Hide & Seek

Excellent cooking

Good things take time. Anyone ordering a proper risotto should be prepared to wait twenty minutes. The robust spaghetti from Gentile in Gragnano also require time: “Twelve minutes in the water, then another four in the pan,” shares Giardino’s executive chef, Francesco Leone, whose name has a pleasant ring to it. The spaghettoni with fresh clams were excellent. The starter was just as good: Cantabrian anchovies, served straight from the can (!), with whipped butter and hearty Maggia bread. Hotel guests cross paths with the chef twice: at midday during a relaxed poolside lunch, and in the evening at the secondary restaurant, Hide & Seek. In the evening at the Ristorante, Chef Leone faced more pressure: a packed house, long tables, and numerous special requests. And a few missteps: the Italian asparagus was woody despite peak season, and the asparagus soup with Pugliese stracciatella was overly mushy. The sautéed sole of questionable origin (Netherlands) was disappointing: while the fried turbot tasted fine, it was highly inconvenient to eat. We had to remove the bones ourselves; something that would normally be handled by the waiter in a five-star hotel. Furthermore, there was absolutely no trace of the promised Amalfi lemons in the thick sauce. No freshness, no acidity. We fared better with the starters (buckwheat tartlets with Ticino fresh cheese, salmon tartare, and horseradish in a sachet). And two dishes truly shined: ones we had previously enjoyed with the chef last winter at Giardino Mountain in St. Moritz-Champfèr: a tuna rose with soy, sesame, horseradish, and kohlrabi broth, and spaghettoni with lobster and chili.