Il Ristorante, Bvlgari Hotel, Italy

One night at the Bvlgari was not enough. Firstly because we didn't get a chance to explore restaurants outside our hotel and second because we didn't have a chance to treat our hotel room as more than a dumping ground for shopping bags and dirty laundry.

So, as suspected dining at Il Ristorante was the perfect choice after a hard day of shopping the golden triangle. The bar was dark and moody and full of fabulous looking people wearing (largely) black. I've enjoyed a few Italian pre-dinner drink treats of nibbles in my time but never have a seen anything near the quality or quantity of that served at the bar at the Bvlgari. No sooner had we sat down at the bar before vegetables, dip, roasted almonds, green olives and crisps were served en masse followed by individual servings of salmon sashimi, crab meatballs, vegetable pasta salad and parma ham croissants. All delicious and when I rejected the parma ham croissant and requested a second serve of salmon sashimi instead, my wish was almost instantly granted without attitude.

Then we moved through to the restaurant, agreeing that only two courses would be required after such a substantial starter.

The simple yet luxurious space of the Bulgari Hotel Milan restaurant is the ideal backdrop for a voluptuous gastronomic journey into the aromas and flavors of Chef Andrea Ferrero’s cuisine: a creative reinterpretation of the Italian tradition, characterized by harmonies and contrasts, aesthetic research of colours and volumes. The wine list vaunts more than 500 cases of the most carefully selected vintages, as well as a fine selection of champagnes and sparkling wines. Connoisseurs of fine spirits will also find much to choose from.

Vibe
As the website states above, it's a luxurious space that somehow feels quiet and intimate whilst still open and attached to the bar area. It is relatively sparse and minimalist - I think a bit more "softness" might help but it is in keeping with the overall aesthetic and brand. 100% linen napery in beige and chocolate tones with simple white crockery and green succulent for table setting.

Menu
I probably did the restaurant a dis-service by reading and ordering a combination of meals off both the bar and restaurant menu. The restaurant menu was well presented and succinct.

Food
I felt like prosciutto and figs and simple flavours. For entree I ordered the duck salad which was presented as below. Probably too much meat and too little salad for me but the duck was tender and perfectly cooked.

Sean ordered a much more traditional entree of ravioli with meat jus and shaved parmesan. Instead of the usual high ratio of pasta dough with little filling, this was full of meat filling with light pasta casing. Delicious.

After my entree not feeling high enough on the salad and vegetables, I ordered a main course salad with side of parma ham and rockmelon. As you can see from the photo, the parma ham quantity was substantial! The salad was perhaps a little "simple" but bear in mind that it was meant to be a side, not a main meal. I requested some shaved parmesan to bulk things up and appreciated that they presented my salad dressing on the side as requested. Eaten together with the fresh bread basket, the combination of dishes worked well.

True to form, Sean selected slow cooked roast pork belly with crunchy quinoa and chantarelle mushrooms. It was interesting, not what he was expecting but good.

 

Wine

The first bottle of white presented by the sommelier was too fruity but the second a huge improvement and there was no fuss about rejecting the original pour. After dinner (but before the post dinner sweets) we moved to the garden area for a glass of red wine to finish the dining experience. I love a place that presents a variety of environments to explore.., the Bvlgari Hotel offered that in abundance.., including the lolly bar I discovered on the way back to our room.

We dined on 22 September 2011

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Verandah, Villa D'Este, Italy (Night 2)

Given the wonderful dining experience we had enjoyed the previous night, we couldn't go past Verandah restaurant for our final night at Villa D'Este. After some Veuve Cliquot enjoyed watching the sun go down over the lake, we moved inside to the restaurant.

A different amuse bouche was served tonight – raw octopus with pickled vegetables. A little lighter than the steak tartare of the night before.

Those stuffed zucchini flowers had been so good we needed another taste so ordered those to start along with the Villa D'Este tasting plate.

I hadn't had enough of a taste of the veal carpaccio Sean ordered the night before so decided on that for my second course. The veal was not raw but just quite rare and served simply with finely shaved parmesan and a sprinkling of edible garden flowers.

For main course I'm stunned to write that I didn't have the lobster. In my experience, one of the dishes Italians do best is simple grilled fish with salad. There was tuna on the menu served in just this way so that's what I ordered. The tuna was melt in your mouth tender and I particularly loved the octopus skewer which literally fell off the lemongrass stalk it was presented on.

The bottle of red wine to accompany our meal was expertly selected by our sommelier.

Knowing that the more casual restaurant served up the biscotti I preferred, I asked for that instead of the fancy pasty based plate of dessert morsels. I'm sure the staff thought I was mad, but nonetheless, my request was granted.

We dined on 21 September 2011

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Verandah, Villa D'Este, Italy (Night 1)

With views from the terrace overlooking the changing colours of the lake due to the sunset we enjoyed a relaxing pre-dinner drink. Being Italy, this was of course accompanied with a variety of olives, almonds, crackers and risotto balls presented beautifully in silver serving ware. Inside, the Verandah restaurant is a formal as dining gets, anywhere in the world, although it doesn't feel stuffy. I would describe the décor as “Italian Renaissance”. Fabric covered blue and yellow striped chairs with gold accents, carpet, mixed bouquets of flowers, soft lighting and white tablecloths. Lots of glass from which to admire either the lake or the light-up centuries old mosaic wall that is a feature of the property. Lots of waiters in short white jackets and bow ties. This was as far away as you could get from modern, industrial and minimalist styling.

Described by Villa D'Este as "Overlooks the Lake and the gardens. It is formal and elegant (jacket and tie are required in the evening). Glassed-in or al fresco, windows are automated and can disappear into the ground. In the Summer tables are also set up on the terrace. The menu is traditional Italian haute cuisine. The wine list is excellent.."

Menu
OK, the menu. I read it in haphazard format from main courses to chefs suggestions to starters and dessert – it was a lot to take in and perhaps the fact that it was presented on a very large card made it a little overwhelming. In a good way.

Food
Moving inside with the Italian waiters who invented the ability to host and entertain in just the perfect balance, we took our seats and settled in for a fine dining experience – it was one of those evenings where we  had the sense that something special was about to happen. The sommelier wore a red jacket to distinguish himself as someone to see if thirsty. Which we were. He created a wine pairing by the glass for each of our courses, allowing us the opportunity to taste each wine before pouring. No need to change though as he had it right first time.

To help with the reading our amuse bouche of steak tartare served with potato and pea mash was not something I would normally go for, but I decided to be brave and give it a taste. The texture of the meat combined with the floury potato and sweet pea mash was very good and perhaps I'll be more open to this type of dish in future.

For Sean it was like a dream come true and I could see him settle back in his chair, knowing that what would follow would be of excellent standard.

Being a seafood fanatic and also a dietary nightmare given my requests to avoid anything too rich or creamy, I decided on stuffed steamed zucchini flowers. This turned out to be my favourite dish of our entire stay at Villa D'Este. This is my idea of restaurant food. It's not something I'd make myself at home. The ricotta was fresh and light and each forkful was a melt in the mouth experience. Sean also raved and it's not really his normal type of dish selection.

The zucchini flowers were sublime. Not deep fried like everyone seems to do back in Australia in the process destroying the delicate flavours. Inside was a mixture of light ricotta and tiny chopped vegetables.

Sean had veal carpaccio. It was a textural feast - the veal was from a large fillet that had been sealed on the outside and then sliced thinly which provided a journey from fully cooked sinew through to soft and raw. It was simply served with parmesan, shaved black truffle, pepper and olive oil.

For entree I had hand-made green tagliatini with crab meat which was good but perhaps with a little too much parmesan for my liking.

Sean indulged in a rich, creamy and deconstructed lasagne that was right up his gastonomic alley. Not for me.

For my main course I had the lobster dish which was perfection. It had been shelled but somehow so that it appeared to still be intact making it easy to eat. It was sweet and juicy and a decent sized portion. Served with some wild rice and a tomato based light sauce it was like couture on a plate - designed specifically for me (or so I'd like to believe!)

Sean's duck was beautifully delivered, rare, with a red wine and master stock reduction in classic style. It was rich in flavour but light in texture.

Such traditional Italian flair with the co-ordinated lifting of the cloches! I wondered just how many times this particular waiter has done this and yet he was full of life and obvious passion for his profession.

I had noticed a fresh salad and vegetable bar as we arrived and had looked forward to exploring it as there were no side dishes on the menu to order and I find there is never enough salad or vegetables served with main courses. However, given we asked for long gaps between course, it had all been packed away by the time I got there. Not to allow for disappointment our waiter personally selected a variety of vegetables without balsamic or oil (on my request).

Flambe crepes at your table if you like.

The only mild disappointment for me was the biscotti which was rich and pastry based whereas I prefer simple and traditional.

Wine

Sean befriended the sommelier who was easily visible in his red jacket selected a Barolo for us. Silky and reasonably priced..., for a Barolo.

The most telling part of this review is that upon leaving we made a dinner reservation for the following night!

We dined on 20 September 2011

 

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The Grill, Villa D'Este, Italy

Unfortunately we had to run in the rain to the restaurant and couldn't linger along the lake front, however having arrived in the dark we didn't really know what we were missing out on. That would become apparent in the morning. The décor was up-market traditional Italian. Not too stuffy, certainly not “trendy” but very comfortable and plush. I'm sure the views were magnificent but it was dark and we were a little tired being at the end of a travel day.

Described by Villa D'Este as "Informal, yet the ambience is cozy and chic. The menu lists an interesting variety of regional dishes with a choice of the best Italian wines."

Menu

Easy to follow with a great selection of traditional Italian favourites. Uncomplicated.

Food
A basket with a wonderful variety of breads arrived and I enjoyed crunching on the bread sticks. This was soon followed with an amuse bouche of shredded roast pork salad. Fresh and light.

Amuse Bouche

I was envious of Sean's starter of plump warm scallops with a fresh combination of passionfruit, pancetta, shredded cucumber and fennel. Delicious as he shared a fork full with me. I was actually even more envious of the plate of prosciutto and fresh figs over at the next table being consumed by a man who could have been mistaken for Valentino's brother.

Scallops

The prawns in my entree were slightly overcooked but served with a good textural combination of cool gazpacho and toasted flaked almonds.

Gazpacho with Prawns

To follow, Sean almost dived into his plate of blue cheese penne. The cheese wasn't too heavy or overpowering. A beautiful way to start our Italian gastronomic journey.

Blue cheese pasta

My vegetable minestrone was quintessentially Italian with tiny chopped vegetables and a good light entree. It went beautifully with the breads from the basket that was replaced as soon as it was emptied.

Minestrone

Presentation of the main course was with flourish as the silver cloches were lifted at the same time to reveal a simple steak for Sean. This exact dish wasn't on the menu - Sean just wanted a nice piece of fillet steak with vegetables which the chef had no trouble serving up.

For me, grilled seafood medley with mediterranean salad, the salmon and scallops being the highlight.

No room for dessert, but homemade biscotti arrived and was the perfect ending. The biscotti was rustic and traditional with three pieces each.

Wine
Our sommelier selected a beautiful bottle of chardonnay from Lombardia at Sean's request that we have something as local as possible.

Service
We were made to feel very welcome by what appeared to be a never-ending army of bow-tied waiters despite arriving for dinner after 9pm. They were attentive and certainly accommodating of my dietary requirements but where real butter is served with a variety of Italian bread rolls all screaming “eat me” I even indulged in some thick butter on bread – the simple things are often the best.

We dined on 19 September 2011

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