Say 'buon apetito' for Giorgio Armani: Sample the Italian designer’s favorite food at Armani/Ristorante Dubai

Although regarded as among the most influential designers in contemporary fashion, Giorgio Armani had no formal fashion education, and only relied mostly on his extensive hands-on experience as a window dresser and salesperson at the La Rinascente department store and his personal style and taste – to eventually qualify as a designer for Nino Cerutti, and later on, as eponymous founder of his own luxury fashion house.

Armani might have passed away early this month, but his impeccable taste lives on in his lifestyle empire that includes the posh Armani/Ristorante in Dubai.

Uniquely located in Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building and structure made famous as the one Tom Cruise scaled for 2011 film Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, Armani/Ristorante offers a unique and luxurious experience with its spectacular views of the Dubai Fountain and Burj Lake, which sets it apart from other restaurants in the Burj.

True to Armani’s minimalist but elegant aesthetic, the restaurant is washed in neutral and earth tones, made more dramatic with the shower of lights from the Dubai Fountain.

Private, intimate and serene, the restaurant seats only a limited number of people, enabling one to experience first-hand Armani’s luxurious furniture, plates, glasses and cutlery without having to buy one.

While the restaurant offers an extensive menu that includes Italian and fusion dishes from appetizer to dessert, and a long drinks list, for first timers, the must-tries are Armani’s personal favorites: champagne infused with edible gold, cheese risotto and house signature cheesecake — also topped with shredded edible gold and bearing the Armani logo set in decadent chocolate. According to restaurant servers, these were what the designer himself used to enjoy whenever he would visit the restaurant.

So, whether staying at the P85,000-a-night Armani Hotel or just visiting the Burj, a stop at the Armani/Ristorante is a must — as a treat to oneself or for a romantic rendezvous with a loved one.

As Armani used to say: “I must always try to do better. Because perfectionism, and the need to always have new goals and achieve them, is a state of mind that brings profound meaning to life.”