Rave Dines: Third Avenue, The Dubai Mall

In a mall built for moving quickly, Third Avenue has always been a place to slow down. Set along Fashion Avenue on the first floor of The Dubai Mall, it has been a familiar address for years, the kind of spot regulars head to for a long lunch or a late coffee, largely on the strength of a terrace that looks straight out at the Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Fountain.

This October, the kitchen has turned a page. Refreshed from 1 October, the menu brings 17 new dishes and six reworked favourites across pizzas, pastas, mains and desserts. The restaurant, run by the Mohamed Hilal Group, hasn’t abandoned its comfort-food roots; it has simply given them a more Italian accent.

We arrived at four on a Friday, that unhurried hour between lunch and dinner when the mall loosens its pace a little. We took a table inside by the window: the calm of a softly lit dining room touched with greenery on one side, and an uninterrupted view of the Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Fountain on the other. The terrace, for cooler evenings, shares the same view.

The Italian Herbs Focaccia set the tone. Oven-baked and generously topped with Fior di Latte mozzarella, roasted garlic and fresh coriander, it is bread made for tearing and sharing, and it put an early end to any plans to pace ourselves. The Beetroot Carpaccio was its brighter counterpoint: wafer-thin beetroot dotted with whipped ricotta, glossed with pomegranate molasses and scattered with roasted pistachios. Earthy, sweet and sharp by turns, it was the most elegant plate of the afternoon.

The Truffle Fries, one of the six dishes reworked for the new menu, arrived thick-cut and crisp beneath a creamy truffle sauce, aged Parmigiano, crispy onion and chives. Unapologetically rich, they were a bowl the whole table kept returning to.

The Buffalo Chicken pizza, another refreshed favourite, pairs a blistered, airy crust with Fior di Latte, crispy chicken, roasted tomatoes and a buffalo sauce with a gentle kick. It is a cheerful collision of American bar food and Italian technique, and it is all the more fun for it.

The Wagyu Face Down is the menu’s most playful moment. Two burgers, each a juicy Wagyu patty layered with melted cheese and Japanese mayo in a soft, glossy bun, arrive sitting in a pan of rich, creamy mushroom sauce. Rich and gloriously messy, it is a dish best tackled with a knife, a fork and an empty afternoon.

Dessert is where the new menu is at its most assured. The Tiramisu, new to the menu and served in a sleek metal coupe, layers espresso-soaked ladyfingers with silky mascarpone beneath a dusting of dark cocoa: classic, light and pleasingly bitter at the edges. The Oro Verde is the one to remember. Artisanal pistachio ice cream is layered with crisp pistachio feuilletine and caramelised pistachios, then finished with a drizzle of pistachio sauce, crunch and cream in equal measure. For pistachio devotees, it is very nearly reason enough to visit.

Third Avenue’s new menu does not try to reinvent the restaurant, and it is stronger for that restraint. The Italian-Mediterranean additions bring something new to the table without displacing the comfort-food favourites. The beetroot carpaccio and the Oro Verde are the standouts, while the Wagyu Face Down makes a convincing case for keeping things indulgent. The view is the obvious draw, but there is more than enough happening on the plate to warrant a return visit.

Verdict: A confident Italian-Mediterranean refresh with the Burj Khalifa for company. Share the focaccia and the beetroot carpaccio, try the Wagyu Face Down, and don’t leave without the Oro Verde.

Location: Fashion Avenue, First Floor, The Dubai Mall, Downtown Dubai

Opening hours: Sunday to Wednesday, 10 am to midnight; Thursday to Saturday, 10 am to 1am

Reservations: +971 56 688 5081 or book online

Instagram: @thirdavenueboutique

For more information, visit Third Avenue.