Ristorante Agli Amici: Spreading the Starred Cuisine From Italy to Croatia

Hic manebimus optime in Latin. Qui staremo benissimo in Italian. We’ll be fine here in English. Universally speaking, the front sign of Ristorante Agli Amici creates a touch of warmth upon entering their door. Ristorante Agli Amici is owned by the Scarello siblings, Chef Emanuele who runs the kitchen and Sommelier Michela who takes care of the dining room and the wine cellar. They are … Continue reading Ristorante Agli Amici: Spreading the Starred Cuisine From Italy to Croatia

Rowena DumlaoDecember 10, 2021December 10, 2021

Hotels, Hotels in Italy, Italy, Restaurants, Restaurants in Rome

Gourmet Staycation: Dinner and Overnight Stay at Four Luxury Hotels of Rome

Italy’s second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic is creating havoc in the hotel and restaurant sector of the country but there’s nothing to do except follow the current directives of the government and hope for the best. The latest DPCM national regulation, which is putting everyone to a distressing predicament is for the restaurants to close at 18:00 everyday and a curfew at midnight. But … Continue reading Gourmet Staycation: Dinner and Overnight Stay at Four Luxury Hotels of Rome

Rowena DumlaoOctober 29, 2020

Hotels, Hotels in Italy, Restaurants, Restaurants in Rome

Intimate Dinners at the Private Terraces and Thursday Cocktails at Hotel Vilòn in Rome, Italy

Hotel Vilòn, a luxury five-star hotel in the center of Rome and housed in the annex of the Palazzo Borghese, a historical 16th century palace belonging to the noble Borghese Family of Rome, continues to serve its guests with its characteristic luxury and charm. After its reopening in June after the Covid-19 lockdown in Italy, director Giorgia Tozzi has made sure that all safety protocols … Continue reading Intimate Dinners at the Private Terraces and Thursday Cocktails at Hotel Vilòn in Rome, Italy

Rowena DumlaoAugust 7, 2020August 8, 2020

Michelin-Starred Restaurants, Restaurants, Restaurants in Rome

The Stories of the Sea at Pascucci al Porticciolo in Fiumicino (Rome), Italy

With the Tyrrhenian Sea right in front of him as an exceptionally extensive supplier that any chef can ask for, Gianfranco Pascucci has a vast source of ingredients where fishes of different kinds are taken to the dock by the local fishermen of Fiumicino. He doesn’t limit his ingredients to the usual sea bass or turbot, because he feels driven to take out the truth … Continue reading The Stories of the Sea at Pascucci al Porticciolo in Fiumicino (Rome), Italy

Rowena DumlaoJanuary 16, 2019January 17, 2019

Michelin-Starred Restaurants, Restaurants, Restaurants in Rome

Il Tino in Fiumicino, Italy: A Michelin Star Along The Roman Coast

The past thirteen years had seen Il Tino metamorphosing from a simple restaurant in Ostia to an elegant Michelin-starred restaurant in Fiumicino. In that simple restaurant in Ostia, regular clients patronized and curious new ones arrived. Il Tino became the referral point for excellent seafood cuisine in the coastal town of Rome even if its location is in a quiet residential road in absence of … Continue reading Il Tino in Fiumicino, Italy: A Michelin Star Along The Roman Coast

Rowena DumlaoJanuary 11, 2019January 12, 2019

Restaurants, Restaurants in Europe

Topaz Restaurant in Istanbul, Turkey

Topaz Restaurant has something spectacular awaiting its guests upon entry. Its floor to ceiling glass wall frames a picturesque view of Istanbul. The Bosphorus Strait and its bridge, the whole city with some of its grandest sites and the Dolmabahçe Palace create a breathtaking scene. At night time, the restaurant’s lights are kept low (pardon the dark pictures) to emphasize the lighted city outside and … Continue reading Topaz Restaurant in Istanbul, Turkey

Rowena DumlaoMarch 12, 2018August 12, 2018

Hotels, Hotels in Italy, Michelin-Starred Restaurants, Restaurants, Restaurants in Rome

Ristorante All’Oro in The H’All Tailor Suite in Rome, Italy

Parked just a block away, I walked along Via Pisanelli, a quiet residential road in Rome. My eyes riveted towards a light yellow building standing aristocratically amidst the other structures in the area. I quickly scanned the number outside for confirmation. I knew I was at the right place. It says 25 and on the other side of the entrance, The H’All Tailor Suite is … Continue reading Ristorante All’Oro in The H’All Tailor Suite in Rome, Italy

Rowena DumlaoMarch 10, 2018November 23, 2018

Central Italy, Michelin-Starred Restaurants, Restaurants, Restaurants in Italy

Ristorante La Trota in Rivodutri, Italy

Ristorante La Trota‘s location may not be conveniently inside the capital and it may take a bit of traveling from the center of Rome towards Rieti because it has a distance of about 100 kilometers but rest assured that if you do make that trip, the gourmand in you will be more than satisfied. In fact, you might even go back for more trips. A … Continue reading Ristorante La Trota in Rivodutri, Italy

Rowena DumlaoMarch 9, 2018March 17, 2019

Hotels, Hotels in Europe, Restaurants, Restaurants in Europe

The Square Restaurant in Square Nine Hotel – Belgrade, Serbia

Asked where I can dine while in Belgrade, all my Serbian friends say The Square Restaurant. I got the impression that it’s not to be missed while in the city and when I finally walked through the the doors and the lobby of the hotel where it is located, I understood why. The Square is the restaurant of five-star hotel Square Nine Hotel in the … Continue reading The Square Restaurant in Square Nine Hotel – Belgrade, Serbia

Rowena DumlaoMarch 6, 2018March 6, 2018

Michelin-Starred Restaurants, Northern Italy, Restaurants, Restaurants in Italy

Ristorante Vescovado in Noli (Liguria), Italy

There are some places that are hard to forget even after a number of years because the fond memories keep on rolling back. Ristorante Vescovado had that effect on me. During a press tour four years ago, I remembered how well-received we were, how one of the chefs of the restaurant pounded on her mortar and pestle tirelessly as she showed us how to properly … Continue reading Ristorante Vescovado in Noli (Liguria), Italy

Rowena DumlaoFebruary 19, 2018March 17, 2019

Restaurants, Restaurants in Rome

Pascucci al Porticciolo Restaurant in Fiumicino (Rome), Italy

The sea is my biggest supplier, where I had to get everything. Chef Gianfranco Pascucci has a vast source of ingredients right in front of him, where fishes of different kinds are taken to the dock by the local fishermen of Fiumicino as soon as they come in from fishing. He doesn’t limit his ingredients to the usual sea bass or turbot, because he feels … Continue reading Pascucci al Porticciolo Restaurant in Fiumicino (Rome), Italy

Rowena DumlaoFebruary 19, 2018March 6, 2018

Restaurants, Restaurants in Rome

Eit Restaurant in Rome, Italy

Eit. Pronounced like eight in English and signifies a lot of things that pertain to the number eight. In fact, Eit was born out of that number. Pino Cau of Hotel Rex, along with Chef Luigi Nastri, the one Michelin star chef of Stazione di Posta in Rome embarked on a new gastronomic adventure by opening another restaurant in the capital. Formerly another Michelin star … Continue reading Eit Restaurant in Rome, Italy

Rowena DumlaoFebruary 18, 2018November 23, 2018

Central Italy, Hotels, Hotels in Italy, Michelin-Starred Restaurants, Restaurants, Restaurants in Rome

Antonello Colonna Restaurant in Labico (Rome), Italy

In 1985, when Antonello Colonna took the reins and installed a bright red door in his family’s restaurant in Labico, not only did the name change to Antonello Colonna but it also became one of the best restaurants in Italy. The red door symbolized the preservation of traditional dishes and their flavors while adapting them for the modern day refined palates. He started a gastronomic … Continue reading Antonello Colonna Restaurant in Labico (Rome), Italy

Rowena DumlaoFebruary 15, 2018March 17, 2019

Hotels, Hotels in Italy, Northern Italy, Restaurants, Restaurants in Italy

Amistà 33 Ristorante in Byblos Art Hotel Villa Amistà in Verona, Italy

Beauty is represented in different ways. Five-star hotels are always lavishly decorated and are so luxurious that you never want to leave them. Byblos Art Hotel Villa Amistà is all of the above and even much more. It’s a contemporary art gallery housed in a 15th century villa created by architect Michele Sanmichele then later completed by distinguished architect Ignazio Pellegrini in the 1700s. A … Continue reading Amistà 33 Ristorante in Byblos Art Hotel Villa Amistà in Verona, Italy