For an award-winning and superlative Italian degustation dinner, make a reservation at Il Ristorante – Luca Fantin

Arguably the finest dining experience in Bali, this Michelin-worthy restaurant at Bulgari Resort Bali comes with sunset aperitivos, endless ocean views and a world-class repertoire…

For gourmands around the globe, Il Ristorante – Luca Fantin needs no introduction. The original Il Ristorante – Luca Fantin restaurant opened in Tokyo in 2009, helmed by the world-famous Michelin-starred executive chef, Luca Fantin. Well, this opulent dining destination has a second home right here in Bali, within one of the finest clifftop establishments on the island: the breathtaking Bulgari Resort Bali.

Sitting on the gravity-defying Uluwatu clifftops, Bulgari Resort Bali is renowned for unparalleled levels of service and immeasurable luxury, so it’s fitting that such a spectacular name in hospitality would host such refined gastronomy as Luca Fantin’s. And with just 36 seats in the house, Il Ristorante – Luca Fantin is just as intimate and exclusive.

This dinner-only venue specialises in contemporary and creative interpretations of classic Italian cuisine. You can choose from five- or seven-courses of impeccably plated creations, served up in the semi-open-air venue surrounded by soft lighting, lush foliage and a captivating reflection pool. Optional wine pairing is also available (and highly recommended), where fine vintages from around the world are seamlessly matched with each delicate course. You’ll want to dress to impress here, and be sure to arrive early for the pre-dinner Aperitivo Hour, where complimentary Italian canapés are served alongside an award-winning cocktail list and a fiery Bali sunset.

Aperitivo Hour at The Bulgari Bar

While the multi-course degustation dinner at Il Ristorante – Luca Fantin is certainly the main event, we say, arrive early and settle in for sunset at The Bulgari Bar for the nightly Aperitivo Hour. Inviting both in-house and outside guests with reservations to the cliff’s edge, The Bulgari Bar hosts this true Italian aperitivo tradition each evening from 6pm to 7pm. Beautifully perched on the Uluwatu cliff, the bar soaks in an uninterrupted and elevated view of the Indian Ocean below, serving complimentary Italian bites alongside signature cocktails and fine wines.

And in true Bulgari fashion, the bar is unequivocally classy, with the focal point being the sleek, curved black resin bar counter (inspired by the design of the Bulgari Hotel bar in Milan) which is centred by an impressive naturally-sculpted stone as the centrepiece. As the sun begins to dip beneath the ocean horizon, this magical Aperitivo Hour draws to a close, signalling the start of the sensational Il Ristorante – Luca Fantin experience that follows…

The elevated Luca Fantin experience

Being the Michelin-starred chef that he is, Luca Fantin’s sophisticated cuisine is world-renowned. His flagship masterpiece in Tokyo earned its esteem thanks to its unwavering attention to detail, the delicate use of the freshest and finest ingredients from around the world, and the precise presentation for which it’s served. And you’ll be pleased to know that none of the Luca Fantin finesse has been lost at this Bali venture.

The Menù Degustazione (AKA the degustation menu) is a five- or seven-course masterpiece with optional wine pairing, showcasing a regularly changing lineup of stellar dishes according to the seasons. You can, however, always expect to see some of Luca Fantin’s mainstay signatures on the menu, like the iconic squid-ink cold spaghetti crowned by a slick of caviar, or the charcoal-grilled beef, seared table-side with eggplant, olives and capers.

Whatever the season, and whichever set menu you choose, the magic of Il Ristorante – Luca Fantin is in its delicate simplicity, where the refined techniques of European gastronomy coalesce in perfect harmony with the freshness and pure excellence of each ingredient, letting the exemplary quality shine through. For Luca Fantin, it is the knowledge and respect of each ingredient that truly sparks his creativity, using Bali’s seasonal bounty as the muse for his modern Italian cuisine.

The Menù Degustazione

We were lucky enough to secure a hot-seat at this sought-after dining destination, so we of course pushed the boat out with the seven-course degustation menu with fine wine pairing. The dinner began with a spectacular lineup of amuse bouche, each one looking almost too spectacular to eat. This swiftly followed by an exquisite scallop carpaccio, with a subtle zest from the citrus marinade and a soft sweetness from corn jus.

Unsurprisingly so, the signature cold spaghetti with caviar was a standout, as were the distinguished bites of miniature ravioli with red paprika consommé – a classic Italian favourite elevated to an entirely new level. The seafood continued to impress, with the fine lobster risotto that’s vibrant, citrusy and stunningly presented.

The wine pairing was equally spectacular, poured into fine flutes of imported Italian glassware. Fine Italian wines, like the 2019 Tormaresca Chardonnay from Apulia, dominate the menu, with other European favourites like the 2020 Château d’Esclans Whispering Angel Rosé from Cotes de Provence, France.

Last but certainly not least, the parade of desserts were nothing short of an art form. We tried the decadent chocolate tortino, with the Bulgari’s logo gold-branded on the shell, crowned by gold flakes and topped with coffee ice cream and a vanilla sauce. It was dishes like these, and the impeccable evening as a whole, that makes it strikingly obvious why Bulgari Resort Bali and Il Ristorante – Luca Fantin have earned such an impeccable repertoire. Compliments to the chef indeed…

Il Ristorante – Luca Fantin at Bulgari Resort Bali, Jl Goa Lempeh, Banjar Dinas Kangin, Uluwatu.

Los vinos rosados, también conocidos como Rosé, se caracterizan por ser ligeros, frescos y versátiles para maridar con una gran cantidad de platillos, lo cual los convierte en nuestros nuestros nuevos mejores amigos cuando queremos reunirnos con amigas o simplemente tomar una copa después de un largo día.


A continuación te presentamos nuestros vinos rosados favoritos para todos los gustos, pero eso sí, todos son deliciosos.

THE WHISPERING ANGEL

El mejor acompañante para un momento especial, además este vino rosado no contiene azúcar, lo que se traduce en menos calorías y resaca.

The Retreat Elcot Park in Berkshire is the perfect country hotel weekend getaway, says Lucy Cleland

Relaxed British Charm And Cheer: The Retreat Elcot Park

Greenlys

Sometimes you just want a quick, breezy, relaxing, yet spoiling, break from London – you don’t want to drive too far; you don’t want to have to pack your finest threads; you just want to chuck the kids in the back of the car with the dog and some wellies and off you go for a change of scene. It’s sort of like going to a posh friend’s country pad, in fact. If that sounds appealing, Elcot could be the perfect place for you. 

STAY

Hector Ross and his partner Ronnie Kimbugwe made waves on the British hotel scene with the opening of The Mitre, a cat’s whisker from Hampton Court right by the Thames, back in 2020. Their vision for The Signet Collection (more hotels are in the pipeline, including Barnsdale Lodge in Rutland) is to find neglected, downtrodden gems in quirky locations and breathe new life into them with a blend of great design, top-notch food and a large dose relaxation – stuffiness is definitely off the menu. Their second hotel, The Retreat Elcot Park in Berkshire, fits this brief superbly. A handsome 18th-century home, with links to Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley (you can spot his portrait hanging over the fireplace in the entrance hall), its most recent incarnation was as, I’m guessing here, a less well-designed and foodie-centric hotel, belonging to the Mercure group, catering for a more corporate audience. Hector understood its more boutique potential after taking his son swimming there. It took him six years to persuade them to sell up.

But succeed he did. Architects and designers in, and millions of pounds later, the result is, among the other communal spaces, two restaurants, a spa and 55 individually designed bedrooms by duo of Taylor and Turner (ex de Gournay and Alidad), who have brought it bang up to date with a strong colour palette and bold wallpapers – the Pierre Frey in the Bushby Bacon suite is particularly striking. Between them all, they have managed to make it feel both super-smart and relaxed at the same time – children and dogs are most definitely welcome and encouraged. A glass of wine is proffered as soon as you arrive; there are snacking pantries for hungry children to raid; there’s a recreation field with football goals; a tennis court; and a croquet lawn to lose your temper on (no one can fail not to lose their temper playing croquet). 

Then there’s the outdoor swimming pool – not always a given at country house hotels. With loungers, hot weather (well, isn’t that pretty much always the status now?) and a large glass of Whispering Angel (the cult rosé has its own branded pool bar), if you’re thinking of ditching your carbon-intensive weekend to the South of France, come here instead. 

The 2022 Ultimate Thanksgiving Guide To Celebrate With The People You Love

It’s almost time to carve up that turkey and set the table for a gathering with your loved ones — make it a memorable Thanksgiving!

By Tony Bowles

Credit: Disney/ABC

Thanksgiving will be one of the big family gatherings that will bring us together around the table to give thanks, argue about who made the best side, and watch some good ol’ football!
Whether you’re making an intimate dinner for your family or dining out, we’ve compiled a robust guide for those dining out. If you’re wondering what to sip throughout the day, we’ve got some top-notch Thanksgiving cocktails, wine, and spirits you and your guests will be sure to enjoy.
However you celebrate this holiday, we hope that you have a festive, but safe time with those you love and cherish.

Whispering Angel 2021 Rosé

The benchmark for all Côtes de Provence rosé. Adored by wine enthusiasts and Hamptons-goers alike, the wine has evocative flavors of grapefruit and citrus and pairs beautifully with crudités and fresh seafood.

Rosé Wine Pairing: Pear and Camembert Crostini

By Helga & Kitty

The holiday season is upon us, and with it comes gatherings with family and friends!

One of the most versatile wines to combine with food is rosé wine, and we have found an excellent option that we want to share with you: Whispering Angel. It has a balanced body; it is dry and with very pleasant acidity. On the palate, it has notes of strawberry, peach, and citrus.

This wine pairs very well with pork, seafood, or chicken recipes, as well as vegetarian dishes, and with cheese. With this in mind, we have a very simple yet elegant recipe that goes perfectly with this rosé wine.

You will need a baguette bread, a wheel of Camembert cheese, a couple of pears, honey, and fresh rosemary. In our reel, you can see the step-by-step so that you can prepare this delightful appetizer for your next get-together. Don’t forget to use fresh rosemary, the aroma is so delicious!

You can find Whispering Angel in Vinoteca stores and you can also order it through their online store.

Imaginary Spanish cuisine from a 12-Michelin-starred chef

By Eu Hooi-Khaw


It was a pleasure to taste the finest cuisine of Spain’s brightest culinary star, Martín Berasategui. The chef, who has a total of 12 Michelin stars, incorporates his creations into the lunch and dinner menus at EQ Kuala Lumpur’s Sabayon through 24 November. You must visit four Berasategui restaurants in San Sebastian, Barcelona, Ibiza (Spain) and Tenerife in the Canary Islands to taste everything on the dinner menu.
As he was unable to physically attend, Etxego Ibiza’s head chef, his protégé Paco Budia, presented his signature style of panache berasategui at Sabayon on a menu curated by him. Complexity, depth of flavor, texture, exquisite flavor and presentation perfection are part of Berasategui’s cuisine. So it was 3 star appetizers for us – Caipirinha-soaked melon (from Michelin 2 star MB Tenerife), seaweed potato chips (1 star, Oria Barcelona) and fried brioche (EtxegoMore Ibiza, Michelin Guide). There was a sweet, citrusy bite from the melon lightly soaked in a rum-like liqueur. I submerged it in a nice brioche.

I was blown away by the cucumber mayonnaise, black garlic ice cream and jalapeño foam with tuna. The sweet black garlic ice cream, contrasted with the salty jalapeño foam and cucumber mayonnaise, sent ripples through the mouth.
Seabass with mashed potatoes, green sauce, citrus mist and mollusks was also delicious.
Tender, mellow and moist sea bass harmoniously blends with the other components on the plate. This is a dish from a three-star restaurant named after Martín Berasategui in San Sebastian.

The beef tenderloin with chlorophyll sauce, cheese pieces and perigueux sauce was excellent. Sauce is the definition of a chef and Berasategui deserved his three Michelin stars for this creation.
The beef tenderloin looked chocolatey and tasted smooth and creamy, gelled in a rich, complex and exquisite Perigueux sauce garnished with black truffles and a sophisticated chlorophyll sauce garnished with asparagus.
The ensemble black truffle shavings complemented it. The rich flavor of the cheese sauce is perfectly balanced.
Then served as a taste cleanser before dessert was a classic gin fizz with echego strawberry granita. We enjoyed a wonderful dessert of coconut ice cream with compote.
Mignardises, or petit fours, rounded off a wonderful dinner accompanied by wines, including an award-winning Barbaresco that we loved.
A native of the Basque Country, Berasategui also owns the Eme Be Garrote restaurant in San Sebastian, the Orla Martin Berasategui restaurant in Bilbao and the Fifty Seconds Martin Berasategui restaurant in Lisbon.
‘Flavors of Spain’ dinner is RM688+ per person. Wine pairing can be added for RM328+, or a total of RM1,016+.

Lunch menu is RM328+ or RM428+ with wine. Meal wines include Champagne Baron de Rothschild, Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand, Albert Bichot Chablis, and Whispering Angel (Côte de Provence rosé).

7 Finest Wines to Present to Other

Did Somebody Say Rosé?

By VivacityI van

Whispering Angel Côtes de Provence Rosé 2020 is without doubt one of the 12 months’s most extremely regarded Rosés. A mix of Grenache, Cinsault, and Vermentino delivers flavors of citrus, peach, watermelon, and purple berry. Its floral and mineral fragrance and light-weight rose hue make it fulfilling to all of the senses. Crisp and dry with a easy end, it’s additionally surprisingly inexpensive. You’ll discover it superb to serve with frivolously grilled steaks, salmon, salads, and cheeses.

4 Spots to Drink Wine Like Adele in SF

By Christina Campodonico

In her music video “I Drink Wine,” directed by SF-raised filmmaker Joe Talbot, Adele floats down a lazy river in a 70-pound Valentino gown while drinking a glass of rosé. | Screenshot: Columbia Records

British pop star Adele’s latest music video shows the singer enthroned atop a red inner tube, adorned in a glittering gold dress, regally floating down a lazy river with a glass of rosé in hand as she sings the lyrics to her boozy ballad, “I Drink Wine,” from new album 30.
This vision of absurdity and elegance was brought to life by an SF hometown hero, Joe Talbot, who directed the video. Talbot is one of the filmmakers behind the A24 hit, “The Last Black Man in San Francisco.”
The director grew up in SF and recently gushed about working with Adele on Instagram, writing: “She supported us in the making of this in every way a fellow artist can. I feel like the luckiest boy in a Giants hat.”
Whether you’re a fan of Talbot or Adele, here are four spots where you can emulate the singer-songwriter’s wine game:

  1. Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar 950 Mason St.

Customers enjoy the ambiance at the Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar in San Francisco. | Photo by Wally Skalij/LA Times via Getty Images

Note: You could be fined $1,000 for jumping into the pool at the Fairmont Hotel’s legendary Tonga Room, according to a sign posted by the pool. But sitting around the old school tiki bar’s blue lagoon could be the closest best option to floating down a lazy river in SF.
The atmospheric cocktail lounge, complete with thunderstorms on the half hour, is known for its classic tiki cocktails (think Mai Tais, Zombies and rum-driven drinks), but Tonga Room also has an equally whimsical list of wines, including “Whispering Angel” rosé.

Premium Rosé: Now a Year-Round Favorite

Recommendations from Provence and the USA

By Tricia Conover

The Colors of Rosé

Dry rosé wines are produced all around the world in many wine regions using countless varieties of red grapes. Historically, a summer patio or outdoor café in Provence were the places to find rosé drinkers. Now, they are a year-round favorite.

Rosé wines have been the fastest growing category of wine consumption in the last few years with the number of rosé wine brands multiplying. What is not to like? Savoring the flavors and aromas of red grapes in a chilled glass at any time of the year is my idea of a great happy hour. Moreover, a rose’ wine is also a nice Thanksgiving choice when paired with the typical Thanksgiving meal dishes.

The Benchmark for Rosé: Provence, France

The most well-known rosé wine brands come from Provence in the South of France. Provence rosé history goes back to the Romans invading Gaul (France) in the first century BCE. Some of the early rosé wines were called “claret” for having such a clear red/pink color.

In the 19th century, tourists started to flock to the Cote d’Azur to go swimming in the Mediterranean Sea, relaxing on the beautiful beaches with a chilled glass of rosé.  These local wines became a symbol of glamour, leisure, and summer, now enjoyed around the year.

A wine like Chateau D’Esclans Whispering Angel is an example against which many people measure other rosé wine brands. Whispering Angel is the #1 selling imported wine from France with a production of 3.2M bottles. It is probably the greatest wine brand to come out of France in 20 years. The pale color comes from just a touch of red grape skin contact. Find this wine:

2021 Whispering Angel Rosé, $25.

Whispering Angel is made from the grapes of Rolle (Vermentino) along with Grenache and Cinsault, all well-known grapes in the South of France. Since Rolle or Vermentino are white grapes, this rosé can also be classified as being a blend of red and white grapes. The Rolle give Whispering Angel a nice touch of floral pizazz. Whispering Angel has an even more expensive, prestigious sister: Garrus. This wine is made of Grenache grapes that are aged 12 months in French oak barrels. It is an ultra-premium wine selling for $125 to $130 and may be one of the   most expensive non-sparkling dry rosé wines in the world. Find:   2019 Chateau d’Esclans Garrus Rose.

Dakota Fanning

Excerpt from An Interview Published on October 31, 2022

… Here is an unconscious and casually curated feed of “little flashes of my sense of humor or things I care about.” I couldn’t help noticing her love of Whispering Angel rosé wine.
“Oh my god, it’s the best” she cries.
I had been tempted to bring her a bottle as a gift, but I didn’t want her to take it the wrong way.
“I would have welcomed it with open arms” she reassures me. “And we would be drinking it right now.”