AUGUST 2017 | Our 39th Year AndrewHarper.com

TRAVELING THE WORLD IN SEARCH OF TRULY ENCHANTING PLACES

FRIENDLY TRATTORIAS, MEMORABLE WINES, EXQUISITE ART, RELIABLE SUNSHINE COVER PHOTOGRAPH St. Peter’s from Ponte Umberto I PHOTO BY ANDREW HARPER

THE ENDURING PLEASURES OF THIS MONTH

o matter how many times I return the classical past — most of its churches to Rome, I am always amazed by were constructed with marble taken from ITALY: CLASSIC CITIES Nthe prominence of the ancient the — 3,000 years of the city’s After visits to new and recently refurbished hotels in Rome, plus a week-long apartment past in daily life. On my first evening history are still plainly visible. stay in the residential neighborhood of Prati, back in town, it has become my habit to Probably the two best panoramic I took a high-speed train to Florence and head to Sora Lella, a family-owned trat- views of Rome are those from the rooftop then on to Venice...... 1-7 toria on Island, which is deservedly restaurants of Hotel Eden and Hassler renowned for its robust Roman cuisine. Roma. Both hotels are located on the After dinner, I stroll back to my hotel by steep hillside that rises from the Piazza PALM BEACH & KEY WEST To my pleasure, my trip yielded commendable way of the Ponte Fabricio, a bridge that di Spagna to , flanked by the new discoveries in both of these iconic Florida was built by Lucius Fabricius in 62 B.C. gardens of . The Eden’s great destinations...... 8-11 and has been in constant use ever since. advantage over its rival is its outdoor Of course, the world has numerous cities terrace, where you can sit gazing in  Find additional stories, video and more of great antiquity, but few give the trav- rapture at the splendor spread out below. photography of my trips at AndrewHarper.com. eler quite the same dizzying feeling of I stayed at Hotel Eden on my very Andrew Harper travels anonymously and time travel. Many have been bombed or first visit to Rome, some 35 years ago. The pays full rate for all lodging, meals and bulldozed or partially submerged beneath property was then run by two brothers, related travel expenses. Since the launch of concrete. But Rome is a glorious exception, Giuseppe and Gianfrancesco Ciaceri, this newsletter in 1979, the featured hotels and despite all the invasions and upheav- grandsons of the hotel’s 19th-century and restaurants have been selected on a completely independent basis. als, as well as the ruthless repurposing of founder, Francesco Niestelweck. After a

Full-service travel planning is available to members at (800) 375-4685 or [email protected]. For comments and inquiries concerning The Hideaway Report, please email [email protected]. Window table at La Terrazza, cicchetti at Il Giardino, welcome flowers and chocolate cake, bedroom and bath in our Junior Suite, and exterior of Hotel Eden / PHOTOS BY ANDREW HARPER

chance conversation in the lobby, I found restored to its former preeminence. I was views, though he probably didn’t know that myself invited to lunch on the roof. From therefore delighted to learn, in 2013, that it had originally been added, in 1902, as a there, Giuseppe delighted in pointing it had been acquired by the Dorchester place from which to hang out the hotel’s out the city’s principal landmarks — the Collection. In April, after a 17-month sheets to dry. Pantheon, the Castel Sant’Angelo, the hiatus, the Eden duly reopened following Today the Eden’s location is ideal dome of St. Peter’s — before adding his a complete refurbishment. because it is removed from the tourist own personal fragment of history to the The Eden’s first heyday began imme- hordes who plague both the scene. He had been sitting in exactly the diately after it opened in 1889, when its in front of the Hassler and the Piazza del same spot, he said, on June 5, 1944, and location relatively close to Rome’s new Popolo next to the Hotel de Russie, but it had seen the first American tanks rumble Termini train station gave it a significant is still a short walk from Via Condotti, into the city across the . advantage over its competitors. In the if you want to go shopping, or the Villa Ever since that inaugural visit, I 1960s, the nearby Via Veneto became Borghese gardens, if you want to stroll have had a soft spot for the Eden, though Rome’s most fashionable street, a period in the shade. over recent years, the hotel declined and immortalized by Federico Fellini in his I arrived at the Eden after an over- became more an object of nostalgia than movie “La Dolce Vita.” Once again, the night flight from New York and was admiration. But its history was so storied Eden found itself close to the city’s center immediately overwhelmed by the warmth and its location so perfect, it seemed of gravity. Apparently the hotel terrace of the greeting from both the reception only a matter of time before it would be was Fellini’s favorite place to give inter- and concierge staff. After the cold and gray of the East Coast, I felt embraced by the human equivalent of Italian spring PIAZZA 1 Hassler Roma (96) DEL POPOLO 2 BORGHESE GARDENS 2 Hotel de Russie (96) sunshine. The reception desk itself was a VIA VENETO ROME PRATI 3 Hotel Eden (96) magnificent slab of white marble, deeply Spanish 4 J.K. Place Roma (94) carved with a floral motif, which might L’Arcangelo Steps Sorpasso 3 5 Casa MANNI (93) PONTE 1 well have served as a sarcophagus for a CAVOUR VIA DEI 6 The Inn At The (93) Castel 4 7 CONDOTTIPIAZZA Roman emperor. The lobby was opulent, VATICAN Sant’Angelo DI SPAGNA 7 Portrait Roma (93) CITY La Campana Residenza Napoleone III (93) with sienna-colored marble columns Trevi St. Peter's Il Convivio Troiani Fountain 8 Villa Spalletti Trivelli (91) topped by Ionic capitals, gold sconces, Basilica Clemente 9 Palazzo Manfredi (89) CORSO VITTORI alla Maddalena 5 VIA DEL CORSO a gold coffered ceiling and a black-and- Quirinale Recommended restaurants in red PIAZZA white marble floor. However, the overall NAVONA Palace Il Pagliaccio 8 O EMMANUELE II Pantheon VIA NAPOLEONE III effect was not oppressive, as the furniture Per Me - Giulio Terrinoni Costanza Hostaria was simple, elegant and contemporary. TIBER RIVER Trattoria Monti And the space itself was not overpowering; Roscioli 6 the Eden was originally built as a private Ristorante Piperno house, albeit a very large one, and its TIBER Forum ISLAND public areas are relatively human in scale. Sora Lella Glass Hostaria 9 VIA GARIBALDI Colosseum Indeed, it was never a big hotel, and 0 ½ KM during the renovation, the number of its 0 ½ MI rooms was reduced from 121 to 98. The new public areas and bedrooms are the work of French designer Bruno Moinard, whose recent work has included boutiques EXPLORING ROME’S PRATI NEIGHBORHOOD for Cartier and Hermès, as well as projects n my recent visit to Rome, in addition to researching hotels I decided to spend at London’s The Dorchester and the Hôtel a week in an apartment, experiencing life as a Roman citizen. In search of Plaza Athénée in Paris. O authenticity, and in order to escape the tourist throngs, I chose to stay in the resi- The décor of our suite was distin- dential neighborhood of Prati. The name means “meadows,” and 150 years ago, guished by its refined simplicity, with Prati was a flat, marshy area, bounded by the Tiber to the east and the Vatican to art deco-inspired furniture and a serene the west. Today it is a grid of tree-lined streets with grand, mostly 19th-century palette of gold and pale gray. High ceil- buildings. The area is popular with lawyers, politicians and affluent professionals ings enhanced the feeling of space, while of all stripes. Because Prati is relatively new, by Roman standards, it has no monu- tall windows provided a harmonious ments or churches of significance. However, it is home to many of the city’s best view of cypress trees and ocher-colored food and wine stores, as well as a number of notable restaurants and trattorias. buildings. Mirrored doors concealed two Whether or not you actually stay there, it is certainly an area worthy of exploration. closets, where prosaic details like the Prati’s principal thoroughfare is Via Cola di Rienzo, a wide, straight and impres- laundry bags and shoe-cleaning equip- sive boulevard that is generally considered to be one of Rome’s foremost shopping ment were presented in elegant leather streets. It soon became my habit to go for breakfast at one of the local food stores. trays. And on a small table next to the Castroni opened in 1932 and is still a superb family-owned emporium. Aside from armchair, I found a chocolate cake and a cornucopia of culinary delights, there is a café with delicious pastries and arabica a bowl of white roses and gardenias. My coffee. Four doors away,Franchi serves exceptional prepared foods — there are pleasure was only enhanced by a glimpse tables, so you can eat here — as well as a superlative selection of cheese, salumi, of the superbly appointed white-marble speck and porchetta. After breakfast, on my way home, I would pass through the bath, which came with a separate room for Mercato Rionale di Prati, a covered market with colorful displays of produce, both a rainfall shower and a huge soaking as well as the finest-quality meat, prosciutto, cheese and pasta. tub. A vase of calla lilies and a generous The best-known restaurant in Prati is L’Arcangelo, on Via Giuseppe Gioachino supply of Bottega Veneta bath products Belli, where chef Arcangelo Dandini serves traditional Roman dishes in a cozy, unaf- provided additional grace notes. fected dining room with small tables, red banquettes and family portraits on the Eager to renew my acquaintance walls. Dandini offers up challenging dishes such as tripe and sweetbreads, but there with the rooftop terrace, I headed there are plenty of options for the less intrepid. My local favorite, though, swiftly became for lunch. The Eden’s upper floor is now Sorpasso, on Via Properzio. This is a no-frills establishment (reservations are not divided into La Terrazza, under the accepted), which is customarily full of locals and their children. However, the staff direction of young chef Fabio Ciervo — a are extremely friendly, and the food is delicious. The restaurant’s philosophy is to holdover from the pre-Dorchester days prepare simple and natural dishes using the best local ingredients, the “genuine — and Il Giardino Ristorante & Bar, a more products of the countryside.” If you have to wait for a table — some of which are casual dining room, with a dozen or so outside on the sidewalk — there is a small but congenial bar. I also recommend the tables outside. Having found a spot in the Del Frate wine bar (which also serves an extensive menu) on Via degli Scipioni. sunshine, I ordered a glass of Prosecco The enoteca next door has been a Prati institution for decades. from a waiter attired in an immaculate After dinner, the stroll back to the apartment invariably involved a stop at cream jacket, agreed to his suggestion of Gelateria dei Gracchi. This small takeout-only place is now recognized as one of assorted cicchetti (Venetian tapas) and the city’s finestgelaterias . All the flavors are completely natural (and seasonal). settled back to gaze across to Michelan- The nuts for the pistachio gelato, for example, come from the Bronte area, on the gelo’s masterwork, the dome of St. Peter’s. slopes of Mount Etna in Sicily, and are toasted and ground on the premises. H The principal addition to the Eden is We found our temporary home in Prati with the aid of the excellent Italy Perfect (Tel. [888] 308-6123; italyperfect.com), a new spa. With an austerely elegant and which has an extensive inventory of upscale apartments throughout the city. The staff in Rome, responsible for the contemporary décor, expanses of wood property introduction, cleaning, laundry and so forth, were friendly, efficient and reliable. paneling and a soothing cream-and-green Appetizers at Sorpasso, and our apartment building on Via dei Gracchi, Prati / PHOTOS BY ANDREW HARPER color scheme, the atmosphere struck me immediately as authentically calm and therapeutic. The treatments are by a skin care specialist called Sonya Dakar, whose salon in Beverly Hills has been catering to Hollywood’s finest for the past 30 years. Products also come from Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, the famous 600-year-old pharmacy in Florence. Additional ameni- ties include a nail suite, a blow-dry bar Library, main salon, J.K. Cafe, bed and bath of our Junior Suite at J.K. Place Roma / PHOTOS BY ANDREW HARPER

FINDING CARAVAGGIO and a small fitness center. Easily the most a cacophony of horns from indignant remarkable thing about the spa, however, drivers backed up behind. On the other talian Renaissance painters tend to go in and was the manner of the receptionist, who hand, the location is close to Via Condotti out of fashion. Caravaggio was forgotten after I was not merely friendly and helpful but and adjacent to the astounding Ara his death, in 1610, only to be rediscovered in the ebullient, almost euphoric, at finding Pacis, the richly carved and ornamented 20th century. Today his reputation seems to be herself with such obviously desirable “Altar of Peace” commissioned in 13 B.C. at its zenith. Possibly this is because we respond to his preference for painting his subjects with employment. She wore an expression of to honor Emperor Augustus and now all their natural flaws. Maybe it is because his slightly dazed disbelief. It was one that I protected by a striking glass-and-steel famously dramatic chiaroscuro technique has an saw again and again on the faces of staff pavilion designed by American architect almost film noir quality. Or perhaps it is because members throughout the hotel during Richard Meier. we live in an age with a taste for sensation. Many our memorable stay. The 19th-century building that now of Caravaggio’s works feature decapitations, houses J.K. Place was originally the torture and death. And Caravaggio himself led ome has a surprising number of architecture school of the University of a violent life. Condemned to death for murder, Rdistinguished boutique hotels, and Rome. The front entrance is extremely he fled from Rome to Malta. In Valletta, he was I already recommend four of them: the discreet, but once inside you find yourself imprisoned for a brawl Residenza Napoleone III (two sumptuous surrounded by supremely stylish public but escaped to . suites within the 16th-century Palazzo areas created by the brilliant Florentine There he was attacked and facially disfigured. Ruspoli), The Inn At The Roman Forum designer Michele Bönan. The main salon, His death, at the age of (a 12-room hideaway located a short walk drenched in light from a glass ceiling, 38, remains a mystery; from the Colosseum), Portrait Roma (a has clean modernist lines, contemporary he may have been 14-suite townhouse hotel, just off Via furniture and dramatic modern paint- assassinated. Many of Condotti, owned by the Ferragamo fash- ings, but it is humanized by neoclassical Caravaggio’s greatest ion family) and Villa Spalletti Trivelli (12 sculptures and piles of art books, as well works are to be found rooms and suites within a century-old as an array of leading international news- “The Conversion on in Rome. The Cerasi stone mansion surrounded by gardens). papers and magazines. To one side is a the Way to Damascus,” Chapel in the church of Given this abundance and variety, it library with dark wood shelves, a black in the church of Santa Maria del Popolo might seem superfluous to go in search wooden floor, brightly colored rugs, cream contains the sensa- of another property similar in scale. armchairs and directional lighting. And tional “The Conversion on the Way to Damascus.” However, both J.K. Place Firenze and beyond, J.K. Cafe has dramatic turquoise The church of San Luigi dei Francesi holds three paintings, including the masterpiece “The J.K. Place Capri have proved extremely walls, deep green-and-sapphire velvet Calling of Saint Matthew.” There are also three popular with Hideaway Report readers, banquettes and rust-red leather chairs. Caravaggios in the , including so when J.K. Place Roma opened in the The overall effect is so unusual, imagina- the grisly “Judith Beheading Holofernes.” In the summer of 2013, it seemed inevitable that tive and harmonious, I had to suppress , his “David With the Head of I should pay the new 30-room hotel a visit. an urge to applaud. Goliath” is also not for the squeamish. To learn My initial impression was not entirely The café is a delightful place for a more about the artist, I particularly recommend favorable, as the property is situated on meal at any hour of the day, but I particu- “Caravaggio: A Life Sacred and Profane,” by a cobbled street so narrow that you are larly enjoyed the ambiance at lunchtime. Andrew Graham-Dixon. obliged to leap from your taxi to avoid As Rome is blessed with numerous fine PUBLIC DOMAIN/WIKIMEDIAPUBLIC COMMONS Grilled lamb with braised endive, and table setting in the gourmet food store Roscioli / PHOTOS BY ANDREW HARPER restaurants, the menu sensibly offers a selection of delicious comfort food, with appetizers such as burrata with tuna roe, and octopus and potato salad with rocket, followed by mains that include the JKBurger (a brioche bun with Fassone beef from Piedmont and Tuscan bacon), pasta carbonara with local pecorino cheese, and scialatielli (a type of thick and short fettuccine) with seafood and zucchini blossoms. The wood-paneled bar at the end of the dining room provides NOTABLE ROME RESTAURANTS an extremely congenial place for a pre- or post-dinner drink — maybe the Rome still boasts innumerable trattorias and restaurants, many family-owned, house cocktail, the JKSour (Disaronno, serving excellent traditional cooking. The Lazio countryside has rich soil and a passion fruit and lemon juice), or a flute benign climate. As a result, the fruits and vegetables are among the best in the of Spumante — while either perched on world. Certainly a morning visit to the Campo de’ Fiori market, with its kaleido- a bar stool or relaxing at a brass-rimmed scopic displays, provides ample confirmation. Rome is also close to the sea, so the table in a contiguous lounge. fish is excellent. Bönan’s talent is also evident in the hotel’s guest rooms. Our 475-square-foot Per Me - Giulio Terrinoni This elegant and intimate establishment showcases the exceptional cooking of Michelin one-star chef Giulio Terrinoni. Since it opened Junior Suite came with dove-gray walls, in 2015, Per Me has acquired a reputation for serving some of the best seafood large gilt-edged mirrors, black lacquer in Rome (though the meat dishes are equally outstanding). My roasted cuttlefish furniture, mirrored closet doors and a with zucchini flowers, mint oil and saffron was delicious, as was the cod with basil king-size bed backed by a padded head- pil-pil, marinated fruits and eggplant sorbet. A 200-label wine list assembled by board covered with handmade cream sommelier Giulio Bruni features bottles from around the world, as well as selections fabric. The spectacular bath was clad in from the principal Italian wine regions. Vicolo del Malpasso 9. Tel. (39) 06-687-7365. gray-and-white-striped marble and was equipped with heavy chrome fixtures, Costanza Hostaria At the end of an escorted tour of Rome’s markets and specialty- twin vanities set in a white-marble food shops, I asked our guide to recommend a favorite restaurant for authentic surround and a sizable walk-in shower Roman cooking. This was his suggestion. Located in what was once the Theatre of with a monsoon showerhead. Overall, the Pompey, close to the Campo de’ Fiori, it is a friendly and relaxing place, serving room was stylish, quiet and supremely classics such as puntarelle alla Romana (chicory with anchovy sauce), rigatoni con la comfortable; its only drawback was that it pajata (pasta with veal intestines in a tomato sauce) and coda alla vaccinara (oxtail lacked an exterior view (which on a future stew). There is an extensive list of wines from Lazio, the region of which Rome is occasion I would specifically request). the capital. Piazza del Paradiso 65. Tel. (39) 06-686-1717. During our stay, all the staff members — especially those at reception and in Roscioli This is my favorite place for casual dining, with a snug restaurant tucked the bar — were uniformly charming, away behind a gourmet food store. On my recent visit, I enjoyed superb cacio e with relaxed and gracious good manners. pepe (tonnarelli with Pecorino Romano and pepper), and grilled lamb (served very Despite the sophistication of its contem- rare) with braised endive. I can also recommend meatballs with smoked ricotta porary design, J.K. Place Roma never and chestnut polenta. There is a fine assortment of cheeses and one of the city’s lapses into trendiness or pretension. It is best wine lists. Via dei Giubbonari 21. Tel. (39) 06-687-5287. a civilized private enclave of great distinc- tion. The only things that it conspicuously lacks are facilities such as a spa or a Hotel Eden A96 fitness center. LIKE Two excellent restaurants; glorious rooftop terrace; exceptionally elegant and well-appointed accommoda- tions; superlative staff. DISLIKE The fitness room is rather small — and that’s about it. GOOD TO KNOW The upper lobby has a “hidden” bar, concealed behind bookshelves during the day, which makes a delightful spot for t would be hard to think of a more an evening cocktail. Prestige Room View, $1,080; Junior Suite View, $1,630. Via Ludovisi 49. Tel. (39) 06-478-121. I complete contrast to the sequestered dorchestercollection.com location of J.K. Place than that of Palazzo A94 Manfredi. Located on the busy Via Labi- J.K. Place Roma LIKE Inspired contemporary design; congenial café; comfortable accommodations; delightful staff. DISLIKE Lack cana, the latter occupies a 17th-century of a fitness center and spa. GOOD TO KNOW Despite its sequestered location, the hotel is only a seven-minute villa overlooking the ruins of the Ludus walk from the Spanish Steps. Deluxe Room, $820; Junior Suite, $1,270. Via di Monte d’Oro 30. Tel. (39) 06-982-634. Magnus, the training academy for gladi- jkroma.com ators. From rooms on the western side of preceding a rating, denotes an officially recommended hotel that will be added to The Andrew Harper Collection. the hotel, and from its rooftop restaurant, A Palazzo Manfredi (89) was not up to the required standard. Arno River, terraced gardens and restaurant loggia view of Florence at Belmond Villa San Michele / PHOTOS BY ANDREW HARPER there is an uninterrupted view of the Colosseum, to which the academy was once linked by a tunnel. The small lobby and adjacent lounge are attractively furnished in a traditional style. Bookshelves, wooden floors with area rugs, glass display cabinets and a large brown leather sofa all help to gener- ate the atmosphere of a private house. Filling out the required paperwork, I FLORENCE: ESCAPING THE CROWDS found the check-in desk rather cramped, but the extreme friendliness of the recep- tion staff more than compensated for this slight inconvenience. As our room was not quite ready, we were ushered up to the rooftop bistro, which overlooks the leafy Colle Oppio park, and presented with generous flutes of Prosecco. On the way, I had peeked into the adjacent Aroma restaurant, which has a sensational Colosseum view. Palazzo Manfredi comprises just 14 rooms. (Prestige and Executive rooms successful trip to Florence now requires a strategy. My recent visit was in April, overlook an inner courtyard and should A which is not really high season, but the areas around the cathedral and the be avoided.) On being shown to our Master Piazza della Signoria were crammed with large tour groups and boisterous parties Room, the hotel’s first drawback became of schoolchildren brandishing selfie sticks. Having wandered about disconsolately apparent. Despite its rather grand-sound- for an hour or so, marveling at the endless queues waiting for admission to the ing name, the room turned out to be a mere Uffizi Gallery, I boarded the shuttle from theBelmond Villa San Michele and 270 square feet, diminutive proportions headed back up the hill to Fiesole, a 25-minute drive away. for which the Colosseum panorama from One of the unexpected consequences of political instability in Mediterranean both the bedroom and bath windows was countries such as Turkey, Egypt and Tunisia is that more and more Europeans are insufficient compensation. Unlike in the choosing to vacation in places that are perceived to be safer. Visitor numbers to ground-floor public areas, the décor here Italy have increased exponentially, with a disproportionate number of travelers was modern, with mostly neutral shades flocking to the most-famous cities. In addition, there has also been an influx of and white furniture. The bath provided a people from newly wealthy countries in Asia. Florence has a population of 380,000, single sink and a walk-in shower and could but it receives around 16 million visitors a year. To accommodate even greater contain only one person at a time. Junior numbers, much of the city center is now a pedestrian-only zone. There the stores Suites here are 375 square feet; the only increasingly cater to tourists, and the small food shops, where local people would once do their daily shopping, have disappeared. To an unfortunate extent, central Master Room view of the Colosseum at Palazzo Manfredi Florence no longer belongs to the Florentines. One solution for American travelers is to stay at either Belmond Villa San Michele or Il Salviatino, both of which look down on the city from a perch in Fiesole, where you can dip in and dip out with the aid of the hotels’ complimentary transportation. In Florence itself, the Four Seasons Firenze has a relatively central location — about a 15-minute walk from the Duomo — but it is surrounded by 11 acres of gardens, which provide a leafy refuge. Alternatively, you can visit the city in winter. I have done this several times, and in January the weather can be crisp and sunny and the crowds in front of the “Birth of Venus” have thinned. I plan to do this early in 2018, in order to stay at the Hotel Lungarno, which reopened on June 1 after a comprehensive renovation. Located just 200 yards from the Ponte Vecchio, on the southern bank of the Arno River, it is not a hotel that I would contemplate booking in summer. But I have always enjoyed designer Michele Bönan’s stylish nautical-blue interior (complemented by a private art collection that includes works by Cocteau and Picasso), not to mention chef Peter Brunel’s Michelin-starred Tuscan cuisine in the hotel’s Borgo San Jacopo. Florence is as magical as ever, but nowadays you have to plan a trip with a little more care. H Entrance to San Clemente Palace Kempinski / PHOTO BY ANDREW HARPER accommodations with more-generous proportions are three suites, ranging from 540 to 645 square feet. The principal amenity at Palazzo Manfredi — there is no spa or gym — is its 40-seat Michelin-starred restaurant, Aroma, helmed by young Roman chef Giuseppe Di Iorio. As you might expect, one side of the space is almost entirely glass, with the floodlit Colosseum provid- ing a backdrop of scarcely believable grandeur. Di Iorio’s cooking stays close to Italian tradition, though he enjoys using more-uncommon meats, rabbit for example, and is a stickler for serving VENICE: A NEW LAGOON PALACE HOTEL only sustainable fish, so tuna is outlawed. hanks to its secluded location at the tip of the island of Giudecca, the Belmond I enjoyed my ceviche of fragolino (a Hotel Cipriani has long offered a refuge from the teeming crowds of the Piazza Mediterranean red sea bream), risotto T San Marco and the Riva degli Schiavoni. Until now, the Cipriani has had few, if of porcini mushrooms and thyme, and any, competitors. Its only potential rival was the San Clemente Palace, located crispy leg of pork with apricot compote on a 17-acre private island, farther out into the Venetian Lagoon, 15 minutes by and fennel potatoes. Throughout, the speedboat from San Marco. I stayed there a few years ago, and overall, I came service was cordial and attentive. Alas, away unimpressed. Set next to the 12th-century Church of San Clemente, the main when I returned to the dining room for building had originally housed a community of monks. Back then, the corridors breakfast the following morning, I was were spartan and echoing, and the gardens were not especially well-maintained. disappointed to find a thoroughly medio- However, it was possible to see what the place could become, given sufficient invest- cre buffet. ment. I was therefore very interested to learn in late 2015 that the hotel had been Palazzo Manfredi is certainly not acquired by the Kempinski hotel group (headquartered in Geneva). without merits, but the small size of the On my recent trip, I decided to give the place a second chance. The transformation accommodations and the hotel’s situ- is astonishing. Nowadays at the reinvented San Clemente Palace Kempinski, the ation on a main road both preclude a gardens are immaculate, the public areas are sumptuous and the 190 exceptionally recommendation. Also, proximity to the spacious accommodations come with high ceilings, fabric-covered walls, stylish Colosseum means that its location is contemporary furnishings, Murano chandeliers and lavish marble baths. Aside relatively inconvenient, with the Vatican, from a magnificent 65-foot pool, the property offers tennis courts, three holes of the Pantheon, the and the pitch-and-putt golf, an impressive spa and a kids’ club. Three restaurants include , as well as the primary Acquerello, which has a huge and glamorous terrace beneath the church façade. shopping districts, all being a taxi ride I sat outside in the sunshine to enjoy the exceptional Sunday lunchtime buffet. The away. So I suggest that you go for dinner food was delicious, the service was polished and the view of Venice in the distance but opt to stay elsewhere. H was sublime. The Cipriani now officially has a rival. While in Venice, I also took the opportunity to stay at Ca’ Sagredo Hotel, Details of our Master Room / PHOTOS BY ANDREW HARPER housed within a Grand Canal palazzo, which has been a particular favorite of Hideaway Report readers in recent years. Lately, I had received one or two slightly uncomplimentary reports. After a two-night stay, however, I have no reservations about continuing to recommend the property. True, it is not as slick as hotels like the Cipriani or The Gritti Palace — service at dinner was interminably slow — but I found the staff well-meaning and the rates much more reasonable. And the interior of the palazzo, with its extraordinary frescoes by artists including Tiepolo, is as spectacular as ever. H

View from our room, and frescoed stairway to the piano nobile, Ca’ Sagredo / PHOTOS BY ANDREW HARPER LUSH GARDENS, OCEAN VIEWS, DELICIOUS SEAFOOD TROPICAL RETREATS IN PALM BEACH AND KEY WEST

Palm-fringed cloister at The Brazilian Court, Palm Beach / PHOTO BY ANDREW HARPER

have long found Florida to be a source Post, a leading socialite and the owner of with a paved semicircular drive out front of both fascination and frustra- General Foods, is now a club owned by and a white-cloth porte cochère leading I tion. Geographically, it is one of the President Donald Trump. into the stylish Spanish Colonial low-rise more varied of the Lower 48 states, with Palm Beach today encompasses the building. Eager young staffers, in smart eerie cypress swamps, flatlands where original coastal island that was once the outfits of polo shirts and shorts, quickly some 15,000 producers raise cattle, exclusive province of the rich, as well helped unload our bags and saw us into the incomparable Everglades and, of as West Palm Beach, across Lake Worth the reception area for check-in. course, beaches, miles of them, 663 to be Lagoon (the Intracoastal Waterway), an On the way to our suite, we passed exact. And then there are the man-made area once set aside for the servants who through the first of two airy courtyards, attractions: Miami Beach, the Disney and worked in the great mansions. around which the hotel’s 80 rooms are Universal Studio parks, and the Kennedy Quietly blending into an upscale set. Stately palms line the perimeters, Space Center. And therein lies my frus- residential neighborhood north of Worth with inviting benches and splashing foun- tration. With so much to offer to so many Avenue in Palm Beach, The Brazilian tains adding to the appeal. Our spacious people, one might suppose that Florida Court reveals itself as more than a home, accommodations, done in a low-key style would have an abundance of hideaways of the type that I strive to find. But there Walkways, and bedroom and sitting area of our suite at The Brazilian Court / PHOTOS BY ANDREW HARPER is a relative dearth. Recently, unwilling to concede defeat, I decided to renew my efforts in the Sunshine State. Seventy-five miles north of Miami, Palm Beach has been a favored wintering spot for the wealthy since the late 1890s, when Henry Morrison Flagler (co-founder of Standard Oil with John D. Rockefeller) brought rail travel to Florida and opened two celebrated hotels, the long-gone Royal Poinciana and The Breakers, which still stands. Among the famous were even-today-recognizable names such as Kellogg, Vanderbilt, Colgate and Kennedy. And Mar-a-Lago, a 126-room estate that once belonged to Marjorie Merriweather Snapper Hemingway at Charley’s Crab, terrace at Renato’s, and shrimp with grits at Louie’s Backyard of dark woods and comfortable, contem- porary furniture, had all we needed for a hospitable stay. The sitting area was particularly conducive to reading, and the bath was spacious and well-appointed with a large soaking tub. In contrast, I found the pool area to FLORIDA be rather prosaic and not what the rest of the hotel’s aesthetics would have led me to DINING PHOTOS BY ANDREW HARPER expect. Fortunately, the property provided / ample compensations, chief among them We enjoyed numerous fine meals on our trip to Florida. Unsurprisingly, many of Café Boulud, under the direction of star them involved superlative seafood. Here are places that I particularly liked. chef Daniel Boulud. At the attractive bar, we enjoyed a glass of Champagne in the PALM BEACH company of Palm Beach residents and Charley’s Crab At this longstanding local favorite, with dependably good seafood, then segued to a table on the outdoor we began with the Mediterranean-style chowder, and then partook of a house clas- terrace. There, under the clear evening sic, Snapper Hemingway, with a panko crust, lump crab, lemon beurre blanc and sky, we delighted in dishes like fried coconut-ginger rice. 456 South Ocean Boulevard. Tel. (561) 659-1500. stuffed squash blossoms, and grilled loup de mer with ramps and baby potatoes. Polo This lovely restaurant reflects the colorful vision of Carleton Varney, who Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my oversaw the recent renovation of The Colony hotel. We sat outside by the Florida- brief stay at The Brazilian Court and was shaped pool, where we enjoyed two Colony classics: a creamy vichyssoise, and the superb Famous Lobster Salad, one of the best I’ve ever had. 155 Hammon Avenue. thrilled to find a smaller property in Palm Tel. (561) 655-5430. Beach that I could recommend. In the same neighborhood, The Renato’s We had a delightful dinner at this elegant restaurant in one of the Chesterfield Palm Beach, with 53 rooms charming little “vias” off Worth Avenue. I started with soft-shell crabs with red and suites, is housed within a handsome onion, tomato, avocado salsa and a mustard aioli, followed by black grouper, here pink building with dignified dark-green seared with Pernod, tomato and a fennel broth, all over a bed of polenta. 87 Via awnings and flags flying out front. The Mizner. Tel. (561) 655-9752. hotel is part of the London-based Red Sant Ambroeus Having delighted in the New York outposts of this Milan classic, Carnation Hotels group, which recently I was eager to try this newest iteration. Set in a stylish midcentury space, I enjoyed carried out a superlative renovation a rich, creamy gazpacho, followed by flawlesscacio e pepe (pasta with Pecorino of Ireland’s Ashford Castle (on which I Romano cheese, black pepper and a dusting of Parmigiano-Reggiano). The restaurant reported in this March’s Hideaway Report). is very close to the Flagler Museum. 340 Royal Poinciana Way. Tel. (561) 285-7990. A stay here seemed like a priority. We meandered through a lovely KEY WEST courtyard patio draped with tropical foli- Café Solé At this lively place, I rejoiced in a dish I’d never encountered before: age — an­ idyllic spot for breakfast — into conch carpaccio. The conch is pounded paper-thin and served with sweet red pepper, the lobby. This displayed a traditional capers, Bermuda onions and a sprinkling of Asiago cheese. An entrée of hogfish European style, with plush furniture and — a reef fish that is succulent and almost sweet due to its diet of crustaceans — matching concierge and reception desks came with a red bell pepper Hollandaise. 1029 Southard Street. Tel. (305) 294-0230. manned by formally attired staff. The décor in our spacious room was Louie’s Backyard As the name might suggest, the prime tables here are at the tropical in tone, the light walls trimmed back, right on the ocean. I tried the conch fritters, a Key West favorite, and enjoyed with grosgrain ribbon and decked out them here with a spicy dipping sauce. I also gave in to the shrimp and grits, which with large prints of vintage Palm Beach were creamy and beautifully seasoned. 700 Waddell Avenue. Tel. (305) 294-1061. scenes. Overall, the scheme seemed Michaels The food here ranked among the best we had on our entire trip. Among Caribbean Colonial. The bath had recently the most impressive dishes were fried oysters served in individual spoons atop been redone in a striking mix of white an avocado purée and crowned with shaved egg, remoulade and fried capers. I and tan marble. finished every bite of the snapper meunière with artichoke hearts, roasted red A similarly tropical motif adorned bell pepper and a lemony brown butter. 532 Margaret Street. Tel. (305) 295-1300. The Leopard Lounge & Restaurant, the hotel’s atmospheric dining room. The Seven Fish This longtime favorite recently moved into a striking new building, menu featured some favorites of Red where the interior has a huge video screen showing soothing aquatic scenes. Carnation owner Bea Tollman, whose Excellent crabcakes came with a ginger-garlic sauce, and the Thai snapper was excellent cookbook, “A Life in Food,” topped with a well-balanced curry and lots of crisp, fresh vegetables. 921 Truman occupies a prominent place in the Harper Avenue. Tel. (305) 296-2777. Terrace, details of our room, and its large balcony at the Royal Blues Hotel, Deerfield Beach / PHOTOS BY ANDREW HARPER

kitchen. I greatly enjoyed one such dish, Raton, is not a place obviously destined woman not only took care of the check-in shrimp stroganoff, which was preceded for the Harper atlas. However, it does formalities but insisted on helping with by exemplary crabcakes. have a beautiful stretch of sand. There our luggage. Entering our room from the There is much to like about The the Royal Blues Hotel is the dream open breezeway, we immediately noticed Chesterfield, and I came prepared to be project of Edward Walson, a successful the ocean, grandly visible through full- impressed. But, candidly, several things Hollywood and Broadway producer, whose height windows. Awash in light, the room caught my eye that seemed disappointing. résumé includes several Woody Allen came with a rich mix of textures and mate- In the courtyard, wiring for the fans was movies — “Blue Jasmine” and “Magic in rials. One wall of warm wood panels was haphazard and unsightly. The lock plate the Moonlight” among them — as well complemented by others done in a light on our door was badly scratched. In the as an acclaimed Broadway production Venetian plaster. Most appealing was the pool area, the lids of the containers for of “An American in Paris.” Walson vaca- large terrace that fronted our room on fresh and used towels were coming apart tioned in Deerfield Beach as a boy, and two sides, giving us a panoramic view of and had rusty hardware. In The Leopard the legacy of his childhood happiness the beach. Although it came with just one Lounge, one of the punkah fans made a is an airy, graceful building, whose 12 sink, the bath provided a walk-in shower distracting noise. And throughout the rooms all look out directly to the beach and was more than adequate. property, we saw scuffed paint and smudg- and the Atlantic. On the ground floor,Chanson features ing. These are cosmetic issues that can The small number of accommodations contemporary cuisine, with an emphasis be fixed easily. I hope they will be. makes possible on-site parking — at a on seafood. A striking 1,500-gallon salt- Deerfield Beach, a small middle- premium here — and constant attention water aquarium forms the ceiling at one class town just south of wealthier Boca from the modest staff. An attractive young end of the dining room; the other side of the aquarium is visible at the bottom of the small pool found on a second-floor The Brazilian Court A93 deck. On a fine evening, we opted for LIKE The combination of an informal atmosphere and an elegant setting. DISLIKE It is not always easy to book the outside terrace, where we enjoyed a the hotel’s Mercedes for rides to the beach. GOOD TO KNOW The hotel provides chairs, umbrellas and beach bags fillet of black grouper, accompanied by stocked with towels, sunblock and water. Luxurious Studio, $350; One-bedroom Suite, $420. 301 Australian Avenue, a vegetable flan, and pistachio-crusted Palm Beach. Tel. (561) 655-7740. thebraziliancourt.com yellowfin tuna, served with sweet-and- Royal Blues Hotel A93 sour Sicilian pepperonata, olives, mint LIKE All rooms have private terraces with panoramic ocean views. DISLIKE The pool is quite small. GOOD TO and spring onion. KNOW Deerfield Beach is lacking in high-end restaurants and shops, but the staff can recommend several in nearby The novelty of the aquarium aside, the Boca Raton. Classic Corner Room, $500; One-bedroom Suite, $820. 45 N.E. 21st Avenue, Deerfield Beach. Tel. (954) pool didn’t offer much room for lounging, 857-2929. royalblueshotel.com so we headed for the beach instead. There the staff were exceptionally attentive, The Gardens Hotel A91 setting up chairs and bringing towels LIKE The lush landscaping gives the property the feeling of a self-contained world. DISLIKE Insufficient parking spaces. GOOD TO KNOW Some of the accommodations are pet friendly. Treetop Room, $380; Cottage 1, $460. 526 and chilled water. With its beachfront Angela Street, Key West. Tel. (305) 294-2661. gardenshotel.com location, distinctive design, excellent

preceding a rating, denotes an officially recommended hotel that will be added to The Andrew Harper Collection. restaurant and friendly staff, Royal Blues A Visit AndrewHarper.com for information on these and all our recommendations in Florida. The Chesterfield Palm Hotel is a fine property in a somewhat Beach (88) and Marquesa Hotel (89) were not up to the required standard. unexpected place. From Deerfield Beach, we headed The bath offered a single vanity with a Despite being close to a road, there was down to the Fort Lauderdale airport for a combined tub-shower. no intrusive noise. The only drawback flight to Key West. Traditionally, Key West The restaurant, Café Marquesa, was patchy Wi-Fi. was one of those end-of-the-world places evokes the style of a French bistro. Chef The poolside patio made for a charm- that attracted those who were keen to get Susan Ferry serves contemporary Ameri- ing setting for a custom-cooked break- away from it all. (I always get a kick out of can cuisine, with the highlights of our fast, accompanied by a chorus of birds. seeing the signs for mile 0 that mark the meal being a starter of bacon-wrapped And in the evening, the poolside bar in a beginning and end of Route 1.) For many shrimp stuffed with crab and topped by sheltered cabana drew a friendly crowd. years, it was a refuge for artists and writ- a zingy Cajun remoulade, and an entrée The hotel has no restaurant of its own, ers — most famously, Ernest Hemingway, of porcini-dusted scallops with herb but there are many dining options within but also Tennessee Williams, John Hersey risotto, Swiss chard and a mushroom- walking distance. The staff were pleas- and Elizabeth Bishop. More recently, Key truffle butter. ant and helpful throughout our stay. I West acquired an off-putting reputation as Dinner was a great success, and am very happy to have found a place in a venue for vacationing college students, overall, we enjoyed our stay. On balance, Key West’s Old Town that I can endorse and the main thoroughfare, Duval Street, however, the Marquesa falls short of the without hesitation. H still has a stretch of a few blocks that can levels of sophistication and comfort that be politely described as raffish. Lately, Harper members customarily require. however, there has been an influx of A four-minute walk away down Simon- well-heeled retirees, who have restored ton Street, The Gardens Hotel began life cottages and raised the prevailing tone. as an 1800s mansion. Much of the charac- We had decided to try two places. ter that distinguishes the hotel today can First, we checked into the Marquesa be attributed to the efforts of Peggy Mills, Hotel in Old Town’s historic district, which who bought the property in 1930. And it brings together four 1880s cottages done was she who planted so many of the trees, in the local “conch” style (see box) that shrubs and flowers that make it such an

collectively form a charming property of oasis. The hotel stands around a large PHOTO BY ANDREW HARPER / 27 rooms. These are set around a central heated pool within a walled compound. area with two pools — one heated, one The 20 rooms are housed by cottages not — amid lush planting. and other freestanding buildings and CONCH COTTAGES Our suite stood at one end of the pool, are individually decorated in a modified up steps flanked by a small waterfall. A tropical colonial style. The lounge in the ne of the pleasures of Key West is strolling large veranda overlooking the pool area main house provides a welcome area for Oalong the streets of Old Town looking at the led to the high-ceilinged accommoda- reading and also offers a wine bar with lovely residential cottages and homes. Many of tions. These were divided into a living several selections by the glass, all self- these date to the 19th century and are done in a style known as “conch” architecture. Native Key space and a sleeping area by a column served via a wine-preservation device. West folk call themselves “conchs.” The name supporting a crossbeam with a scrim We had opted to stay in Eyebrow is derived from people in the Bahamas, who, curtain. Bright and airy, with light wood Cottage, which came with a peaked ceiling resisting British food taxes in the 1700s, declared floors and comfortable furniture, the suite and a magnificent four-poster bed. The they’d rather eat the meat from the ubiquitous struck us as pleasant if not luxurious. marble-clad bath provided a soaking tub. conchs — the familiar spiral-shelled gastropod with a lustrous pink interior — which they duly Main porch, and our cottage’s bedroom and bath at The Gardens Hotel, Key West / PHOTOS BY ANDREW HARPER did. Numerous Bahamians settled in Key West in the 1800s, and the name traveled with them. Many were boatbuilders, and they constructed sturdy houses from the dense Dade County pine. Comprising an amalgam of styles from New England, the Caribbean and the Gulf Coast, their homes shared several common characteristics: They were built on posts to allow air to circulate; sloping roofs allowed for better rain runoff and collection; louvered shutters admitted indirect light to reduce the heat; dormers provided added space on top floors; and porches and verandas cut down on direct sun. Many of these clapboard homes have been restored and renovated in recent years. They are now painted in bright colors inspired by the natural environment and sport decorative embellishments such as ginger- bread trim. LAST LOOK LAST WORD

ALAIN SENDERENS (1939-2017)

ith the passing of chef Alain Senderens, W France has lost one of the wizards of Gallic gastronomy, a genius defined by a playful but deeply considered iconoclasm. Senderens was a founder of the now-maligned nouvelle cuisine, but his cooking was about so much more than the use of reductions to create flavor, instead of the heavier sauces that had been the defining trope of French cooking for centuries. For me, two Senderens dishes were truly spectacular. These were his lobster baked with vanilla and his canard à l’Apicius, duck that was first poached and then lacquered with honey and spices. The duck made Displays at the morning food market in the Campo de’ Fiori, Rome / PHOTOS BY ANDREW HARPER sense, since Senderens had found his inspiration on a trip to China; the lobster was astonishing because NEW AND NOTEWORTHY it seemed impossible that the combination could work. But it did. During the dozens of trips I’ve made to France through the years, I’ve met many of the Oetker Collection Opens in São Paolo country’s great chefs. Most of the time, these brief Despite being the business capital of Brazil and the center of the country’s wealth, encounters have been tableside chats when the Sao Pãolo can be a challenging place. A sprawling concrete city, it is not obviously chef made his or her rounds at the end of the meal. a destination for leisure travelers, despite fine restaurants and a vibrant art scene. On one occasion I’d just finished dinner atLucas However, this may change with the recent opening of the Palácio Tangará, a 141-room Carton, where Senderens had had the innovative (59-suite) hotel, part of the distinguished Oetker Collection. Surrounded by Burle idea of serving a different wine with each course. So Marx Park, 27 acres of rain forest located 10 miles from the city center, it offers when he came by, we chatted about the pairings, as restaurants under the supervision of Jean-Georges Vongerichten, an extensive wine well as my upcoming trip to southwestern France. It turned out that he was about to hold a tasting in cellar and tasting room, and a Sisley spa. The interior by Brazilian architect Patri- Cahors of dozens of wines against truffles and foie cia Anastassiadis features bespoke furniture using indigenous materials. And the gras. “Why don’t you come?” Abashed, I explained hotel’s boutique is curated by Daniela Ott, the former strategy director for Gucci. that I loved wine but was surely lacking the exper- tise of his other guests. “That’s why it would be DUKES Comes to Dubai nice if you joined us. Otherwise it will be a bunch of Located on genteel St. James’s Place, DUKES London is chiefly famous for its inimi- old bores.” I hesitated, but in the end I went. The tably British atmosphere and the outstanding martinis served in its bar. Now an event lasted nine hours, but one pairing stood out. outpost has opened in, of all places, Dubai. Unlike the 90-room townhouse hotel in A traditional croquembouche is cream-filled puff London, DUKES Dubai has 506 accommodations spread across 15 floors of a tower pastry piled into a tower. Instead, Senderens gave on the Palm Jumeirah artificial archipelago. The outdoor infinity pool and private us whole black truffles baked in pastry, served with beach may come as a surprise to devotees of the original property. However, the bar Champagne. The feral earthiness of the truffle combined with the slightly malty elegance of the does serve martinis shaken by mixologists trained in St. James’s by legendary head Champagne remains an experience I cherish to bartender Alessandro Palazzi. this day. Famously, Senderens had the audacity to thumb his nose at the grand arbiter of French Upscale Debut in Bermuda gastronomy, “The Michelin Guide,” when he “gave I will be very interested to see what happens in Bermuda now that the America’s Cup back” his three stars and converted his restaurant is over and the island has returned to normality. The Loren at Pink Beach opened into something simpler and more joyful. And in in time for the yachting and seems to have all the ingredients required for continued doing so, he fostered a new way of thinking about success. Located overlooking two rocky coves with pink-sand beaches, the 45-room the restaurant experience in France. He also trained property (plus seven villas) offers contemporary design, oceanview terraces and a remarkable roster of chefs; his protégés include marble baths with rainfall showers. Amenities include Marée for seasonal fine dining Alain Passard (L’Arpège), Alain Solivérès (Taillevent), and a spa with four treatment rooms. A return visit to Bermuda is long overdue, so Christian Le Squer (Le Cinq, at Four Seasons Hotel George V Paris), Christopher Hache (L’Ecrin, at I will schedule a trip and bring back a detailed report. Hôtel de Crillon) and Jérôme Banctel (Le Gabriel, at La Réserve). Perhaps one day I will get a second The Hideaway Report (ISSN 0884-7622) is published monthly by Andrew Harper at 1601 Rio Grande St., Suite 410, Austin, TX 78701. Periodicals Postage is paid at Austin, TX, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Andrew Harper, chance at a truffle croquembouche and be able to P.O. Box 684368, Austin, TX 78768. Tel. (866) 831-4314 or (512) 904-7342. Fax (512) 904-7350. MEMBER: If the Post Office alerts us savor it in honor of the late, great chef. that your periodical publication is undeliverable, we have no further obligation unless we receive a corrected address within one year. Copyright 2017 Andrew Harper, LLC. CST #2110806-40; IST #1096; WST #603248672. All rights reserved. Quotation, reproduction or transmission by any means is prohibited without written permission from the publisher. Editor-in-Chief Andrew Harper Art Director Kristina Mitchell Research Editor Adrienne Jany Copy Editor Stacy Hollister Photo Editor Arielle Berger