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ITALY FLORENCE RISTORANTE GUELFI & GHIBELLINI, RELAIS SANTA CROCE
Number 87 via Ghibellina is the palazzo built in the 18th century for Jacometti Ciofi. The Relais Santa Croce occupies its upper floors, and is now part of the prestigious Baglioni hotel group. Emerging from the lift on the piano nobile, immediately you will be struck by the lightness and elegance of the architecture. The palace has been beautifully restored, clearly at enormous expense, and yet the atmosphere is comfortable and relaxing. Indeed, I did relax with a pre-prandial glass of bubbly in its sitting room. I say ‘sitting room’, but this designation does no justice to what is a chamber of remarkable splendour (pictured). If you like the white stucco of the 18th century – and I do – you will love this exquisite confection of plaster cherubs and musicians. It is worth seeing on its own merits – and that is saying quite a lot in this city of fabulous art and architecture. I could happily have stayed here several hours. But dinner was calling.
There is an intimate atmosphere in this restaurant, for its size is small. But the tables are of good size and they are well spaced. The service, under Tiziano’s careful direction is, of course, proper and courteous. As the meal progressed, it became more and more apparent to me that Chef Marco Tremonte (pictured) is determined that his will, indeed, be recognised as one of the best restaurants in Florence. And that is no small ambition, for the ground floor of this very building is occupied by the fabulous Enoteca Pinchiorri (see separate review), one of the world’s greatest gastronomic shrines.
Tiziano has plans to expand the wine list. On my visit it had just 70 offerings. But they were well chosen. The following caught my eye, and will give you an idea of the prices: Cristal champagne 2002 (550€), Krug Grande Cuvée (340€), Tignanello 2008 (120€) and Cervaro della Sala 2008 (80€). My own bottles were the ever-reliable Planeta chardonnay from Sicily – this 2008 vintage (45€) being full-bodied, laden with vanilla and hinting at complexity to come – and a 2006 Brunello di Montalcino (Poggio Salvi - 50€) with the red fruit earthiness of a decent burgundy.
This was a happy evening and a fine dinner. It was good to see Tiziano again, and it was good to eat in a dining room with combines an impressive setting with lovely food and excellent service. I am glad the world of luxury hotels is so small.
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ADDRESSES
RISTORANTE GUELFI & GHIBELLINI
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© Francis Bown 2003
The world of luxury hotels can be a small one. That is why I so often bump into members of staff I have met before. Those who work in such establishments tend to be those who care about high standards, and have the determination and ability to rise to them. They are, then, people I can respect and admire – which is why such (frequently unexpected) meetings fill me with pleasure. I was therefore delighted, when I was about to dine in one of the finest restaurants in Florence, to see a familiar face approaching. It belonged to Tiziano Orsini (pictured). I think I had encountered him in at least four previous hotels, for both he and I confine ourselves to the very best places. Now he is the Restaurant Manager of the Ristorante Guelfi & Ghibellini at the splendid Relais Santa Croce. The moment I saw his smiling face, I knew I was in safe hands.
Tiziano took me into the adjacent dining room – the Ristorante Guelfi e Ghibellini – and to a table next to its white marble fireplace. It occurred to me that the sophisticated ambiance of the Relais Santa Croce depends very much upon the contrast between the classical building and its distinctly modern furnishings. Thus, above my head as I sat at the very cutting-edge table-setting was a truly wonderful trompe-l’oeil painted ceiling. I liked this constructive tension, just as I liked the good Italian glassware and the little stand on my table with tiny bottles of olive oil.
Chef Tremonte takes ingredients of high quality, treats them simply and with respect and combines them with intelligence. The result is traditional Italian food of the best sort – full of flavour and thoroughly enjoyable. I began with Culatello ham, with artichokes, Parmesan cheese and balsamic vinegar from Modena. This is the sort of dish I have had so many times, but here it was elevated to a high level by the sheer quality of its constituent parts and the careful balancing of textures and tastes on the plate. My pasta course was buckwheat tagliatelle with white veal ragout and Pecorino cheese. Again, this essentially straightforward dish was made particularly rich and satisfying by the sheer goodness of its parts. It will therefore not surprise you to learn that the slices of beef fillet in my main course gave me meat of the very finest quality, well supported by grilled vegetables and a mustard sabayon. I finished this excellent meal with trio of passion fruit puddings: cheesecake, crème brûlée and sorbet. (These four courses were 96 euros.)
