Luxe Retreat

Grand Hotel a Villa Feltrinelli Lake Garda, Italy

Lake Como is perhaps the best known amongst the Italian lakes, but it’s Garda that is home to the region’s finest hotel. Formerly the retreat of lumber magnate Faustino Feltrinelli’s sons, Villa Feltrinelli was home to Mussolini from 1943 to 1945 during the Republic of Salò. It is immersed in eight acres of gardens shaded by olive, oak and magnolia trees on the lake’s western shore. With only 21 rooms, decorated with antiques and historic prints, overnighting here is like staying at a friend’s country home. On a summer’s afternoon there’s nothing like a game of croquet on the green, unwinding by the pool or strolling in the lemon garden. With a staff ratio of three to one, service is second to none. And with two Michelin stars, the chef there makes creative dishes that blend prized ingredients with food from Italy’s finest regions.

Table To Book

Bloomsbury

Situated at the breezy Saba Avenue in Phase 6, DHA, Karachi, this contemporary gourmet restaurant welcomes you with a whiff of sea breeze once you step in its vicinity. So, you are set to be energised even before you enter this cozy spot that has been in business for good 10 months.

According to Adnan, who has been associated to this place as a server since its opening, “The menu is modified every six months in a bid to keep up with the taste and demands of our customers.”

Traditional pasta, authentic brick oven pizza selection, delectable steaks and finger – licking desserts are some of the high points of its menu that the restaurant boasts of.

We started our meal at Bloomsbury with chicken quesadilla – chicken, beef, susages, jalapeños, red and yellow bell peppers and cheese, stuffed in grilled tortilla and served with salsa and sour cream. The downside of the dish was its undercooked bottom tortilla. However, the perfectly toasted and crunchy upper layer of the quesadilla tasted amazing, and the dish did not need any help from the salsa and sour cream. All is well that ends well, we would say!

Next were the main dishes – the chef’s special for the day was spicy mushroom chicken, that was grilled to juicy perfection. The char on the fillet actually had quite a pleasant distinct taste of its own but did not clash with the flavours in the sauce. The red chilli flakes lent a hint of spicy kick to the otherwise creamy sauce. The jalapeño chicken was another juicy, perfectly cooked grilled fillet topped with thick slices of the pepper in creamy sauce. If you are expecting this dish to be super spicy, you’d be wrong. The flavour is creamy and mild while the jalapenos in the sauce give a slight heat and an acidic punch only when you bite one. The only let downs were the surprisingly undercooked rice and a bit strong seasoning of dried oregano on the sautéed veggies. The mushroom sauce and smooth potato mash served with both the mains were delicious! - MAG Editorial

What’s in the menu?

Döner Kebab

Döner kebab is a Turkish kebab, made of meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie. Seasoned meat stacked in the shape of an inverted cone is turned slowly on the rotisserie, next to a vertical cooking element. The outer layer is sliced into thin shavings as it cooks. Originally invented in the 19th century Ottoman Empire, it inspired similar dishes such as the Arab shawarma, Greek gyros and Mexican al pastor. The sliced meat of a doner kebab may be served with various accompaniments, stuffed into bread as a sandwich, or wrapped in a thin pita bread. The sandwich generally contains salad or vegetables, which may include tomato, lettuce, cabbage, onion with sumac, fresh or pickled cucumber, or chili, and various types of sauces. The döner kebab, and its derivatives, came to world-wide prominence in the mid to late 20th century. In Germany, the döner kebab was popularised by Turkish guest workers in Berlin in the early 1970s. The dish developed there from its original form into a distinctive style of sandwich that would soon become one of the most popular and top-selling fast foods around the world.