Do some window shopping on the side of Via Condotti . Stop on the terrace for an elegant aperitivo with cocktails and antipasti . Go for a walk at sunset in the streets of Rome , sublime and eternal. A holiday mirage? This is more or less the experience offered in the heart of the Parisian Golden Triangle , 1400 kilometers away. At the corner of Avenue George V and Rue Pierre Charron, the Bulgari Hotel , which opened last December, offers a dream break while waiting for the next vacation in Italy.
Lunch in dolce vita style
Originally from Abruzzo, the promised land of Italian terroir, Chef Niko Romito is a true star whose concepts, such as Il Ristorante - Niko Romito, bring the gastronomy of the Boot from Beijing to Milan, passing through Tokyo and Shanghai. It makes perfect sense that his knives find a place in the kitchens of the Bulgari Hotel, embodied in Paris by its executive chef, Davide Capucchio.
Lunch (or dinner) at his table is like booking a one-way ticket to the eternal city, as the plates are perfection. On a literal level, since the colorful tableware is signed by Ginori 1735, the emperor of the Italian art of table setting. Inside, after a delightful and unexpected introduction (a particularly aromatic chicken and vegetable broth to replace appetizers), you can savor divine spaghetti e pomodoro (€32), silky vitello tonnato (€32), marinated gambero rosso shrimp with citrus (€48), or even surprising cod with almond, sea urchin, and parsley sauce (€54). Don't forget to dip your bread between courses in an explosive olive oil, almost green and full of sunshine. Top it off with the €70 lunch menu, promising delightful discoveries.
An aperitif on the terrace
Service palace, country garden, author's potions: the decor is set. On entering the hotel, turn right and ask for an aperitivo on the terrace . Once at the table, observe this out-of-this-world setting and study the cocktail menu. Leonardo Zanini , maestro of the shaker, signs signature jewels to blush with pleasure: the Americano & Chinato (mixture of Bitter and Vermouth Mancino, house soda with Chinotto and Prosecco mousse), the Milano-Livorno (Campari and Galliano combined with lemon lime, lemon, orgeat syrup and saffron) or the Leo Parisien (floral and fragrant combination of Gin Sabatini, cucumber, elderflower, Moët & Chandon vintage rosé and apple juice).
The cocktails certainly cost €30 (and are quite honestly worth the detour, I say) but, Italian address obliges, they arrive escorted by a nice platter of 5-star antipasti offered: prosciutto, crostini and other pretty bites. To prolong, and because the first drink will be as delicious as it is quickly consumed, we recommend a glass and a reinforcement of plates with an assortment of cheeses (€23), tomato parmesan basil focaccia (€15) and indecent bites of “ frittatin ” of pasta, sorts of mac & cheese couture (€12). Psst: we feel the good idea to impress his date…
Open every day until 1 a.m.
© Geraldine Martens
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