This week we're loving: Carnevale

Interestingly, Carnevale has just been voted the ‘First and Best Italian Restaurant in the UAE' by the new Gambero Rosso Restaurant Guide, 2008. Interesting because it's actually still 2007. Still, it's pretty much a given that this slightly optimistic prediction will ring true when January rolls around - I was there last night and can honestly say I can't believe I hadn't been before!

Our table - on the terrace at the front of the wave-shaped Jumeirah Beach Hotel - had an amazing view of the Burj Al Arab by night. Its colours faded in and out, from blue, to green, to purple, as the wine and peach bellinis flowed along with our conversation - tres romantic ladies! In fact, the whole place was filled with couples, so I wouldn't recommend you take your mum, really.

Gourmet journalists working on the Gambero Rosso Restaurant Guide have apparently travelled the world to uncover the most authentic restaurants... the ones using the most authentic Italian products and following the national food culture. They most definitely found what they were looking for here! Also, it's clear the chef at Carnevale is as patient with his staff as he is with the preparation of each exquisite dish. As we scraped our plates clean, he told us of another chef who left him to work at the Burj, across the road. "He was pretty useless when he started, but I trained him up and then he left to work at the Burj! I told him to do it, it's great for his resume!"

You can't imagine many people being quite so understanding, but it's clear this man is dedicated to his job, and wants only like-minded people in his kitchen. "I can't imagine working anywhere other than Dubai at the moment" he told us with a grin. "Everyone's talking about it!"

And we were talking about it too, when we left - mostly the amazing restaurant we'd just visited! As we crossed the path and climbed aboard a buggy to take us to 360, we couldn't get the taste of those grilled scallops on tomato Carpaccio out of our minds. As we ordered a drink at the bar, the crab dumplings with orange zest and thyme were still playing on our brains, and staring out at the waves, lapping the rocks beneath us, we dreamed of the butter poached lobster ravioli, and the Australian beef tenderloin, perfectly balanced on a batch of grilled vegetables and creamy potato gratin.

If only we hadn't guzzled it all up in the fashion of people who hadn't eaten for a month, we could have asked for leftovers! That would have been a lunchbox to make the office jealous...

Carnevale restaurant at Jumeirah Beach Hotel. Check the site for booking details