Opened in late 2018, the Italian chef Massimo Bottura’s restaurant, Torno Subito (Be right back!), brought a breath of fresh air to Dubai’s eating and drinking scene.

When Massimo Bottura was approached by the W Dubai — the Palm, about opening his own Dubai restaurant, opening another version of three-Michelin-stared Osteria Francescana was out of the question. “I always say I’m never gonna open another Osteria Francescana anywhere in the world for any kind of money,” Bottura says. Instead, he opened Torno Subito.

The name, a way of saying “be right back,” is a reference to a work by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan. Inspiration for the decor comes from Federico Fellini films La Dolce Vita and 8 1⁄2, and the space is awash in electric teals, pinks, and Ferrari yellow. There’s a photo booth that invites guests to add their self portraits to photo mobiles hanging from the dining room ceiling.

The Italian menu, served a la carte, is meant to be similarly playful. There’s a classic Margherita pizza on offer, but also one shaped like a crescent moon and topped with almonds, hazelnuts, chocolate, and honey. Guests can eat these outside on the sand, or take them out on a pedal boat picnic. Torno Subito offers a distinctly different Massimo Bottura creation from Osteria Francescana, where guests can eat in a soft room with white tablecloths.