Salt. Sweet. Acid.
These three words are what anchor the tasting menu at Finz, Beach Rotana Abu Dhabi. It isn’t a matter of neat categories, but a philosophy that shapes every dish, every flavour, every flourish.
At the helm is Chef Luca De Santis, whose Mediterranean roots and deep reverence for the sea guide the restaurant’s identity. His passion comes across not in grand declarations, but in the details. In sauces made from fish bones that would otherwise go to waste, in basil and coriander cress picked straight from the hotel’s own garden, and in the careful balancing act of flavours that stay with you long after the meal is done.
Finz is a Michelin-selected restaurant and one of Abu Dhabi’s most celebrated seafood destinations. But if you sit down for its eight-course tasting menu, you’ll quickly understand that labels only skim the surface of what’s being achieved here.
The Finz journey in eight courses
The tasting menu is a pared-down distillation of Chef Luca’s original 11-course vision, offering diners a streamlined yet immersive experience. The delicious attempt to take you through the different layers of the sea is multi-sensory to say the least, and revolutionary in all the best ways.
Setting the tone for a luxe meal, the meal starts light and fresh with oysters from Ireland’s Galway Bay, their flavour shaped by the meeting of freshwater and Atlantic salt.
“We try to build from light to heavy, never repeating a product, never repeating a sauce,” he says.
Each course takes guests on a journey that starts in the Mediterranean and stretches further afield, even as far as Asia as it blends global influences with respect for the natural character of each ingredient.
The intent is not just to eat, but to travel – through contrasts of taste, texture, and technique.
Passion on a plate
Spend a few minutes with Chef Luca, and his passion is immediately apparent. Stories of endless food trials, a refusal to get complacent and a refreshingly detailed passion for his ingredients reflect directly on the plate.
The food looks almost effortlessly gorgeous, but nothing is accidental. A bright curl of citrus, a drizzle of herb oil, the delicate placement of seafood on porcelain, the theatre is not for its own sake.
There is definitely more going on the plate than meets the eye, but each bite reveals flavours so distinct – the main protein shines through each time.
“We don’t cover a product like that. Everything has a purpose,” Luca explains.
Sustainability as a guiding principle
Behind the artistry, there is a strong ethic at work. One of the most striking things Luca points out is the kitchen’s waste – or rather, the lack of it. The near-bare waste basket he holds up with pride is a testament to the sustainable nature of Finz at Beach Rotana Abu Dhabi.
Fish skins and bones become the base for jus and sauces, while herb gardens on the property supply the kitchen with fresh basil, coriander cress and more, cutting down on unnecessary imports.
This is perhaps most evident in the dish aptly titled Ocean Garden. It looks like seaweed, it tastes like seaweed, but it isn’t.
Ethical sourcing is another priority, with the team striving to ensure every ingredient comes from the best possible origin. The goal isn’t to chase trends, but to respect the product, the people who grow and harvest it, and the planet itself.
The backbone of flavour
What sets the tasting menu at Finz apart cannot be condensed into a point or two.
For instance, the sauces here are in a league of their own. Each dish comes with its own unique pairing, acting not as an afterthought but as the very backbone of the menu.
This is where Luca’s skill as a chef and his training truly shine. His sauces aren’t simply accompaniments; they are carefully composed narratives, binding salt, sweet, and acid into a coherent whole.
At its core, Finz remains a seafood restaurant, but what Luca is doing pushes the definition beyond expectations. From oysters and scallops to tuna and lobster, every plate showcases the ingredient in the most unique manner possible.
This is why dining here feels different: it’s refined, but never overworked. The balance is delicate, the progression intentional, the respect for the ingredient absolute.
In the end, Finz at Beach Rotana Abu Dhabi doesn’t just serve seafood. Salt, sweet, acid: three simple words that, in Chef Luca’s hands, become something extraordinary.
For more information, visit Finz at Beach Rotana Abu Dhabi
