Home -
Austria -
Benelux -
Channel Islands -
France & Monaco -
Germany -
Poland -
Russia -
Spain -
Sweden -
Switzerland -
Turkey -
United Kingdom -
United States
Back to reviews in Italy
The Four Seasons Firenze is a very impressive hotel. It inhabits both a 16th Century convent and the 15th Century Palazzo della Gherardesca, and it has one of the largest gardens in Florence (11 acres). These wonders have been restored with flair, sensitivity, taste and, I feel sure, eye-watering expense. If you like frescoes, stucco, carved stone, gilt, crystal and sumptuous fabrics, you will be very happy indeed here. I have not yet stayed at the hotel. Nor is this article about its Michelin-starred restaurant, Il Pelagio. But it is about a part of the establishment which I can recommend to your attention.
The fact is that, on the evening of my visit, the main dining room – Il Pelagio – was closed. So I ate instead in the Atrium Lounge. This is a plush and comfortable space. And – like the rest of the hotel – it is full of interesting things, not the least of which for me was the excellent (and supportive) armchair in faux bamboo in which I sat. Nor was I obliged to ‘make do’ with an inferior table setting because I was not in the main restaurant: the glassware was by Spiegelau and the crockery was by Richard Ginori. The service, too, from the smart waiters in dark suits, was as correct and as proper as I could have wanted – and the Assistant Bar Manager, Luca, looked after me exceptionally well throughout my visit.
Although the great Executive Chef, Vito Mollica, was not present, nevertheless his talented Sous Chef, Giuseppe Muttoni, was on hand to cook some of the dishes for which that Michelin star has been rightly awarded. I started with soup of Sarconi beans with red mullet – a good, hearty and straightforward beginning. Then I was delighted by a dish which was beautiful to behold: with the white and beige of the cream sauce and the Cavatelli pasta (like small shells) set off in a painterly fashion by the scarlet and orange of red prawns.
The beef Francesina with lentils was a version of a dish which used to be popular with the less well-off. But its gorgeous combination of rich and satisfying flavours made it a plate fit for a king. It was marvellous. And yet the pigeon which followed was even better, and earned one of my ‘superb’ ratings. Both the leg and the breast came, together with foie gras, and fruit – and every element was exactly right: the meat tender and full of taste, the liver soft and luscious and the fruit a lively contrast. Then there was a duet of puddings which made a worthy finale – chocolate cream and liquorice meringues of surpassing lightness and a splendid version of tiramisù with caramelized nuts. (These four courses were 118€.) This was a very, very enjoyable dinner.
The wine list (also used for the restaurant) has around 600 offerings, most of which are Italian or French. Prices run from 40€ for a white from the Marche to 8,250€ for the 1995 Romanée-Conti. Krug Grande Cuvée champagne is 380€. I also noticed 13 vintages of Sassicaia (the 1990 is 1,550€) and the 1996 Masseto (2,600€). I enjoyed the kind attentions of sommelier Walter Meccia, a most knowledgeable and engaging fellow, who led me to a most interesting Tuscan red from Montalcino. This 2008 Ombrone, Cupano, Sant’Antimo, was a blend of cabernet, merlot and sangiovese and its massive depth of black fruit, its elegant structure, careful balance and remarkable residual sweetness thrilled my palate. The winemaker at Cupano, Lionel Cousin, uses organic methods and even uses a horse to plough between the rows of grapes. His meticulous care clearly pays dividends. I am grateful to Mr Mecca for introducing me to this wine.
And I am grateful to my own good sense – in going to the Atrium Lounge for dinner even when Il Pelagio was closed.
Four Seasons Hotel Firenze, Borgo Pinti 99, 50121 Florence, Italy.
Telephone +39 055 26261
Fax +39 055 2626 500
www.fourseasons.com/florence
