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RAVELLO PALAZZO SASSO
The Sasso name arrived, with the noble family which bore it, only in the 18th century, but the original building dates back all the way to the 12th. It became an hotel in the 1930s – immediately acting as a powerful magnet for the rich and powerful of the time. At the end of the 1970s came closure and disrepair. Then, in 1997, after a massive programme of renovation, it opened as a haven of undisputed elegance and luxury. Not content with that, it is today also a temple of gastronomic excellence. Two Michelin stars shine down upon its kitchen.
Immediately, I knew that this was a good place to be. The lobby was once the palace chapel, and still bears some marks of its 18th century decoration. Through large windows I glimpsed palm trees against the blue sky. My eyes lingered on pieces of antique furniture and upon the fine silks with which they were upholstered. At the reception desk the members of staff were smart, friendly and efficient. (During my visit every single member of staff I encountered exhibited the same qualities – a tribute to the dapper young General Manager, Stefano Gegnacorsi.) Within a few moments I was in my air-conditioned apartment on the first floor. I would recommend that you, too, go for one of the rooms on the first floor, for they have the highest ceilings and the greatest sense of spaciousness. Room 104 – a ‘King Double Sea View’ and therefore 649 euros a night, bed and breakfast for two – was very much to my taste. As is the custom in these parts, it was an essay in white. Hints of blue appeared in the glazed floor tiles and in the curtains, but the richest palette of colour was reserved for the oil painting over the bed: a roundel of plump cherubs disporting among roses. I liked, too, the gilt wall lights, the proper clock on the bedside table and the flame mahogany veneers on the old cabinet by the French window. Yet, best of all, was what was through the window. Time and again, I selected on the music system Gershwin’s Rhapsody In Blue, sat in one of the two armchairs and tingled with excitement as I looked down at the Mediterranean, gushing and swirling around the cliffs so far below. I was not keen to leave this little bit of Paradise, but I did enjoy my strolls down to the cathedral. Therein is what must be one of the most beautiful pulpits in Christendom, a fantastical creation of stone lions and sparkling mosaic. This visual feast drew me into the Duomo several times, and after each visit I repaired to the San Domingo café, on the shady side of the piazza, for a shot of caffeine to give me the strength for the climb back up the hill. I never lacked enthusiasm for the return journey, for I was always eager to return to the Palazzo Sasso.
Only 6 whites, 5 reds and 3 rosés are offered here, but my waiter, Gerardo Gambardella, knew them well enough to give me good advice. Both my bottles were local – an austere white with hints of melon and peach (Ravello Vigna Grotta Piana, Cantine Sanmarco, 2004 – 33 euros) and a ripe, tannic red with suggestions of chocolate (Ravello Selva delle Monache, Cantine Sanmarco, 2001 – 34 euros). I had further cause to be grateful to Mr Gambardella, when I noticed that I had spotted the jacket of my Savile Row suit with the salad dressing. He hurried away and returned with a miracle spray, which – after several applications and vigorous brushing – made the stain disappear completely. Well done, that man.
The evening was cool, so the service was inside. On the white walls were oil paintings of flowers. On the brown tablecloths decent Stolze glasses (made in Slovakia) reflected the flickering flames of tapering blue candles. I sat in an armchair of bleached wood at my large round table and watched as the waiters in black tie and black waistcoats (orchestrated by the genial maitre d’ Donato Marzolla) moved purposefully across the tiled floor. I was pleased to observe that they replaced the napkin of any diner who left the table. I tried my bread roll and found it to be of exceptional quality. Only the canned music (of middlebrow Italian songs) jarred a little. I looked forward with eager anticipation to my food. A six course tasting menu is offered at 95 euros. I chose four courses from the carte for 112 euros. The opening quail with chestnut purée, candied lemon, coffee vinaigrette and a separate dish of whole chestnuts was a tour-de-force. Its finely balanced textures and tastes, and its wonderfully sweet and tender meat were quite thrilling. This was certainly a two-star dish. My only suggestion (and it is a minor one) would be to make the quail entirely boneless and to take the nuts out of their skins. The next dish was even better. Ravioli made from dough with cèpes, filled with stewed beef, came with pieces of raw porcini mushroom, a foie gras sauce, grated truffle and pecorino cheese. All the flavours here were absolutely spot on. Each mouthful yielded exquisite pleasure. Then it was saddle of venison, marinated with Aglianico wine and served with crumbled pistacchio nuts, roasted salsify, fried chanterelles and soufflé potatoes. For the finale came a dish beautiful in both its execution and its presentation – hazelnut praline cake with sautéed banana, with a lime and white rum cream sauce. It sounds delicious, and it was delicious. A bottle of white from Puglia can be had for 30 euros, but the cellar has some seriously tempting bottles for those with deeper pockets. From California, 1999 Opus One is 513 euros; from Spain, 1985 Vega Sicilia Unico is 310 euros; from the Lebanon, 1989 Chateau Musar is 175 euros; and from Bordeaux, 1988 Margaux is 620 euros. And there is that infallible sign of a good list: a German eiswein – 1998 Oppenheimer Herrenberg silvaner is 78 euros, half. But, of course, the vast majority of the wines is Italian. 37 of Mr Gaja’s reds are offered, with a magnum of his 1993 Barbaresco at 672 euros. 1997 Tignanello is 388 euros and 1972 Sassicaia is 2,350 euros.
I returned to Rossellinis each morning for breakfast on its terrace. Here, protected from the sun by white shades, I sat next to an earthenware pot with a lemon tree and ate slices of sweet melon, plates of crispy bacon and mushrooms, chunks of crusty bread and wedges of fruit tart (the strawberry version being exceptionally good). The organisation is that of the buffet, but I found that the waiters – under the guidance of a splendid lady called Carmen – were keen to help by bringing all sorts of things to my table. These leisurely beginnings to my day pleased me a great deal. As did my whole experience at the hotel. With its astonishing location, fine architecture, attractive interiors, highly motivated staff and brilliant chef, the Palazzo Sasso is one of the finest hotels in Italy.
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PALAZZO SASSO
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© Francis Bown 2003
Our forefathers knew where to build. In Italy, of course, they were rather spoilt for choice – for in Italy there has forever been a surfeit of beauty. Even so, one particular spot, a thousand feet above the Amalfi coast, has always been something special. Certainly, the local merchants – made rich by their trade with the Saracens in Sicily – thought so. For it was here, at Ravello, that they spent their wealth. From the 10th century onwards they filled the town with Moorish architecture of remarkable splendour. They wanted to enjoy the spectacular panorama in comfort. And so did I. That is why I have just been to the wonderful Palazzo Sasso. 
My drive from Naples airport took about ninety minutes. (I hired a car, but I would have been better to use taxis, at around 110 euros each way.) I twisted and turned along the coastal road and then veered upwards towards Ravello. And when I say ‘upwards’, I mean upwards. I had to concentrate on the road, which was not easy, given the astonishing view at every corner. Still, I eventually reached my goal – a stone archway on the via San Giovanni del Toro. Through this my hire car did not pass, for much of Ravello is closed to normal traffic. Instead, a porter came running to deal with both the motor and my luggage, and I strolled under the arch and entered the palazzo through glass doors. 
Two dining rooms are offered, and I tried them both. The Caffè dell’Arte is the less formal, a place for a cocktail (like a Manhattan at 16 euros) or a glass of Bas Armagnac (1936 Noir Castex is 85 euros), as well as for a full meal or a light snack. I sat in a high atrium, at a table with a glass top, my shoes resting on the floor of black and white marble. To me were brought four courses of straightforward, prettily presented and carefully prepared food: a mixed salad with a balsamic vinaigrette, bombardoni with ricotta cheese, chicken stew and pistacchio (these small, filled pancakes were quite delicious), roasted rack of lamb and lemon baba with prosecco cream sauce and candied citrus skin. (74 euros for these dishes.)
The hotel’s grand restaurant is called Rossellinis. Its chef, Pino Lavarra, used to work with the great Raymond Blanc at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, and now two stars twinkle over his own kitchen. I was expecting wonderful things. And I was not disappointed.
Sommelier Nando Papa brought me a full-bodied white, with layers of grape juice and over-ripe pineapple (Donnalaura Falanghina di Bonea, Masseria Frattasi, 2003 – 48 euros), and a 1996 red (100 euros) which, despite its lovely farmyard nose, possessed an elegant, feminine structure. Made in Tuscany from sangiovese, merlot and cabernet sauvignon grapes by Frescobaldi and Mondavi, Lucente is the ‘second wine’ of the much admired Luce.