Italy

RAVELLO

PALAZZO SASSO

Palazzo Sasso, Ravello, Italy No matter what wonders of location and architecture are offered by an hotel, to deserve the word ‘great’ it must have something more. It must have members of staff who are prepared to go that extra mile – or sometimes, for me, quite a few extra miles. That is why I so often make a point of bringing to your attention the names of those individuals who have given me particularly good service. And that is why I sought out my camera and took a photograph of Antonio Ferrara, and why I now present his portrait to you. The Palazzo Sasso is one of the undoubted stars of the Amalfi Coast. Part of its building dates back nine hundred years, and it is named after the family which owned it from the 18th century. It is elegant, refined and luxurious. It occupies a position one thousand feet above the sea, and from its windows and terraces is a panorama which makes even an old curmudgeon like your correspondent glad to be alive. Mr Ferrara is the Front Office Manager of the Palazzo Sasso.

Antonio Ferrara, Front Office Manager, Palazzo Sasso, Ravello, Italy His domain therefore is the entrance lobby and the reception desk. And it is no ordinary domain, for this used to be the palace’s chapel. It is still full of exquisite objets d’art. Indeed, all the hotel’s public areas are not only immaculately maintained but also dotted with interesting works of art. Mr Ferrara was a model of friendliness and efficiency throughout my stay, but the act for which I owe him my most heartfelt thanks was his selection for me of room number 304.

Now I should make it clear that your choice of accommodation at this establishment is of crucial importance. Among its forty or so rooms, the hotel has some smaller, cheaper apartments with no sea view. On no account should you opt for one of these. I suggest that you do not contemplate a room below the ‘Junior Suite – Sea View’ level (935ε a night, bed and breakfast for two). The Palazzo Sasso is about grandeur and breathtaking views, not about saving a few euros. My apartment, on the third floor, was one of the loveliest I have ever occupied – and that, my dear friends, is saying quite a lot. It was a ‘Deluxe Suite – Sea View with Terrace’ and therefore 1,540 euros a night, bed and breakfast for two. And it was worth every euro.

Palazzo Sasso, Ravello, Italy In the proper hallway were the fitted wardrobes (containing the safe) and the door to the bathroom – a chamber of sparkling white tiles, spotlights, two wash basins, a loo, a bidet, a tub of decent size and Bulgari toiletries. But, of course, it was the sitting room which took my fancy. Here the pristine white of the walls and the floor was set off by the gilt of the mirror and the console table, by the blue of the upholstery of the Louis XVI style fauteuils, by the reds of the Persian rugs, by the glistening brown of the writing desk and the inlaid cabinet and by the green of the potted palms. And then there was that view. Through the two French windows was a wonderful terrace, easily accommodating four chairs and a marble-topped dining table, and beyond the stone balustrade – distant and magical – was the sea, the sky and the coastline. The photograph shows me enjoying this spot, just before dinner.

Palazzo Sasso, Ravello, Italy Indeed, I delighted in this visual feast at various times throughout the day, not least as I sat on the sofa and – via one the clever televisions – listened to the jolly music of Vivaldi. There was a view from the bedroom balcony, too, over the hotel gardens, but we are all drawn to sea, are we not? Mention of the bedroom – reached through an arch from the sitting room – reminds me to record my thanks to the good ladies of the Housekeeping department, who laboured long and hard (and to good effect) to ensure that my bed was soft enough for my wretched back. (They typified the whole staff at the Sasso, which is a credit to the General Manager, Aaron Kaupp.) I hardly need to mention that the air conditioning was quiet and effective, but I do need to record the nature of the pictures on the walls. They were charming, but unexpected – 19th century engravings with titles like, ‘King Richard in Palestine’.

Palazzo Sasso, Ravello, Italy Eating at the Palazzo Sasso is a particular joy, for the standard of food is exceptionally high. I dined first at the Caffè dell’Arte, a swish place of glass-topped tables, metal seats and marble underfoot, located at the bottom of the four-storey atrium. Here jolly waiters in black waistcoats and bow-ties (mine was Salvatore) serve well-prepared and attractive dishes of straightforward food. I began with a tuna salad, large enough for a light lunch, full of fresh and tasty ingredients. Then it was pasta – quite al dente – in the form of pennette, sautéed with cherry tomatoes, basil and olive oil. My meat was lovely rack of lamb, roasted and served with creamed goat’s cheese. A spot-on tiramisù concluded the evening. (These four courses cost 74 euros.) The wine list offers just 38 wines. I quaffed a glass of bubbly (Bollinger - 19ε), a glass of a rather lean local white (Marisa Cuomo, Ravello, 2008 - 8ε) and a bottle of hot, spicy red from Abruzzo, with a caramel nose (Rosso di Montepulciano, Avignonesi, 2007 - 30ε).

Palazzo Sasso, Ravello, Italy But there is no doubt where the gastronomic heart of the hotel is to be found – at Rosselinis. This is the restaurant with two Michelin stars and this is the place to which gourmets come from far and wide. Pino Lavarra – who used to work with the great Raymond Blanc at Le Manoir, near Oxford – is a chef of prodigious talent. Whether his dishes are complicated or simple – and he has the self-confidence to offer both – they speak of a man of intelligence and refined palate. He clearly knows where to find the very best ingredients, and he treats those ingredients with respect and skill.
I sat in a wooden armchair, painted grey. Before me was a tablecloth of salmon-pink, upon which reclined a small lady in bronze. The candle which burnt steadily on the table was tapered and of dark blue wax. Through a loudspeaker came the sound of an aria sung by a tenor. A fellow guest left the table for a moment, and his napkin was immediately replaced by the waiter. It was easy to like this stylish and sophisticated environment.

Palazzo Sasso, Ravello, Italy Chef Lavarra includes a particularly strong vegetarian section in his menu, so my first two courses were taken from it. A salad of mixed greens and spring vegetables, topped with a poached quail’s egg and enlivened by a few spots of aged balsamic vinegar was splendid in its simplicity and in the excellence of its constituent parts. Potato gnocchi, filled with broccoli and fried bread, and accompanied by vegetable ‘Bolognese’ and grated fresh horseradish proved to be an interesting and subtle combination. But it was the meat which stole the show. This duck was so good, it took me straight back to my childhood, when food was food and the intensity of some tastes would make me gurgle with pleasure. I managed to refrain from gurgling here, but I did beam as I tucked into the superb breast and the gorgeous, citrus-lacquered leg, made even brighter by the accompanying rhubarb compote. Palazzo Sasso, Ravello, Italy I always love the partnering of fruit and tender flesh, and here it was done brilliantly. I finished with a proper, delicious lemon soufflé, with raspberry and beer sorbet. (These four courses were 105 euros – which, given the standard of the cuisine, I considered very good value.)

Daniele di Palma is a fine and knowledgeable sommelier – which is what he needs to be, with no fewer than 900 wines on his list. There are some good ‘foreigners’ – like 1985 Vega Sicilia Unico (802ε) and 1996 Haut Brion (680ε) – but, unsurprisingly, the offerings are overwhelmingly Italian, with lots of famous names. 1971 Tignanello is 1,300ε, Mr Gaja’s 2004 Sorì San Lorenzo is 720ε and the 1968 Biondi Santi Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is 1,600ε. Those wines highly rated by the guides, Duemila Vini and Gambero Rosso, are noted. Mr di Palma directed me to two interesting and enjoyable bottles, both made in Campania from the red Aglianico grape. Palazzo Sasso, Ravello, Italy My white, the 2006 I Viaggi (Joaquin - 70ε) – yes, a white wine made from a red grape – was full of honey and exotic fruit. But my red, a 2004 Taurasi (Quintodecimo Riserva - 220ε) was on an altogether higher plane. Having been decanted, it began to reveal thrilling depths of ripe black fruit, together with lots of spice and smokiness.

Palazzo Sasso, Ravello, Italy After such eating and drinking, I would retire to my very own terrace to gaze up at the stars and down to black sea, before retiring to sleep the sleep of the righteous. Then, shaven and suited, it was back to the restaurant terrace to break my fast from the buffet. Beneath the sun shade, next to the lemon tree, I tucked into Corn Flakes, prosciutto and melon, mushrooms on toast, bacon and sausages and poached pears, and poured my coffee from a silver pot as my eyes wandered over that panorama once more.

Immaculately maintained, wonderfully located, sumptuous in its furnishings, with a superb kitchen and an impressive cellar, and (nota bene) blessed with members of staff who will go that extra mile – yes, there is no doubt: the Palazzo Sasso is a great hotel.

Italy

RAVELLO

PALAZZO SASSO

ADDRESSES

PALAZZO SASSO