If you fancy something a little different for a midweek get together, we have just the place. Every Monday is Cheese and Grape night at Spaccanapoli, the Italian restaurant in Crowne Plaza Abu Dhabi.
The premise is pretty simple - between 6pm and 11pm, and for AED 75 per person, you can have your fill of the delectable cheeses and grape beverages that are on offer. That’s right, you can actually fill up on cheese – and you’d be surprised how easy it is to while away an evening over cheese, bread and a glass or two.
On the night we headed down, we were lucky enough to have restaurant manager Luca explain what was before us. At one end of the restaurant – opposite the antipasti station for those who are already familiar with Spaccanapoli – laid out for both ease of access and presentation were all manner of breads and cheeses, and not to mention a few bottles.
Luca explained that the cheeses are shipped from Italy, all 12 of them, and that the varieties on offer rotate each week. Which means that for a good long while you’ll have an excellent reason to make sure you go every week! It is the same with the bottles on offer - the four varieties rotate each week but of the three reds and one white two will always be some of Italy’s finest.
As if 12 varieties of Italian cheese weren’t enough to get you salivating, there is also the bread. We lost count of the number of varieties that are provided as a vehicle to get those lactolicious delights from the plate to your mouth, but all of them are made in-house in the restaurant’s pizza ovens – so you know that it’s all freshly made, and we assure you it’s all absolutely delicious.
Why go to a restaurant for a night out? Well, Spaccanapoli is a lively and popular restaurant with a great atmosphere but without the sometimes overbearing and ear-splitting music that often accompanies other venues. It’s also comfortable and relaxed, so is ideal any occasion where good food is part of the equation but you don’t want to be restricted by the standard format of dinner out.
If you’re lacto-intolerant, after something a little more substantial or if cheese doesn’t really do it for you (although we really struggle to comprehend that last one) the regular a la carte menu is also available, whether or not you’re indulging in the dairy-fest. For more information and reservations call 02 616 6261.
Anna McCormack
