Does Piatti Fill The Void Left By Villamore?
Opening a brand new restaurant, just before a pandemic has to be rotten luck. And so, Villamore folded before it got the shine it deserved. A lot has changed in the ensuing two and half years including the world-renowned Raffles Hospitality Group taking over what was once the second Kempinski on the Palm, you know the one that’s right next door to the other one?
So out with the old and in with the new as they say and the addition of Raffles to the Palm is a power move that certainly raises the stakes. With that said and as a big fan of Raffles in Singapore, I was always going to venture back to this beautiful, opulent venue to see what’s been going on.
The Raffles name is synonymous with luxury and glamour and when Piatti opened based around one of my all time favorite places in the world – the Amalfi Coast it raised expectations – a lot. Let’s get this out of the way – Piatti is a beautiful venue in a great location. It’s light and airy, a little whimsical and plays to the strengths of the hotel offer perfectly.
It’s a serene afternoon and the sun is out; the staff are smartly dressed and well-mannered and both the indoor and alfresco dining areas look superb while the accompanying background music sets the scene wonderfully. We are seated right next to the waterway with a warm welcome and our waitress says, “we are here to make sure you’re looked after, I just hope the kitchen does their part”. In the moment I took it as a piece of positive reinforcement, however in hindsight I think it hinted at some uneasiness within the team.
We make some small talk and look forward to making some selections for our lunch. We opt for some starters which included the Insalta Amalfi (180 AED) which features Mazara Red Prawns and Olives and Cherry Tomatoes along with the Burrata DOP with Datterini Tomatoes and Basil Oil (140 AED). Both sound light and refreshing and what you would expect to find along the Amalfi. For some reason the Amalfi salad was heavily ladened with green beans, a few pieces of perfect ripe avocado and a couple of well-seasoned but slightly over cooked prawns. Gosh.
Regrettably the Burrata didn’t inspire either and also inexplicably featured copious amounts of long green beans and was really just a middle of the road affair. I remember Dubai’s burrata craze of 2014 like it was yesterday, so at that moment I found myself warmly reminiscing any number of better examples than the one in front of me. Trying to put a positive spin on proceedings, I suggest we switch things up a little and we try the Seabass Ceviche (150 AED) which comes with the promise of Tropea Onion and Sorrento Lemon. It was tiny, but in fairness it was light and tangy and really lovely. Perhaps not all was lost after all.
As the venue got busier and busier we also noticed it was becoming harder and harder to get the attention of waiters, it started to really feel like the wheels were falling off for what is meant to be a fine dining restaurant on a beautiful day at Raffles no less. It all came as a surprise and a letdown. Were our expectations set too high? Were we blurring the lines between the old establishment and the new? Possibly.
Honestly though, working through the menu and it strikes us that many of the main dishes stand out as being on the heavier side and not really aligned to the notion of regional coastal cooking. Items like a tagliatelle bolognaise, and a heavy strozzapreti with creamy veal ham just didn’t signal seaside fare so we roll the dice on one of their signature pizzas – and so the Bresaola Pizza at an extortionate 170 AED arrives to the table. It was a shambles. It arrived only semi warm and was completely soggy in the center making it rather unenjoyable and after the second slice sadly fell apart we abandoned it. While the flavor profile was kind of there, the overall make up of the pizza was completely lacking and to be honest you would never in your lifetime see a pizza executed this poorly anywhere between Naples and Solerno. Possibly a bit harsh but true.
With other menu items such as the Salt Crusted Seabass at an eye opening 700 AED and a Home Made Maltagliati Pasta with Lobster for nearly 400 AED, to our waiter’s surprise (or not) we opted to cut our losses early and exit stage left, still hungry, well over a thousand dirhams poorer for the experience (including drinks) and bemused by the whole affair.
Bottom Line:
Piatti promises to be the city’s most resplendent restaurant where guests are instantly engulfed by the unmistakable charm of the Italian Amalfi Coast. However, the simple reality is the menu seems jumbled, heavy and wildly overpriced, (did I mention the Japanese section, huh?) and needs an urgent rethink if it’s to capture the true simplicity and elegance of what dining along the Amalfi is really all about.
