We’ve been lucky with our Italian lately, and quite a few solid contenders have popped up around town. La Mamma is an oldie, one that we hadn’t been to for a while, and this is something we deeply regretted as soon as we dug into our meal. This cosy, dimly lit restaurant hides some of the best Italian dishes in the capital, and, despite the mildly jarring reception we ran into when we tried to walk in slightly before they’d opened, our experience with the waiting staff was smooth and non-invasive.
Cosy but not small, La Mamma is relatively spacious with comfortable seating and a romantic atmosphere, helped along in no small part by smiling staff, floating candles and gentle decor. The restaurant’s main space is occupied by a centrepiece of serving plates, with pasta and fresh veg that you can dig into to mix-and-match up some starters. Opt for that, however, and you’ll be missing out on the good stuff. Instead, go ahead and order the delicious seared peppery tuna, or the thick minestrone.
In a nutshell, signature dishes are a safe choice, and range from good to very good. If you’re at a loss, we highly recommend the phenomenal carrè di agnello (rack of lamb), which is so delicately garnished and full of flavour you’ll want to order it twice: two small, succulent racks side-by-side on top of a sauce that we couldn’t quite identify, but instantly devoured. By the end of it we were scraping meat off the bone, much to the horror of our less carnivorous dinner date. Not in it for the meat? Go for the seafood ravioli, which is creamy without being too heavy, and a very good choice for your mains.
It might have been the lamb pushing our standards up but our attempt to finish off with a panna cotta left us a bit underwhelmed. It wasn’t bad, but its taste and execution were so outdone by the preceding courses that it felt like it came from a different kitchen. But despite the disappointing finish, we still left La Mamma very satisfied indeed.
The bill (for two)
Minestrone Dhs35
Peppered tuna Dhs60
Seafood ravioli Dhs75
Rack of lamb Dhs120
Total (excluding service) Dhs290
