When I first moved to Dubai, I lived on the 68th floor of one of many sea-facing skyscrapers in Dubai Marina — with a living room window overlooking Barasti, its beach and the big blue stretching out beyond.
And, as I jostled with seven housemates to bag the best seat on the balcony at sunset, I often gawped across the open water and felt things couldn’t get any better. Fast-forward four years and, remarkably, they have.
Not only am I free of the nightmare of sharing a flat, but our spine-tingling vista has a glamorous newcomer: Dubai Harbour. At the heart of it all is one of the city’s finest new openings of the year: L’Amo Bistro del Mare at the harbour’s Yacht Club.
The Italian seafood restaurant has been reeling in diners since March. It is the brainchild of the Mine and Yours Group, which is also behind the opening of Chic Nonna in Dubai International Financial Centre in August, and Sunset Hospitality, of Sushi Samba and Drift Beach fame.
What to expect, where to sit
The restaurant is reached via a lift from the main entrance. Inside, the soaring floor-to-ceiling windows bathe the interiors in light — either from the orange hues of the daytime sun or from the twinkling skyscraper skyline at night.
The restaurant offers seating options made up of plush booths, wraparound terraces and balconies, and a bar adjacent to an icy seafood counter where diners can pick their own catch of the day.
We take a cosy table close to the sliding doors opening on to the breezy terrace and, just like the superyachts floating metres away, anchor in for the evening. This is white linen tablecloth dining without the fuss; the rest of the interior is a mix of muted nautical tones, warm gold lighting and cool grey seating.
But the 360-degree vista of the harbour, Dubai Marina and Bluewaters Island is really the star of the show. Until the food arrives.
The menu
It is deliberately compact: a smattering of small plates, a handful of hot dishes, a sprinkle of pastas and dainty desserts. Here, head chef Lorenzo Buccarini wants the quality of ingredients to shine. For example: Piedmont Fassona beef tartare; Dover sole with capers, chives and a lemon butter sauce; saffron risotto with langoustine and Oscietra caviar. High-grade ingredients, sourced locally and from across the Mediterranean, presented beautifully.
Take the le tre tartare, or trio of tartare: Sicilian red prawns are finished with caviar, the tuna has capers and a zing of mayo, and the sea bass is complemented with mullet roe. Each is delicately prepared — but leave your pretences at the door because they’re made to be slapped, spread and crunched over croutons as well as freshly baked sun-dried focaccia and slices of sourdough.
Smartly dressed staff provide smiling and swift service alongside excellent recommendations while the terrific sommelier works the floor. Out flow two further dishes recommended by our waitress — roasted octopus, and spaghetti mancini served with sea urchins, Pecorino Romano cheese and black pepper.
They’re grown-up dishes, which, true to form, are unintimidating. It’s a bowl of pasta and charred slices of octopus, both ready to be dived straight into.
Seeing our insatiable appetites softening slightly, our waitress thankfully pauses before bringing out the evening’s headliner: her recommendation of grilled sea bass for two. And, when it comes, it more than lives up to its billing; although more on that later.
We end with a sharing dessert of home-made pistachio ice cream with sour cherries. It superbly captures the soul of Sicily, the spirit land of pistachios and ice cream.
Standout dish
The aforementioned sea bass sharer for two is grilled whole before being placed on a metal tray and served tableside by our waitress. She’s given the unenviable task of deboning the enormous fish. Despite our eyeballs boring a hole into the top of her head as she leans over, she executes the procedure with deft precision.
Simply gliding her knife underneath the fillet is enough to remove the flawlessly cooked fish, which is served with roasted broccoletti, roasted potatoes and spinach. We pour the warming, light and citrusy sauce and tuck in: it’s meaty, it’s accomplished, it’s culinary perfection.
Come autumn, once the sliding doors open to bring the outdoors in, L’Amo could fit seamlessly into any Mediterranean marina from Monte Carlo to Marbella.
As for the cooking, there isn’t a pea foam in sight, nor a deconstructed side order or a flambeed dessert designed to look like a tomato although is secretly custard. It’s honest: it’s no-frills traditional dining and we adore it.
A chat with the chef
Chef Lorenzo has worked in Michelin-lauded kitchens while travelling the world, quite literally, having been a sous chef on the Disney cruise liner in the Caribbean before holding positions in the UK, Turkey, Bali and Morocco.
More recently, he led the team at Nammos, located in the Four Seasons Resort Dubai in Jumeirah. The Mykonos-inspired restaurant has welcomed everyone from Cristiano Ronaldo to Sheikh Hamdan, Crown Prince of Dubai, who also visited L’Amo in May.
For his journey here, he explains how he intends to wow diners. “I want to execute simple cooking using seasonal produce at their freshest,” he says. “Ingredients that are in season naturally taste great when combined together.”
He cites his favourite dishes as breaded veal Milanese for carnivores; sea urchin spaghetti for seafood lovers; burrata, beetroot, tomato and walnut salad for vegetarians; and the aforementioned pistachio ice cream for those with a sweet tooth.
In his own words, his food philosophy is: “I let the food speak for itself.” And, at L’Amo, it’s screaming: “Eat me!”
Price point and contact information
Fresh catches vary in price depending on the size; the sea bass for two is Dh650 per kilogram. Starters average Dh60 to Dh80, mains are Dh110 to more than Dh400, and sides average Dh25. The best option is to try the summer lunch menu, which runs Monday to Thursday between noon and 2pm. For Dh139, guests can choose a starter, main and dessert.
Open daily noon-3pm, 6pm-midnight; Dubai Harbour Yacht Club, Dubai. Reservations can be made by contacting 04 278 4800 or visiting www.lamorestaurant.com
This review was conducted at the invitation of the restaurant
Scoreline
Arsenal 0 Manchester City 3
- Agüero 18'
- Kompany 58'
- Silva 65'
MATCH INFO
Euro 2020 qualifier
Croatia v Hungary, Thursday, 10.45pm, UAE
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
The five pillars of Islam
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Crops that could be introduced to the UAE
1: Quinoa
2. Bathua
3. Amaranth
4. Pearl and finger millet
5. Sorghum
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Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
Changing visa rules
For decades the UAE has granted two and three year visas to foreign workers, tied to their current employer. Now that's changing.
Last year, the UAE cabinet also approved providing 10-year visas to foreigners with investments in the UAE of at least Dh10 million, if non-real estate assets account for at least 60 per cent of the total. Investors can bring their spouses and children into the country.
It also approved five-year residency to owners of UAE real estate worth at least 5 million dirhams.
The government also said that leading academics, medical doctors, scientists, engineers and star students would be eligible for similar long-term visas, without the need for financial investments in the country.
The first batch - 20 finalists for the Mohammed bin Rashid Medal for Scientific Distinction.- were awarded in January and more are expected to follow.
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 1 (Fernandes pen 2') Tottenham Hotspur 6 (Ndombele 4', Son 7' & 37' Kane (30' & pen 79, Aurier 51')
Man of the match Son Heung-min (Tottenham)
History's medical milestones
1799 - First small pox vaccine administered
1846 - First public demonstration of anaesthesia in surgery
1861 - Louis Pasteur published his germ theory which proved that bacteria caused diseases
1895 - Discovery of x-rays
1923 - Heart valve surgery performed successfully for first time
1928 - Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin
1953 - Structure of DNA discovered
1952 - First organ transplant - a kidney - takes place
1954 - Clinical trials of birth control pill
1979 - MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, scanned used to diagnose illness and injury.
1998 - The first adult live-donor liver transplant is carried out
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
The Year Earth Changed
Directed by:Tom Beard
Narrated by: Sir David Attenborough
Stars: 4
info-box
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Happy Tenant
Started: January 2019
Co-founders: Joe Moufarrej and Umar Rana
Based: Dubai
Sector: Technology, real-estate
Initial investment: Dh2.5 million
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 4,000
The Outsider
Stephen King, Penguin
Stree
Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Movies
Director: Amar Kaushik
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee
Rating: 3.5
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Wayne Rooney's career
Everton (2002-2004)
- Appearances: 48
- Goals: 17
Manchester United (2004-2017)
- Appearances: 496
- Goals: 253
England (2003-)
- Appearances: 119
- Goals: 53
Book%20Details
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