Poised daintily in the heart of DIFC, a nearby refuge for those frazzled by Dubai Watch Week’s frenetic energy, Chic Nonna is the restaurant that everyone seems to be talking about. It’s the kind of place that, since its opening in mid-2022, feels as though it has always belonged to the city’s most elegant circles — a destination where the rhythm of Italian heritage meets the poise of Dubai’s contemporary luxury scene.
Set within Gate Avenue, with its luminous two-storey interiors and glimpses of the Burj Khalifa through expansive glass, Chic Nonna makes a first impression that feels quietly cinematic. There’s a sense of theatre as you step through its signature green door — not ostentatious, but show-stoppingly refined, just like the Milanese sciure its name evokes. Inside, the design unfolds with the refinement of a palazzo reimagined for the desert metropolis: smooth marble, burnished brass and olive-toned leather set against a hum of soft conversation and the perfume of truffle and fresh basil from the open kitchen.
It is precisely this juxtaposition — old world soul, contemporary class — that makes Chic Nonna such a fitting companion to the week’s horological festivities. In a district where collectors, financiers and connoisseurs gather to appreciate craftsmanship at its finest, the restaurant mirrors that same devotion to detail. Each plate is an ode to Italian tradition, composed with contemporary flair. The fiori di zucchine arrives like a work of art — delicate, delightful and deeply satisfying — while the hand-crafted pastas and exquisite seafood play with flavour and form in ways that would delight even the most discerning palate. The menu pays homage to culinary integrity while embracing the cosmopolitan sophistication of Dubai’s dining scene.
The pace here is beautifully louche. Service glides by with ease, never hurried, never overbearing — as if everyone in the room has agreed to suspend time for a while. It’s a rare luxury in a city that thrives on movement. From the mezzanine lounge, guests sip aperitivi as the skyline turns molten with sunset, and conversations drift from watches to travel, from Dubai and Milan to Geneva and Courchevel — where Chic Nonna’s Swiss outpost is preparing to reopen its doors for the winter season. Below, the open kitchen gleams with the energy of artistry in motion, each dish plated with precision worthy of a master watchmaker.
As dusk settles over DIFC, the restaurant transforms, its terrace glowing softly under golden light. In a week defined by impeccable craftsmanship and timeless beauty, Chic Nonna stands as its culinary counterpart, a place where refinement doesn’t shout but hums quietly beneath every detail. It’s where one might end a day of exhibitions and unveilings with a replenishing plate of hand-cut pasta and a glass of something nostalgic, watching the city pulse beyond the terrace. Much like the impeccably elegant old-money grandmas of our imaginations (or, for the lucky amongst us, our childhoods), Chic Nonna is an ode to sophistication, passion and the art of living, beautifully, in the moment.
