Located in the Hotel La Perla, this is available to hotel residents only, but even so, make your reservations in advance, as it is quite tiny. The room is decidedly quaint, in Tyrolean style with wood panelling and low ceilings. Tables are candlelit and very pretty, with fresh center pieces each day and plump cushions to loll up against as you browse through the menu.
We decided to try the tasting menu. As an aperitif, what else but a glass of champagne – a nutty, pale straw coloured and densely flavoured Premiere Cuvee Brut Bruno Paillard. Our appetiser was red prawns, sweet and delicate, served with potato spaghetti and a palette-tingling combination of garlic, chili and lemon. To drink, a fruity Reisling vom Blauen Shiefer 2009 Heymann Lovenstein, which worked well with the delicacy of this dish.
Moving on, the fish course was a simple and effective slice of cod, served with traditional amatriciana sauce, made from pork cheek, Peccorino cheese and tomato. We very much enjoyed the accompanying Friulano 2012 Raccaro, a new wine to us.
“Intimate, romantic restaurant offering refined Italian food at its best.”
Next up, an intriguing melange of sweetbreads, quinoa, peaches, basil pesto and porcini mushrooms. I would not have chosen this from a menu - how wrong I would have been, it was delectable. Along with this outstanding dish we drank Schioppettini 2007 Davide Bressan, a fabulous fruity wine with a black pepper and cherry nose, almost like drinking fruit.
Next, a simple dish of fillet of beef, peas, chanterelles with a wasabi cream. I loved the presentation of this dish; the clear flavours, and the quality of the beef which was superb. With it we enjoyed a glass of Amarone della Valpolicella Riserva 2009 Tenute Chevalier - robust and delicious.
Finally, we just had room for a touchingly simple presentation of strawberries and lemon, delightfully fresh on the palate, and accompanied with a fruity glass of Sauvignon passito Aureaus 2008 Niedermeyer.
A memorable meal by any standards, and one we would recommend to any guest at the Hotel La Perla who wants to experience some of the finest cuisine of the region, drawing heavily on local products and culinary traditions.
The Bill: £97 per head
