The surprise with dining at L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele was not that they serve exceptional authentic Neapolitan pizza…

That was kind of to be expected!

You can’t claim 150 years of tradition as a Pizzeria, and then slap out mediocre pizza – you’d be crucified instantly.

And just look at this beautiful artisanal pizza…

I mean if you needed a photo for wikipedia to represent to the world the original, 100% authentic pizza from the city of Naples, you could use this one.

Or even this one, a more modern variation, with new-style toppings – also delicious!

But the point I’m making is that L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele is much more than a world-famous pizzeria.

But let’s begin with the tradition, because there are some things that money just can’t buy – tradition and family are two of them.

In fact, on The Beach in ultra-modern glitzy JBR in Dubai, at L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele, the pizzaioli are Italians – no compromise.

Big-hearted, funny, working hard, and with pizza in their DNA – there are some culinary traditions that are cultural, and that runs deep. Yes, you can train anyone, detailing how many grams of this and that, and how many minutes to leave it at x degrees… but you will have missed the point completely.

A real pizza – or a true curry, or an authentic camel shoulder cooked under the sand – is an art… a culinary art.

It’s poetry you can eat – and nobody can “feel” it better than the original people.

So, with their special oven,

and a truly exceptional location, directly on the beach in front of Dubai’s newest icon,

you can be assured that you will be served the true Italian pizza.

That’s a promise.

But, as I said that’s not the surprise.

The premises are professional and the location is simply the best in Dubai at this point in time.

Check out the view from the upstairs terrace…

and the outside seating along the beachside walkway is fantastic.

Also, the level of service is well above what might be expected of a regular pizzeria – if anything, this would be a five-star pizzeria.

And the interior dining spaces are well-appointed,

with a vibrant non-alcoholic bar,

and representative items of the home country.

But the real surprise was the menu beyond pizzas!

You know what these are?

Ah, try them at L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele!!!

They are straccetti – deep-fried to golden crispy perfection – just like Italian grandmas used to make.

If made well, they look something like this:

And then L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele has a very good selection of first and second courses, including of course pasta…

And close-up I hope you can see the al dente cooking style – the real thing.

And so L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele is certainly a top pizzeria, but also a full-blown Italian restaurant, operating at levels of deliciousness that you may not even experience on a trip to Italy!

From freshly-baked bread on the table,

to unique and authentic desserts, like this gorgeous cannolo,

and even regional specialties that you will struggle to find anywhere else in Dubai, such as the below Pastiera Napoletana – scented with orange flower water.

Overall, L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele represents an authentic dining experience from the Neapolitan region of Italy, with a long historical tradition of serving fantastic original pizza, and also surprising with a full menu of delicacies, within a beachside location in JBR, Dubai – absolutely exceptional.