Hotel Londra Palace in Venice, Italy and a recipe for Grilled Scallops and Octopus, Potato Salad and Spinach Sauce

To build a city where it is impossible to build a city is madness in itself, but to build there one of the most elegant and grandest of cities is the madness of genius. – Alexander Herzen

I had always dreamed of visiting Venezia (Venice).  The city of canals and gondolas, masks and mystery, Venice is known as the “Queen of the Adriatic”. With stunning architecture, festivals like Carnavele, and cafés along the Grand Canal and in the Piazza San Marco, Venice held a certain allure for me.  Once the wealthiest city in the world, Venice, throughout most of its long and colorful history, has also been considered one of the most romantic.  I now know why.

We traveled to this fascinating city in June, spending a few days after our Mediterranean cruise.  In traditional American tourist fashion, we wanted to experience as much of the history, culture, food and wine we possibly could fit in our brief stay.  To do that, we needed a hotel that was ideally situated.  We chose Hotel Londra Palace.  While I will have a more in-depth article on Venice in the coming months, I did want to share our experience at this hotel with you in case you are planning a trip to Venice this Fall or Winter.

Venice is the only pedestrian city in the world.  There are over 118 small islands that are connected by canals and bridges.  There are no cars and the only means of transportation is by water taxi, vaporetto (water bus), gondola or on foot.  The streets and alleyways throughout Venice are a never ending maze of corridors lined with shops, many filled with elaborate Venetian masks and costumes.

Hotel Londra Palace, a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, Virtuoso, JDB Fine Hotels and Resorts, and Condé Nast Johansens, was just minutes from the main tourist attractions at Piazza San Marco (St. Mark’s Square).  The hotel is easily accessible by water taxi, the prominent mode of transportation around Venice and to the train station and airport.  Situated on the Riva degli Schiavoni, near the mouth of the Grand Canal, and overlooking St. Mark’s Basin, this beautiful hotel was exactly what I anticipated.  The decor was classic and elegant and the service excellent.

We could have chosen to eat indoors in the hotel’s dining room with its beautiful space and fine appointments, however, the weather in mid-June was glorious; clear and sunny days were perfect for alfresco dining.

A traditional European-style breakfast was served each morning at Hotel Londra Palace.  Cured meats, cheeses, fresh fruit, juices, and homemade breads and pastries were among the choices.

The early mornings were quiet on the Riva degli Schiavoni as we ate our breakfast on the patio, sipped our cappuccino and watched the city come to life.  Street vendors pushed their portable shops in to place to set up for the day.  Water taxis arrived with groceries for the local restaurants and the gondoliers started their morning ritual of donning their striped shirts, red ribbons and straw hats.  What was peaceful early in the morning soon became a bustling promenade and one of the main thoroughfares for pedestrians in the city.

In the afternoons, we also enjoyed the welcome respite of the hotel’s patio after arriving weary from the hot summer sun and full days of sightseeing.  Sitting under the awning, enjoying the scent of fresh Jasmine that lined the fence, sipping on a Bellini and watching a local artist create a scene in pastels is a memory that I will not soon forget.

Restaurant Do Leoni is one of just a small number of fine dining restaurants in Venice.  Described as “Classic Venetian fare, but with more elaborate preparation,” this restaurant receives many accolades and our dinner was no exception.  Chef Loris Indri, the hotel’s executive chef, sources the best ingredients and combines them with modern techniques and creativity.

As we dined outdoors on a magnificent summer’s evening with the sun setting over the canal, we were served beautifully executed dishes like Pan Seared Escalope of Mediterranean Red Tuna with Crunchy Sardinian Grain and Summer Vegetables as a first course.  A pasta course, Homemade Tagliolini with Lobster and Cherry Tomatoes arrived with perfectly cooked al dente pasta, a buttery sauce with fresh tomatoes and a succulent piece of lobster claw meat.  Baked Turbot with Perfumed Coriander and Lemon Verbena Vegetables, served with potato quenelle scented with chives was a lovely light dish with nice complimentary flavors and textures.

In true European-style, several dishes were elegantly prepared tableside.   One of the most impressive was Atlantic Sea Bass in Salt Crust Flavored with Summer Herbs served with boiled new potatoes and aubergines caviar.  Arriving completely encrusted in salt, our waiter removed the crust and filleted the fish at the table.  The white wine we chose to accompany our dinner was from the Friuli-Venezia Guilia region that we had visited at the beginning of our trip.

Highly recommended as their signature dessert, we ordered the Vanilla Soufflé.  Prepared in a classic French manner with a hint of Grand Marnier and served with chocolate and vanilla sauces, this was a most memorable way to end our dinner.

During our last evening at the hotel, we were permitted access to the rooftop balcony that provides a vantage point high above most of the surrounding buildings.  The sky was illuminated with the setting sun penetrating the clouds.  The buildings were awash with an orange cast and the air cool as the heat from the day faded with the sun.  These were some of my last images of Venice.  How can you not fall in love with this city?

It is easier to describe the food we dined on than put in words the entire experience that is Venice.  The historical significance of the city is fascinating, its beauty stunning.  There is a sense of mystery.  I came away from this city wanting more.  If Venice is not yet on your bucket list, I highly recommend that you visit this gorgeous city.

Chef Loris Indri has shared a recipe for one of their dishes from Restaurant Do Leoni, Grilled Scallops and Octopus, Potato Salad and Spinach Sauce.  Very similar in style to the dishes we enjoyed the evening we dined at the restaurant, this recipe combines fresh grilled seafood with simply prepared vegetables and sauces allowing the flavors of the ingredients to shine through.  As we saw throughout the Mediterranean, octopus is very common in the fish markets and is on many of the menus in this part of Europe.

Buona Sera.

* This photograph was courtesy of Hotel Londra Palace.

Disclosure – Hotel Londra Palace provided a media package for our visit.  I was not asked to write any articles about my stay and have in no way been compensated.  The opinions expressed regarding our experience are my own.

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