Welcome to the auto adrenaline extravaganza all’italiana. Mille Miglia Restaurant & Café is not just another new addition to Dubai’s thriving food scene. First of all, it rests on the unique concept of the world-famous 1000 mile Italian yearly race of the same name. When asked what inspired her to theme the restaurant around this unique race, Jocelyne Chidiac, car enthusiast and owner of the eponymous restaurant at API Tower, Sheikh Zayed Road says “Food and speed are both an exciting sustenance to the senses. I find that the passion for fine food and top cars creates a fabulous alchemy wanted to bring that out through Mille Miglia Restaurant & Café”.
True to its ‘driven by passion’ motto, most of the interiors at Mille Miglia speak of motoring; from the wheel-motif menu, elongated cases full of car miniatures, to the historical auto channels as well as the outdoor car and motorbike podiums displayed in the beautiful garden.
When you are done perusing around the welcoming restaurant, bury yourself in the funky velveteen armchairs and enjoy gazing out the window at the bustling street life of simply sink into the high-backed sofas that envelop you in a world of comfort and good taste and get ready to indulge your palate in succulent specialties such as the signature Mille Miglia salad, Mille Hammour and Vesuvio volcano cake.
Launched in April 2004, Mille Miglia enjoys and ever-increasing reputation in the gastronomic field, with outside catering and special events a staple of their service offering. At Mille Miglia, food is taken very seriously and Chidiac has called on a host of experienced five-star chefs that have successfully married French and European cuisine with Arabic home-style food.
Her passion for the restaurant and painstaking attention to detail, from the food to the ambience, has endeared her to an ever-growing number of Mille Miglia enthusiasts, “My emphasis is widely Mediterranean, as it mirrors my own tastes and that of my loyal clientele. We reward them with fresh offerings, daily specials and seasonal treats” adds the ebullient Lebanese owner who has lived in the Emirates for over 18 yeas and whom you will often witness overseeing the highly qualified and personable staff and ensuring that everything is running smoothly.
One of Mille Miglia’s best specialties is a gorgeous 2,000 sqm garden courtyard that comes into its own during cooler months, with lounge tunes in the background, bean bags gaze to laze on and garden swings that give the young and young at heart the rare opportunity to commune with nature – a true haven in the heart of Dubai.
So what is it about Mille Miglia that is so inviting? It’s not only the delicious Saj manakeesh or the ‘a la minute’ fresh fruit juice specialty mocktails that entice. The unique combination of the hip yet relaxed and homely ambiance of the restaurant, lush and cosy garden and the peaceful pool terrace all fuel the delights of the regulars. “My guests share a passion for food and a sense of feeling home when they physically are not” sums up Chidiac.
Whether it’s breakfast, a business lunch or a romantic dinner, Mille Miglia serves it up with inimitable va va voom.