Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
There are actually two restaurants on
site—a casual enoteca where you can
sample a full range of local wines accom-
panied by regional dishes, and the upscale
gourmet restaurant. It still looks a bit like a
cow barn, with low whitewashed brick
arches, tiled floors, and handmade iron
fixtures, though add enough white napery
and crystal and candlelight, and it's roman-
tically transformed. Chef Giancarlo Prope-
do's refined cooking pays tribute to Tuscan
flavors: dishes are based on the celebrated
Chianina beef and Cinta Senese pork,
barnyard poultry, produce from the farm
or neighboring farms,
salame
from
Trequanda, cheeses from Pienza and Mon-
talcino, white truffles from San Giovanni
d'Asso, Tuscan extra-virgin olive oil, and
homemade pastas.
Locanda dell'Amorosa makes a fine
base for daily excursions around the Tus-
can countryside, though you may also
want simply to lounge by the small swim-
ming pool and bask in relaxing peace,
perhaps with a bottle of the estate's wine.
Stay for a few days and you may forget the
notion of hurrying altogether.
Off the SS326 (Sinalunga-Torrita di
Siena Rd.), Chiusi/Chianciano (
&
39/577/
677-211;
www.amorosa.it).
(
Perugia/Sant'Egidio (73km/45 miles).
Gourmet Inns & Resorts
79
Mount Nelson Hotel
Whoa, Nellie!
Cape Town, South Africa
Affectionately nicknamed “the Nellie,” the
Mount Nelson is a grand old colonial insti-
tution, a sort of Merchant-Ivory British
Empire fantasy set amid 3.6 hectares (9
acres) of palm-dotted gardens, seemingly
a world away from the rest of bustling
Cape Town. Opened in 1899 as a first-class
railroad hotel, this sprawling pink Victo-
rian grande dame naturally had become a
little creaky and fusty over the years. Yet
much as South Africa—once a pariah
among nations—reinvented itself as a hot
ecotourist and wine tourist destination, so
has the Nellie recently been brightly refur-
bished for the 21st century.
Like any large-scale hotel, the Mount
Nelson offers a variety of dining venues.
The open terrace of casual Oasis takes
advantage of South Africa's abundant sun-
shine for al fresco lunches and buffet
breakfasts. While the sleek and trendy bar
Planet draws every visiting celebrity to
Cape Town, those who want to revel in
British tradition head for the prodigious
afternoon tea served in the white wed-
ding-cake main lounge, by the Lord Kitch-
ener Fountain. For one of Cape Town's
most serious gourmet experiences, how-
ever, you can't miss dining at the Cape
Colony restaurant, which has been rated
one of the top 10 hotel restaurants in the
world. The old-world elegance of this din-
ing room—with its vaulted ceilings, fluted
columns, potted palms, swagged draper-
ies, and tiny glowing table lamps—belies
the inventive cooking of executive chef Ian
Mancais. Yes, half of his menu gives a
nod to the Nellie's old-guard clientele
with perfectly executed classic dishes
like lobster bisque, duck terrine, and beef
