Destinations of the World News
FOUR PLACES BESIDES HARRY’S BAR TO SIP A BELLINI
ISLAND IDLE
At salmon-coloured Hotel Cervo, amid the gleaming white walls of Il Portico Bar, head barman Andrea Saritzu crafts your Bellinis while you sit in the shade and watch the world go by. Out in the bay, yachts bob hypnotically on the emerald water – and your pink drink is the perfect accessory. Overlooking Porto Cervo’s Piazzeta, this elegant bar, part of Starwood’s Luxury Collection in Sardinia, attracts only the most discerning clientele, which makes it ideal for people watching. Look closely and you’re bound to notice a celebrity (or 10) nearby. “We make the best Belllini on the Costa Smeralda, and we want to spoil you,” says Saritzu. WWW.HOTELCERVOCOSTASMERALDA.COM/PORTICO-BAR
BELLINI BASH
In the Tuscan Beach town of Versilia, summer means festive times. Enjoy cavorting with amici at Nikki Beach Versilia, a swish beach club and restaurant on the white sands of the Mediterranean’s Marina di Pietrasanta. As you cool off in the one-of-a-kind swimming pool, fashioned entirely from Carrara marble, order Nikki Beach’s version of a Bellini at the swim-up bar. “We make a Rossini with local strawberries and wild strawberry liqueur and Champagne (not Prosecco) to elevate the experience,” says chef Brian Molloy, director of culinary operations, Nikki Beach Worldwide. And the garnish? What else? A long-stemmed strawberry. WWW.NIKKIBEACH.COM
ROMAN REPOSE
Modern design meets historical gravitas at Hotel de Russie, once the playground for Russian royalty. Near the Spanish steps, rising above Piazza del Popolo, this Rocco Forte hotel has hosted scores of luminaries. Most of them probably sipped Bellinis, in the al fresco Stravinski Bar, a gardenrimmed oasis that forms the heart of the art-filled Rocco Forte hotel. At this posh meeting place, a favourite watering hole for locals, the Bellinis are made the classic way with white peach purée. Follow yours with De Russie’s signature lobster salad or scrumptious Bombolotti Amatriciana. WWW.ROCCOFORTEHOTELS.COM/HOTELS-AND- RESORTS/HOTEL-DE-RUSSIE/
WITH A VIEW
Atop a hill in Fiesole, with flaxen Florence before you and the majestic Duomo a beacon of awe, you’ll imbibe with artistic élan on the terrace at Il Saviatino. A handrestored 15th-century villa, with expansive gardens and exquisite personal service, the hotel has trained the entire staff, from the executive down, on the art of making the perfect Bellini. Guests can enjoy one “at a moment’s notice; at any time of the day,” according to head bartender Luca Gatta, who says Bellinis are best in summer when peaches are at their freshest. WWW.SALVIATINO.COM