Gourmet con Gusto, an excellent hotel restaurant

A lovely surprise in Porto Santo Stefano, on the Argentario promontory, where Hotel Villa Domizia offers flavorful and original food at its restaurant Gourmet con Gusto.

Hotel restaurants have for years now been undergoing a major revolution. They have shifted from offering poor service to sad clients, seasonal visitors or people who go out of habit, to becoming authentic temples of modern fine food. This revolution has for the most part taken place in the great, star hotels, belonging to international chains, which can best rationalize the high costs and even if they fail to turn a profit, the restaurants represent a boon for the hotel’s image.

Something similar has taken place, on a smaller scale and for me in a much better way, on the Argentario at Hotel Villa Domizia, a four-star, seaside establishment a stone’s throw from Porto Santo Stefano. I went there for a weekend and the package deal included a dinner at the hotel’s restaurant, Gourmet con Gusto, which is naturally also open to non-guests.

Normally, I am skeptical about such offers but I had heard some good things about this restaurant and so I took advantage of the situation. And it was a good thing I did. Dinner is served on the hotel’s second floor (third for Americans), or in an inside hall or on two terraces, all with spectacular views of the sea. The tables are well-set and the service commendable under the supervision of Maître Giovanni Catricalà and his deputy who with a savoir faire direct their team to be kind, well-mannered, warm and cheerful.

For DoctorWine what is important is the wine list and here even the most fanatical wine lover will find something to their taste from a list of over 400 wines from northern to southern Italy and abroad. They all have honest markups and the veryskilled and experienced Sommelier Antonello Baglioni is always ready to offer a suggestion.

The kitchen is the reign of Chef Emiliano Lombardelli, who offers a tasting menu of from six to eight courses as well as a full à la carte menu slightly dominated by sea food but that has enough meat dishes to please any meat lover. The prime ingredients are all very fresh, the dishes are pleasing to the eye, the portions are not miniscule, the flavors are distinct and the food is cooked to perfection and pairs with side dishes that may seem a stretch but are never distracting. In the end everything comes together! At the end of the meal you feel full and satisfied, never heavy, happy to have eaten well, drunk equally as well, enjoying a view that itself is well worth the trip.

As for the prices, the six-course tasting menu costs 62 euros, while three à la carte dishes cost around 60 euros. What more could you want? If you are in the area, don’t miss it. Take it from Vignademar.

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