasted and comes photo-ready. In Dubai, the leopard is topped with sparkly sprinkles. The dessert menu in both London and Dubai has the addition of the chocolate bar, La Taveoletta. The Londra one comes with dark chocolate, shortbread and vanilla fudge. The Dubai one is a nod to Dubai chocolate, and comes with kunafa, hazelnut and milk chocolate.
The drinks menu reflects the la dolce vita of Italy. The wine list includes bottles from Sicily and Tuscany. The dedicated negroni list includes classic to creative takes – there’s even a Choco Negroni. The Negroni Gattopardo came with a slice of lemon embossed with the brand’s name. Plus, the mocktails range from a Belli-No to a Dolce Colada.
On our visit, Il Gattopardo was busy on a Monday night. Diners ranged from business meetings to tourists. The service was smart and swift – the food came out fast, and the whole experience wrapped up in almost one hour.
Whether you’re in Dubai or London, Il Gattopardo woos with its charm and class.
GO: Visit https://gattopardo.restaurant for more information.