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ROME HOTEL DE RUSSIE
Why does it have the unusual name? Well, it was even more unusual originally – The Hotel de Russie et des Îles Britanniques. The Isles were dropped, however, when the place came to be crowded with Russian princes and nobility, rather than with the penny-pinching British. (Hoteliers can be a cruel lot.) Diaghilev and the stars of the Ballet Russe laid their heads here, as did Picasso and Jean Cocteau. Monsieur Cocteau even wrote about it to his mother: “I am in Paradise... I can pick oranges from my bedroom window.” This was 80 or so years after the building was erected in 1837 by an architect named Valadier. He it was who was responsible for setting out – in the style of the 18th century, with lots of stone balustrades – the gardens at the rear of the property. These zoom up the steep Pincio Hill towards the park of t My own accommodation was on the fourth floor, and looked out from the side of the hotel at the roofs and terraces of the neighbouring buildings. Room 420 was a ‘Classic Double’ and therefore 805ε a night, bed and breakfast for two. This is the basic room, and I suspect that readers of Bown’s Best might want a more spacious apartment. (In which case, I would recommend a ‘Deluxe Double’ at 975ε, bed and breakfast for two.) Still, it was a comfortable and stylish billet and I liked the sense of sophistication created by the colour scheme of white, grey and brown. Like the corridor outside (decorated with plaster casts of Antique friezes picked out with spotlights), it was immaculately maintained. I saw no dents or scuffs at the De Russie.
In the warmer months, the dining is, indeed, done in the garden, but the air was now chilly, so my eating was done by the white columns and under the crystal chandeliers of the dining room. I sat at table number 37, so that I could look out of the window at the shrubs and the palm trees. The armchair was supportive (especially with the cushion brought for me by one of the helpful waiters, smart in his waistcoat and apron), the service – orchestrated by Restaurant Manager Luciano Zanazzo – was proper, the glassware was good (Schott) and the atmosphere was entirely to my liking – except for one thing. I dislike canned music of any kind in a restaurant. Music should be performed ‘live’ or it should be absent. I can, however, put up with canned music of the civilized sort. But this was hideous – some sort of species of suicide-inducing jazz. And, despite my requests, it was not turned off.
Not that I needed all that much energy, for outside my front door was the magnificent Piazza del Popolo. I did, it is true, indulge in the ten minute meander to the Spanish Steps, and I even occasionally ventured further afield. But, with a location this good, it seemed unwise to move too far away. Instead, I stayed for most of the time in my favourite spot – happy that I could return at any moment to the comfort and elegance of the Hotel de Russie.
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ADDRESSES
HOTEL DE RUSSIE
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© Francis Bown 2003
My favourite square in Rome is the Piazza del Popolo. In this sense – and, I hope, in no other – I may be called ‘a populist’. On its north boundary is the church of Santa Maria del Popolo, wherein can be seen two of Caravaggio’s finest paintings, The Martyrdom of Saint Peter and The Conversion of Saint Paul. To the south, guarding the entrance to the Via del Corso, are the two absurdly beautiful (and very nearly identical) churches of Santa Maria dei Miracoli and Santa Maria in Montesanto. And then, as if these cultural and artistic riches were not sufficient, trying to nudge into the piazza at its south-eastern corner, there is what is widely regarded as one of the very best lodging-houses in the Eternal City – the Hotel de Russie. 
Another Frenchman had a less happy time: the nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte died here in 1891, a departure from this life noted on a plaque fixed to the front wall of the hotel.
he Villa Borghese and are now one of the hotel’s chief assets. They form an oasis of beauty and calm in the centre of the busy capital city. And here are those orange trees, should you wish to emulate the talented Mr Cocteau – although you would need arms of super-human length to reach them from the window of any of the hotel’s 122 rooms. 
My bedroom (air-conditioned, as you would expect) was entered via a small hallway, with cupboards and a safe, and was about twelve feet square. Lighting was from a standard lamp, a table lamp and two wall lights. On the wall was a photograph of flowers by Robert Mapplethorpe. One easy chair and one upright armchair provided the seating, and the gilt pedestal of the circular occasional table provided a pleasing hint of Art Déco. It was good to find both a clothes brush and a shoe horn – items too often missing, even in grand hotels. Within the bathroom I found one wash basin, a bidet and a loo. Over the tub (which I found of comfortable size) was a mosaic of fish. Beige marble clad the walls up to the dado rail. I settled happily into these surrounding, although I would recommend strongly to the hotel that net curtains be supplied to the window to ensure privacy. Strangely, I found that I liked best the walk-in wardrobe – a facility which enabled me to close the door on the Savile Row suits and think of higher things.
And those, of course, included dinner. One of Italy’s most famous chefs – Fulvio Pierangelini (pictured), chef-patron of the Michelin two-starred restaurant, Gambero Rosso, in Tuscany – now oversees the menus at the Hotel de Russie. I was therefore full of the highest expectations as I buffed up the brogues and struggled with my collar stud, in preparation for my evening visit to Le Jardin de Russie.
Still, I managed to put the noise from my mind and concentrate on the food, which I found truly excellent. Clearly, the collaboration between the consultant chef and the De Russie’s own Executive Chef, Nazzareno Menghini, has worked well. Seared scallops with salad were cooked with precision and care and were full subtle and caressing textures and flavours. And then came a dish which would have been impressive in any of the world’s finest restaurants – ravioli with cheese and black pepper. Here was the perfection of simplicity, with the translucent pasta only just thick enough to contain its delicious combination of eight cheeses. This was easily the highlight of the meal. Tasty roasted partridge came in two courses, and brought pumpkin with the breast and chestnuts with the legs – an appealing presentation. I ended with a flourish, with a really good soufflé of wild berries. (103ε for these four courses.)
I calculated there were about 500 offerings on the wine list. Prices ranged from 22ε for a 2007 Frascati to 3,000ε for 1996 Pétrus. A bottle of Spain’s best – 1994 Vega Sicilia Unico – could be had for 580ε and that reliable claret, Ducru Beaucaillou in its 1988 vintage, for 275ε. But, of course, the real strength was in Italy and I noted the following super-Tuscans: 1993 Sassicaia (705ε), 1981 Tignanello (260ε) and 1997 Solaia (490ε). The head sommelier, Davide Merlini, is both charming and knowledgeable. He directed me to the 1998 Paleo (135ε) – another super-Tuscan, a blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and sangiovese – which proved a delight for both my nose and my mouth, with its aromas of damp oak and its depth of ripe black fruit. He was not keen on my own choice of white – the creamy, vanilla-laden Planeta chardonnay from Sicily (2007 - 48ε) – but I am unrepentant about my enjoyment of these big wines. We all need a touch of vulgarity in our lives, don’t we?
I returned to table number 37 each morning to break my fast – again to the accompaniment of that ghastly music. I do love my breakfasts and there was a great deal here to make me smile. Everything I tried was of high quality. I commend to you particularly the smoked salmon and the ham on the bone – both waiting on the buffet table to be cut by the guests or the waiters. As well as these, I tucked into rare roast beef, Rice Crispies, muffins and slices of melon, pineapple and orange. All these come for 34ε; hot dishes are brought from the kitchen at extra charge. The crispy bacon, sautéed mushrooms and grilled tomatoes were absolutely delicious, and gave me the energy for my days of joy and wonder in Rome.
