SimplyAbuDhabi VII

2 8 6 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I A special mention must also go to the incredibly talented Margaret Dabbs, who operates a specialist foot clinic and nail studio. A skilful practitioner with a generous heart, Dabbs is said to leave the feet of all those who encounter her in the finest of health. She promotes a unique fusion of health and beauty, which has a dramatic and visible effect on the feet, employing a range of techniques including acupuncture, massage and oxygen revitalisation. Her ‘Medical Pedicure’ has attained a prestigious global reputation, and the clinic also offers luxury manicures and pedicures. Beyond this, there is a wealth of further opportunities at the Bulgari Spa, including a beautiful state-of-the art gym, with Technogym cardiovascular equipment and personal trainers on hand. The spa is also home to a specialist “Bodyism” team. This concept is designed to create lean, athletic bodies by developing each person’s health. The innovative use of customised nutritional protocols, movement and exercise programmes, not to mention the bespoke range of supplements, sounds like an incredible way for people to revitalise their health. And finally, among the very finest features of the Bulgari spa are its swimming pools. There’s a wonderful 25m swimming pool lined with shimmering green and gold mosaic tiles, and an amazing vitality pool tiled entirely with exquisite gold leaf mosaic. A dip in these pristine waters is perhaps the most refreshing way to bring an end to one’s spa experience: outstanding luxury with pure simplicity. Visionary design After the guided tour and spa, we were certainly in need of some refreshment. So where better to head to next than Bulgari’s restaurant? Il Ristorante at Bulgari is designed by the peerless Antonio Citterio, Patricia Viel and Partners. And once you see it, you cannot help but realise that some truly visionary work has gone into it. As we descended down a breathtaking polished steel staircase to the restaurant, there was a palpable sense of history, theatre and occasion. The walls of the stairwell were covered in an exceptionally beautiful metallised fabric, and custom-made lighting illuminated a historic collection of Bulgari jewellery sketches from the 1920s and 30s.The drawings were fascinating to behold, and really set the scene for an experience of unsurpassed dining extravagance. The elegant restaurant seats 80 diners: there are some banquette-style seats, fitted in handsome dark brown leather, but we were seated in a sumptuous booth upholstered in fabric and leather. To begin our meal, we were offered a traditional piccoli morsi menu upon arrival at the table. The charming name means ‘little bites’, and the menu is based on the Italian tradition whereby guests are offered the choice of three, five or seven antipasti to whet their appetite whilst they try to figure out just which of the mouthwatering dishes on the menu they are going to order. We were stunned by our piccoli morsi: our favourites were a delicious sea bass carpaccio that came with a flavoursome drizzle of Andolio olive oil and a wonderfully tart lemon. We were also hugely impressed by an incredibly intricate and cleverly designed aubergine caviar. Then we enjoyed the classic dish insalata caprese, which is made with the very finest buffalo mozzarella from the beautiful Italian province of Casserta. A classic it may be, but the Il Ristorante at Bulgari team turned it into something truly special! Our main courses, too, were fantastic. I was delighted withmy insalata di gamberoni, made with the famous “gamberoni rossi” (red prawns) that dwell in the waters off the coast of Mazara del Vallo in Sicily. Jordana ordered an artisanal pasta dish that was simply sublime: it was created with dried, roasted and marinated tomatoes from La Motticella, Puglia. This area is famous for its San Marzano tomatoes, and having tried a bite, I have to say that these were probably the best tomatoes I have ever tasted: fresh, tangy and full of flavour. Mastermind The mastermind behind these luxurious dishes is Robin Pepin. Pepin amassed an astonishingly impressive array of culinary experience in his career before joining Bulgari. Most recently, he was opening chef at Alain Ducasse’s Italian restaurant, La Trattoria, in Monaco. Previous to this, he served in some of the very finest and most highly respectedMichelin-starred restaurants and luxury hotels in Italy and London. He worked his magic at kitchens including The Four Seasons, Florence and L’Andana in Tuscany, Italy and The Aubergine and The Oak Room in London. I believe that one of the keys to the genius that Pepin has already exhibited at Bulgari is his joint Scottish & Italian ancestry. It makes him the ideal candidate for blending Italian style with British heritage: and the results are clear on every plate that emerges from his amazingly creative kitchen. Pepin is renowned for his detailed knowledge of the very best suppliers of the freshest, tastiest and highest quality seasonal produce from around Italy and Europe. Among the exquisite foods he brings into the mix are gorgeous sweet basil from the DOP-protected Genoa in Liguria; and amazingly juicy lemons from the Amalfi coast. Pepin is known to be a fan of the Italian “Slow Food” movement – and this is evident in his sourcing of the meat and fish from local suppliers with massively respected pedigrees. One of his suppliers of cured meats is the Spigaroli family of Antica Corte Pallavicina, who also supplied meats for the famous composer Giuseppe Verdi in the 19th century: amazing! Truly proud After this sumptuous meal, we listened to a speech from Francesco Trapani, the CEO of Bulgari. Speaking powerfully, resonantly, and with immense authority, it was clear that Trapani was a leader in the field of global luxury. He stressed that he was “truly proud” to open a Bulgari hotel in London, and pointed to the hotel’s stand-out attractions – including its exquisite Knightsbridge location, its beautiful design, and its incorporation of the latest sustainability features. Trapani also spoke incredibly movingly of the history of Bulgari, which was founded by his great grandfather Sotirio, a Greek silversmith who landed in Italy to seek his fortune. Trapani said that the only wealth Sotirio had brought with him to his new land was “his talent and drive for excellence”. Finally, the distinguished Trapani introduced the guests to Sylvain Ercoli, the General Manager of the Bulgari hotel. Ercoli previously held the same role at the Raffles Royal Monceau Hotel in Paris. Prior to this, he spent over 20 years managing some of the world’s most prestigious hotels, including the stunning Hotel de Crillon in Paris, the glorious Hotel Martinez in Cannes and the lovely Byblos Hotels in Saint Tropez and Courcheval. Ercoli has said that he is “delighted” to have been appointed, and looks forward to working with a “world class team”. One of the many areas on which the Bulgari staff will be working is a new initiative with the Save the Children UK charity. To celebrate the hotel’s opening, Bulgari pledged to raise an estimated £500,000 to support the charity’s new UK programme: Eat, Sleep, Learn, Play! (ESLP!). The luxury of creativity A similar sense of social responsibility – so pleasing to witness – is evident in Bulgari’s commitment to the environment. We’re thrilled that the hotel utilises pioneering methods of sustainable luxury. The designers have developed these by following the best practices in sustainable design set by BREEAM, the leading environmental assessment method for buildings. To meet BREEAM’s famously strict criteria, the hotel and residences feature such amazing initiatives as an ecologically-designed “green roof” – complete with bird and bat boxes. There are electric car-charging points within the vicinity of the hotel, and sophisticated energy-conserving intelligent lighting. Geothermal energy, a cost effective, reliable, sustainable and environmentally friendly form of energy generation, has been integrated into the hotel building. And there are twenty bikes available on site for client use, plus water collected for re-use to flush the public WCs. It was a privilege to hear about these amazing innovations in such a sumptuous environment. It made us realise the depth of passion and talent that have gone into the creation of this stunning hotel. We were left with an immensely powerful impression of Bulgari’s commitment to luxury – and the moving thought that perhaps human creativity is the finest luxury of all. For more information or to make a reservation please visit http://www.bulgarihotels.com