Eating Dinner with Vesuvius in the background

Monday evening

After our pleasant stroll around the seaside of Naples, we went back to the Hotel Romeo. We had dinner booked at 8.15 in the 10^th floor Il ComandanteRestaurant.

The views from the restaurant were stunning, so much so that we sat outside to eat, looking at Vesuvius, checking it was behaving itself, as we did so.

We looked at the menu and it seemed exciting, we opted for the chef’s seven course tasting menu called Freehand, meaning he didn’t tell you what is coming until it does. The focus on the menu is on fresh local ingredients, but with a twist.

Welsh Salt, French butter and a selection of bread

One of the twists is that the table receives a selection of salt with which to begin, this was Halen Mon salt from Ynys Mon (Anglesey), it came in vanilla, smoked and Indian versions. The vanilla salt was really nice, the Indian had subtle hints of cumin and coriander. Along with the salt came a selection of bread; you could have Neapolitan, pepper, onion, ham and cheese or rosemary bread and through the meal we tried all of them.

The table also had some French butter for those who like butter and Bianco Guillo olive oil from Sicily on it for dipping. The bread oil and salt could have been a meal in itself, but there was a lot more to come.

The meal started with an Amuse Boche this was rabbit with milk mustard sauce, sun dried tomatoes and paprika (note the menu is all in English as each dish was explained to us in that language by the waiters). This lovely light ball of rabbit was supported by a very light mustard flavour and the stronger taste of the sub-dried tomato. Drew who is never sure if he likes rabbit was willing to give it a try. He found, like I, that it was a tiny morsel of pleasure.

The first real course of the meal was as pretty as a picture, and I hope our picture shows it well. It was egg, which apparently came from a goat milk fed chicken which gives it an almond flavour, in a sweet pepper sauce with the dust of olive oil. Not only did it look spectacular, but the egg, set rather than cooked, did have a fantastic flavour - would I have thought of almonds - well no, but it certainly tasted like no egg I’d ever had before.

Our second course was cod salad with plum, micro salad leaves, lemon sauce, truffle, fennel, capers and olives. The Cod was very firm and stood up well to the mix of strong flavours in the saled. Adding a little of the vanilla salt made it even better.

Next came the risotto with aromatic herbs, though it sounded so simple the taste was exquisite.  The rice grains were each distinct and succulent, the herbs included basil and oregano, plus another taste Drew and I weren’t able to identify.

Our fourth course was a pasta course. We had already noticed that spaghettoni seems to be popular in Naples, it is mentioned on shops and in restaurants we have passed. So it was that we have the pasta of Napoli, spaghettoni, was on this menu. It was el dente, indeed almost hard, but was served with small mussels, tiny pieces of squid and flavoured with Sorrento lemons and parsley. Once I got over the shock of how el dente the pasta was almost crispy but the lemon did what it was meant to do and make more intense the taste of the shell fish. I’d have wanted more of this and could easily have had a main course side of it, but then I’d not have been able to taste all the other lovely things .

Our fifth course was the fish course, this was a piece of grilled Turbot with a creme of carrot sauce. I’m a big fan of Turbot, indeed have eaten it in a number of very good restaurants. Here it was cooked to perfection - the strong meatiness of the fish giving it a flavour to savour. The carrot sauce was a bit overpowering for me, but Drew really liked it. I think the sweetness that carrots have did not suit my taste buds. Having nothing sweet in my diet even the sweetness of carrots was too much for me. Luckily the fish and the sauce were not to close on the plate, so I was able to enjoy one without eating the other.

Our sixth course was rose veal with chicken skin in a cardino sauce with freeze dried beetroot. The veal was tender and cooked pink, this gave the meat a softly rich flavour that danced on the tongue. Drew in anticipation of having to cope with my desserts (little did he know) let me have two of his three slices – isn’t he lovely.

Then the desserts began, this is where the seven courses seemed to expand. The seventh course was crème patisserie with mixed berries and vanilla salt delivered in a lovely bowl. You can see the bowl, both with and without its lid in the photos. Drew enjoyed this (I mean these) and would recommend the use of vanilla salt on desserts as it added a new intensity to the sweetness of the cream.

I say the desserts came, because we found we had an eighth course which was ricotta with java pepper, dried black olives and a jelly of Japanese spice (ish something, but I didn’t ask him to spell it). Again Drew had both of these, the ricotta was just ricotta but with little sparkles of surprise as the pepper and jelly hit. Drew preferred the former dessert, but it didn’t stop him eating both of these.

Thinking we were done we were getting ready to order coffee when the next set of plates arrived. This was three macaroons: white chocolate, dark chocolate and strawberry; in a box along with a board of miniature desserts, which was made up of chocolate éclairs, Fruit on a biscuit base, jelly and some almond biscuits. As Drew described it, being forced to eat all of them due to my diabetes, a smorgasbord of delightful desserts. These were accompanied by three chocolate truffles. Thought it must have been a struggle Drew managed to eat them all. Though I suspect he may be suffering from a sugar rush for the next few days!

We ended the meal with a coffee each, Drew added sugar to his given the state of his taste buds. Having started the meal at 8.15 a.m. it was just after 11.30 when we left the table, a wonderful meal, well served without too much ‘hovering’ by the waiters, accompanied by the wonderful view of Naples bay and Vesuvius.