I ended up eating at Camillo Lasegneria by accident and I was intrigued by its format blending Italian and Korean elements.
The visit
On a Sunday, I reached the restaurant for a late lunch but it was still full. I had to wait 10 or 15 minutes. They had a bench in front of the restaurant for people waiting for their turn. The staff was super friendly, they even offered me a glass of water while I was outside. It was not an issue. Inside there was a long counter that accommodated most of the guests, plus a few tables. It felt to be in a kappo restaurant. The Italian owner was not there, but his staff seemed to know what they were doing.
The menu was quite simple. The main attraction was the lasagna offered in three versions: the classic, chicken, and seafood (chicken and seafood were their own creation, not something you would find in Italy). They also had some other types of pasta.
The lasagna (the classic in the picture) came in a set with some salad, rice, and pannacotta.
I was invited to add some of the lasagna sauce to the rice. This was a nice fusion touch.
I was so pleased that I ordered a second lasagna, a chicken one. This however was a disappointment. The chicken was nicely layered along the other ingredients, but it had cartilages that made it very unpleasant.
The check
The check for two portions of lasagna (one coming in a set) was 29,000 WON (24 USD). It was reasonably priced. Aside for my dislike for the chicken lasagna, the overall experience and the classic lasagna were excellent. It is certainly recommended for something different in Seoul. The owner also operates another Italian restaurant specializing in stews just around the corner.
Niko Romito is one of the big names of Italian high cuisine. It has the definitive accolade, the three Michelin stars, for his Italian restaurant. Recently, Romito went international collaborating with the new luxury chain of hotels named after Bulgari (or shall I write Bvlgari?).
Niko Romito’s Shanghai restaurant – called Il Ristorante – is located on the 47th floor of the hotel with beautiful views of the North Bund. The restaurant gained one star shortly after its opening in the 2019 edition of the Shanghai Michelin Guide.
The Visit
I made a booking using the form on the hotel’s website for a lunch. Small issue: at the time of my visit, end of 2018, the hotel was not properly indicated on Google Map; this wasted some of my time (for heaven’s sake, why these ultra-luxury locations cannot afford a competent social media manager! I guess their usual customers arrive at the hotel by helicopter and do not bother to check online maps).
As you might expect the dining room is luxurious sporting beautiful views (even on a foggy day), but not baroque, with a modern decor.
I ordered two dishes from their quick tasting menu (only available at lunch) plus Romito’s signature lasagna. The quick tasting menu changes weekly (it was different from what I had seen on the website… again… please hire a social media manager!). The lunch menu is no different from the dinner menu (for dinner they also have an additional tasting menu). It is a succinct menu, but everything is there: some meat, some seafood, pasta.
In an Italian restaurant the bread is no minor concern. They brought me some nice flour products and some Italian olive oil (thanks for not mixing the olive oil with vinegar), called Essenza di Carnia if I recall correctly.
As an amuse bouche, I was served a soup called “assoluto” (absolute). The soup was a distilled concoction of carrot, onion, and celery. Very delicate.
The first dish was pork belly with spinach. According to the waitress, the pork was slow-cooked for 30 minutes at 45 degrees. It was a seamless cut of quality pork meat made more delicious by the topping of onion and tomato.
Then I got the lasagna, that did not look anything like a lasagna. This was clearly a creative interpretation. The delicate pastry contained melted mozzarella, provolone cheese (not the usual besciamella) and beef ragout. It was good, but it did not blow me away. I appreciate that it was served at perfect temperature.
The second dish from the set menu was beef cheek with mash, tomato sauce and parsley. This was a melt-in-your-mouth beef cheek as it should be.
The dessert included in the set menu was a cream caramel with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. They have some more creative desserts in the menu.
But before the check there were some additional sweet treats: a candied piece of pineapple and a mini “bombolone” (a type of Italian donut filled with cream).
The check
Final check 913.10 CNY (132 USD). The set menu before 15% service charge was “only” 398 CNY, but that becomes nearly 500 CNY (575 with service charge) when you add a super expensive bottle of water and that would be the very least to dine for lunch at this luxury restaurant. The lasagna alone was over 50 USD (the only 50 USD lasagna I have ever had).
That’s a handsome sum of money for a three course lunch, but we are speaking about a luxury location, so no surprise here.
Before leaving, the chef, a young Italian gentleman, came out and we had a brief chat. He explained Niko Romito’s mission to turn staple Italian home-cooking dishes into high cuisine creations.
Clearly, this restaurant is not for everyone or for an everyday meal, unless you really have deep pockets.
Overall, I enjoyed the lunch and I may go back one more time (and more times if I win the lottery).
Where in Shanghai: Bvlgari Hotel Shanghai, 47/F, 33 Henan Bei Lu, near Tiantong Lu In Chinese: 河南北路33号上海宝格丽酒店47层, 近天潼路 Menus and reservation on this page.
