Fi’lia. As if the view isn’t spectacular enough, this new Italian offering based on the 70th floor of the newly opened SLS hotel is also rather spectacular.
Fi’lia, meaning daughter, is touted as taking a front row seat as the region’s first female led team.
We arrive for a work function as the sun is setting. Although booked to sit on the terrace, it is too windy tonight and our table has been reallocated to inside.
I brave the level 70 breeze to check out the view and it really is nothing short of spectacular. The inside is almost as inspirational with marble tables, interesting wall art and a pizza oven taking pride of place in the center bar area.
Entrée
Our starters consist of a selection of entrees, the Vitello Tonnato perhaps being the most interesting. Mustard marinated veal served with tuna foam and pickled pearl onion, is delicious and rather inspirationally presented, looking more like a flower than a dish. The Safron Arancini and Feta al Forno are both good too. The arancini has hints of eggplant and a delicious marinara sauce although not nearly enough of either for my liking. The oven baked feta and cherry tomatoes served with sourdough toast both evoke the phrase “honest Italian”, a phrase which the restaurant also uses to describe its food.
It’s the burrata della Mamma that stands out though. Sliced like a pizza I still need to cut into the gooey burrata to serve a portion. The burrata is chilled and creamy against the hot heaviness of the focaccia and the rosemary and olive oil compliment it perfectly. It doesn’t need the olives and I reserved mine and ate them separately so as not to spoil the beautiful balance of other flavors. It is heavenly and feels like it balances the flavors as well as the inspirational with the honesty that the restaurant is pitched at.
Mains
The mains are also served to share which feels nice and inclusive for a corporate event. Also, there is the bonus side effects that I don’t have to make any difficult decisions in narrowing down my choice and I get to try a little bit of everything. This is a bonus as work colleagues are less inclined to let me try their food than say, my husband or children, who have no choice!
Diavola pizza, wild mushroom risotto, feta and herb crusted sea bass and herb roasted chicken and vegetables are laid across the table. There is no shortage of food. For our table of 12, there are a total of 12 mains served, three of each type. After entrees, this is of course, too much food, nevertheless, we give it our best shot.
It’s great to be away from the office and with the shared food, the conversation flows. We are welcoming some new team members and even I am still relatively new. This means it is especially good to get to know each other a little better.
The atmosphere also helps. The restaurant has filled up since our arrival and there is a hearty rumble of enjoyment and a lively bustle of wait staff and patrons.
The mushroom risotto and sea bass are my pick of the mains. Admittedly, I don’t even make it to the roasted chicken, as good as it smell. I have been explicitly warned to save room for dessert!
Dessert
The Fi’liamisu has been endorsed as the piece de resistance of the dolce menu and it is very, very good. However, I find myself indulging in seconds of the Il Gran Profiterole. The light as air choux is crusted with caramel, stuffed with cream and ice-cream and then covered with chocolate sauce. All contained in one giant role, it has me feeling equally stuffed by the end of the meal.
Fi’lia is a seamless operation. The front of house, waitstaff and kitchen seem to operate in perfect synchronicity. The decoration, ambiance and views also align for a pleasing experience whether seated inside or out. It’s little wonder that it has been recognised with a Michelin Bib Gourmand award, daughters are powerful afterall.
Good To Know
Fi’lia is located on the 70th floor of Dubai Design Districts SLS Hotel. Bookings are recommended, especially for seating on the terrace.
Also, make a special trip to the powder room. The floor to ceiling windows provide just as good a view out this side!
Would I Return?
Yes.
One Reply to “Fi’lia”