contact: info@bownsbest.com
contact: info@bownsbest.com
The Savoy Hotel in Florence occupies the perfect position: mid-way between the Duomo and the piazza Vecchia, on the corner of the piazza della Repubblica. I had the pleasure of meeting Sir Rocco Forte on this visit, and I know that his hotels always have magnificent locations. And there can be none better than this. In a handsome late 19th Century building in the Classical style and surrounded by shops for the Beautiful People, the Savoy is itself a temple of contemporary elegance - full of works of contemporary art, including paintings by Luca Pignatelli. But, as is the way with Sir Rocco’s establishments, its modernity is of the comfortable and welcoming kind and there is a sense throughout that all is of the highest quality. It also boasts a very good chef.
Overseeing this remarkable hostelry is one of the most charming General Managers you will ever meet. He is also a keen Anglophile, so he scores another gold star in my book of excellence. Giancarlo Rizzi (pictured in animated conversation with your correspondent) knows that to seek perfection is to be constantly improving, which is why I sensed his excitement at his planned improvements to the hotel’s bar and the dining room.
My Deluxe Suite was on the second floor. This was a large apartment, a haven of civilised and air-conditioned comfort, the only disturbance permitted being the sound of the cathedral bell summoning the faithful to Mass. Under its 13 feet ceilings the colours were cream and pale green. Not all big suites ‘work’, but this one did - splendidly - so that it took only a few minutes for me to feel entirely at home and settled.
The sitting room had a study area, with shelves stocked with books by Ernest Hemingway and P.G.Wodehouse - volumes for the manliest man and the most exquisite dilettante. On the sideboard was coffee-making machinery of the expensive sort, and by the dining table was a pedestal supporting a bust of a young lady with flowers in her hair. On the occasions I sank into the cushions of the sofa, I could never decide whether I should peruse Hemingway or Wodehouse, so I just allowed myself to dose.
For more serious sleep I opened the double sliding doors. Within the bedroom was a bed of surpassing softness (for my wretched back), and alongside was the dressing room for my Savile Row suitings and a safe for my ancient pocket watch. In the adjacent bathroom I found grey marble, a walk-in shower, 2 wash basins, a wc, a bidet and the face of a Roman emperor over the tub.
Downstairs my dinner was cooked by Chef Giovanni Cosmai, who is not only a wizard at the stoves but also a jolly good fellow. He sends his food into the hotel dining room, which looks out at the piazza at street level. It is named the Ristorante Irene, after the mother of Sir Rocco Forte. Here, along with the Director of Food, Chef Fulvio Pierangelini, Mr Cosmai has devised an attractive menu which is based upon Tuscan classics. The room itself has a contemporary feel, with discreet lighting and green leather armchairs.
It was the season of white truffles (these from San Miniato), so I was able to tuck into one of my favourite dishes - tagliolini, with a butter and Parmesan sauce, covered with shavings of the divine fungus. Accompanied with a glass of exactly the right red wine - a spicy, medium-bodied Barolo - this was as near perfection as I am likely to attain this side of the Pearly Gates. Next came a bottle of rich, oaky, Sicilian chardonnay (Planeta) to go with the yielding flesh of precisely cooked sea bass with porcini mushrooms and mashed potatoes. A dish of crepes with orange sauce and ice cream rounded off a fine dinner.
I drank well. And you will, too, for the cellar is well chosen.The 300 offerings on the wine list are all Italian, except for the champagnes (Krug Grande Cuvée is 490€). Prices run from 40€ for a white Tuscan (Paresi, 2022) to 1,800€ for the 2014 vintage of the grandest super-Tuscasn, Masseto. If you fancy a tasting of 2015 super-Tuscans, you can compare Solaia (760€), Tignanello (290€), Sassicaia (790€), Ornellaia (640€) and Luce (85€, half). And then there is my favourite Italian sparkling wine, Franciacorta, in its most impressive incarnation - Anna Maria Clementi, Ca’del Bosco, 2014 (220€).
To break the fast, I returned to the Ristorante Irene, but this time I sat on the street terrace, the slight chill of the early morning dissipated by overhead heaters. Here I could gaze at the 1895 triumphal arch on the other side of the square. I was looked after in a kindly manner by Cosimo as I tucked into scrambled eggs with more of the white truffle, warm croissants and various cakes and fruits from the well-stocked buffet, all washed down with coffee poured from a silver pot. There is something utterly beguiling about having breakfast al fresco, particularly at pavement level and particularly when the passers-by are beautifully dressed Italians. My days at The Savoy started in proper style.
The Savoy is the hotel of hotels in Florence - perfectly situated, with luxurious accommodation, delightful food and a presiding genius in Giancarlo Rizzi.
Piazza della Repubblica 7, 50123 Florence, Italy.
Telephone +39 055 27 351
Email: reservations.savoy@roccofortehotels.com
Check the hotel website for the rates for specific dates and for special offers