Mare Mare: Italian Coastal Cuisine Beneath the Gulf Sky

The Poetry of Italian Simplicity by the Water

Mare Mare, which translates most poetically as ‘sea sea’, occupies a place of rare honour at Jumeirah Saadiyat Island: a restaurant that honours both the formality of Italian culinary tradition and the languid ease of beachside dining. Positioned poolside with sweeping vistas across the Gulf, it serves home cooked Italian flavours in an open, luminous setting that refuses the formality of a conventional dining room. The result is a space where lunch extends naturally into afternoon, where swimwear remains psychologically close, and where the proximity to sand and water transforms not merely the mood but the essential experience of the meal itself. Jumeirah’s approach celebrates meticulous preparation, the finest ingredients and refined presentation, yet the guiding philosophy remains defiantly home cooked. The menu succeeds precisely because it retains the comfort and generosity inherent in coastal Italian gastronomy, even as each plate arrives with understated elegance.

A Cuisine of Seafood, Pasta and Considered Restraint

The kitchen demonstrates particular mastery with the fruits of the sea: exceptional crudo and seafood preparations sit in harmonious balance alongside hand crafted pasta, including memorable offerings such as pasta vongole and lobster preparations. The carpaccio and tartare showcase an appreciation for pristine ingredients handled with minimal intervention, whilst pizzas emerge with surprising sophistication. A table of discerning guests may move seamlessly between crudo, pasta, pizza and meat without the meal losing coherence or purpose. The cooking does not rest upon the magnificence of its setting; rather, the food itself merits return visits, the vista serving as accompaniment rather than excuse.

A Refined Escape on Saadiyat Island

For those seeking relaxed luxury rather than ceremonial dining, Mare Mare stands as one of Saadiyat’s most gracious recommendations. The restaurant operates daily for both lunch and dinner, offering an ideal canvas for a late lunch that drifts peacefully into afternoon, or an evening service that captures the final light across the water. The kitchen’s breadth ensures that whether one arrives for casual midday sustenance or more formal evening dining, the experience remains one of unhurried elegance, where Italian coastal traditions flourish beneath the warmth of the Arabian sun.