Luigia, Rixos Premium JBR

LUIGIA, the newest Italian restaurant in Dubai tucked inside the stylish Rixos Premium JBR has a new brunch concept dedicated to kids. Moms and dads, if you're listening, this one is for you.

Bambini Kids Brunch is every Friday from 12 pm to 5 pm. The kids can eat unlimited pizza and pasta for free and can also have unlimited fun inside a dedicated playroom full of books, toys and gaming console, and a cinema that plays children's favorite movies. There's a playroom attendant so you can sit, relax, and enjoy your meal without worrying about the little ones. We were invited to try it and we only have praises for the Bambini Kids Brunch concept.

But Luigia is more than just a place for Friday brunch. It is a great place to have your meal any time of day. A welcome addition to a diverse number of great restaurants inside Rixos.

Luigia's layout is open and bright with huge chandeliers, fairy lights, wooden flooring, and floor-to-ceiling glass windows draped heavily with red curtains. A separate bar and a Neopolitan wood-fired oven. Bold colors of red, olive green, and lavender dominated the color scheme of the restaurant. Potted olive trees and faux plants gave the place a more intimate and homey feel.

We were welcomed with a smile at the reception by the staff and after checking my name in the booking register and seeing that we have kids, we were escorted to a table close to the dedicated playroom and cinema.

The menu features an extensive list of pizza, pasta, appetizers, salads, main course (vegetables, seafood, and meat), and dessert. There's also a separate menu for kids and alcoholic drinks.

Prince ordered a Classic Margherita Pizza and Mica, a pizza topped with turkey ham from the Bambini brunch menu, both cooked in their wood-fired oven.

Although they are considered kids pizzas, the size of one is big enough to share. The pizza crust is thin and chewy, edges are crisp. The pizza sauce has the refreshing taste of fresh tomatoes and the cheese tastes great. The pizzas were light and delicious. I couldn't resist a good pizza so I had two slices, one from each flavor.

The kids also asked for pasta so we got them Spaghetti ala Carbonara to share. It is not a cream sauce base but an authentic style Italian carbonara with eggs, beef bacon, grana Padano, and pecorino cheeses. The noodle pasta was cooked al dente and the sauce was oozing with flavor.

For starters, Ferald and I had fried calamari. The squid rings are soft and the batter, light and crisp.

Burrata with rocket leaves, dried tomato, and smoked dried beef. Great antipasti. Hubby and I kept on raving about how good it was. The dried tomato was a key ingredient in this dish because it hugs the flavors together.

For our main course, Ferald ordered Tagliata De Manzo which is a prime Angus ribeye steak cooked medium rare served in a blanket of rocket salad, dattereni tomato, and shaved cheese (Grana Padano). The steak was good but maybe not the best we've had in Dubai. Presentation-wise, it is cute but it would've looked more appetizing to see it in a bed, not in a blanket, of this fresh and nice salad.

Scottatine de Salmone was nice. It is a pan-fried salmon served with baby spinach and fennel salad. Crispy skin, meat was flaky and fatty just the way I like it.

The fennel and baby spinach salad liven up the fish, and a dash of balsamic vinegar and a sprinkling of a little salt and pepper woke up all the flavors of my food.

We allow the kids to check out the playroom only after they finished their food. Prince, of course, showed more interest than my teenage daughter.

who was more interested in Chiacchiere Nutella. Some nice and warm fried pizza dough drizzled generously with Nutella. Prince joined her later on and they both went up to Nutella heaven.

Ferald and I enjoyed a slice of tiramisu and pannacotta with our gunpowder green tea. Both our dessert choices were toothsome, especially the latter.

Our dining experience at Luigia was nothing short of fabulous. The service was quick and excellent. The staff was accommodating and friendly. The dishes we tried were delicious. It is a bit pricey but if you think again, considering location, food quality, and ambiance, it is just right for the standard. We would recommend Luigia in a heartbeat. It deserves a revisit, I still have to try some of their adult pizza.

After an amazing brunch, we walk our full and happy selves to The Beach passing by interesting scenes at The Walk in JBR

Capping off the day with an amazing sunset with Dubai's newest iconic structure, Ain Dubai.