Editor Pick
Il Virgilio Restaurant: Virgilio Grand Hotel
- September 26, 2006
- Rated 5 of 5 by
UK Flower Girl from Market Weighton, England
Outstanding. Superb. Unexpected.
Not knowing what to expect, Tom and I entered the empty dining room of the Virgilio Grand Hotel. We were seated at a table and presented with a "Welcome Drink". I’m not quite sure what we were drinking, but I think it was meant to knock your socks off. I had trouble finishing it. We weren’t given a menu when we were seated. Wonder what we will be having? Soon enough, the chef came out and asked us, "You-ah like-ah da fish?" "Yes", we both replied. "I make-ah the fish then".
Since we would be having fish, we asked our waiter for a bottle of house white wine and a bottle of sparkling mineral water. We skipped lunch that day so we were both feeling quite hungry. Not a moment too soon the first course arrived—thin strips of smoked salmon. That must have been the starter. We figured possibly a main and pasta with salad or something of the sort since we were on half-board. Those plates were whisked away and out came the next course. Pan-fried fish (minus the heads) came wrapped in paper with lettuce leaves. At this point we figured we were going away with the minimum if this was the main. Were we ever wrong.
Perhaps the restaurant needed some guinea pigs to test out some dishes? Too much food ordered that week and not enough customers? No matter the reason, we certainly got our fill. The next dish to arrive was a scrumptious pasta dish—spaghetti noodles with clams and olive oil. I was starting to feel full and decided to leave a bit of that to signal the fact that I wasn’t going to be able to eat much more. Here comes a trolley from the kitchen. Must be dessert. Oh no, they weren’t done with us yet. This time it was a large baked pumpkin (no face carved into it). The waiter removed the lid to reveal risotto with a hint of pumpkin flavour. Next dish—fried calamari with salad. We were relieved when the dessert finally came—frozen whipped berry mousse with fresh berries on top and small pastries on the side.
This dinner went on for a couple of hours. We were having a good time chatting and guessing what would come out next. We declined coffee and instead ordered Lemoncello to end the meal. I’m surprised it didn’t take a crane to lift us out of our chairs. A walk was definitely in order. We paid our bill, something like 15 Euros for the water, wine and lemoncello, and went right out the doors for a walk.
Since the hotel has been open a while now and has two functioning restaurants, I don’t know if they are still giving this sort of meal to customers. I was happy to be their guinea pig, though. And I hope that if you should stay at the Virgilio Grand Hotel that you get a feast like we did!
From journal Regione Lazio, Italia