Rocambolesco has officially arrived in Uptown Dubai, bringing together the generosity of Italian hospitality and a creative spirit that quietly refuses to behave. Opening on 25th September 2026, the new restaurant invites guests into a world where familiar pleasures are reinterpreted, details reward curiosity, and time around the table is always time well spent.
At its heart, Rocambolesco is an Italian dining experience built around convivialità, the pleasure of being together around the table. Food, drinks, design, music and service come together to create a place made for sharing, socialising and letting the occasion unfold, whether over a long lunch, an early aperitivo or dinner that carries on into the evening.
Taking its name from Rocambole, the venue reflects his daring, imaginative spirit and sense of adventure. This character runs throughout the experience, bringing a playful edge to Rocambolesco’s Italian foundations while remaining rooted in quality, craftsmanship and genuine hospitality.
The ground floor is the first introduction to the Rocambolesco experience. Open for lunch and dinner, it moves naturally with the rhythm of the day: sunlit and welcoming in the afternoon, then warmer and more atmospheric as evening arrives. Immersed in art and shaped by a mix of creative influences, the dining room carries a vivid, uplifting spirit while remaining relaxed and family-friendly, a welcoming setting for everything from casual lunches to shared dinners with friends and family.
The menu brings together classic Italian dishes and more inventive, playful reinterpretations, each rooted in quality ingredients and a genuine respect for tradition; familiar in spirit, but never quite as expected. That spirit comes through in dishes like the Rocambolesco Parmigiana, a playful spin on the classic baked eggplant parmigiana finished with a scamorza fondue; the “C’era Una Volta” pizza, a beetroot and gorgonzola creation with a storyteller’s name; and the Heritage Meatballs, slow-cooked in tomato sauce with a pecorino fondue and a flourish of charcoal at the table.
The culinary direction is led by Michelin-starred Chef Luigi Stinga, Culinary Consultant, alongside Executive Chef Alessandro Mirabelli, who oversees the restaurant’s day-to-day kitchen. Together, they bring a shared belief in simplicity, seasonality and considered execution to a menu that respects the pleasures of Italian cooking while expressing them through a more curious and contemporary lens.
Drinks follow the same philosophy. The bar takes recognisable Italian drinking rituals and gives them a distinctly Rocambolesco turn, with creative cocktails designed to intrigue without losing sight of balance.
Following the curved staircase to the first floor reveals another side of Rocambolesco’s personality. More intimate, lively and mysterious, this evening-led space brings music, live piano and entertainment into the experience, creating a warmer setting for late dinners – where the night, like Rocambole himself, may take a different turn.
Together, the two floors allow Rocambolesco to shift with the occasion while remaining unmistakably itself: artistic and relaxed by day, expressive and full of possibility after dark. Different moods, one story – intensely Italian at heart and never entirely ordinary.
