Seventh Heaven
Following a great Italian tradition, the grazing menu at Settimo Cielo turns lunch into a wonderful carefree communal dining experience. So take your time, kick back and indulge in the pleasures of relaxed, refined rustic Italian cuisine.
The Italians are as passionate about communal dining and great food as they are about haute couture and Ferrari.
As a result, some of the most iconic rustic dishes are created for sharing and designed to enhance the joy of cheerful family or group gatherings.
For lunch at Settimo Cielo in Seminyak, this labour of love has translated into a delicious fixed priced Seventh Heaven Grazing Menu, where a never-ending collection of freshly prepared small plates are served home-style. Simply browse, select and repeat as often as you like.
Located in one of the quieter but easily accessed areas of Seminyak, Settimo Cielo is a modern and welcoming bistro-style eatery. Meaning Seventh Heaven, the restaurant is intimate, but spacious and airy, and boasts a range of comfortable seating that includes a small street-side terrace. Built around a stylish and wellstocked bar and with a laidback vibe, Settimo Cielo is a terrific place to explore the pleasures of good quality, affordable Italian rustic cuisine.
Complemented by heartfelt service and a collection of wines, spirits, cocktails, beers and non-alcoholic drinks, the grazing menu offers an assortment of starters, soups, pasta dishes, salads and pizzas. Served every lunchtime, as well as once a month at dinner, the grazing menu is only available for the whole table.
The menu is full of beautifully plated traditional and imaginative Italian favourites created using the finest and freshest local ingredients. Open your account with raw dishes like beef carpaccio and the perfectly balanced kingfish tartare. A mix of kingfish, celery, chilli, basil, fennel, artichoke, fresh mint, olive oil and lemon, it is both refreshing and complex on the palate.
For a heartier starter try the beef ragu arancini. Presented in a small copper pan, yellow rice is shaped around a rich meaty centre, topped off with parmesan and served with a side of olive tapenade. The delicate fried zucchini blossoms could be next up, or chose a traditional soup like minestrone or the delicious seafood saffron. There are also some intriguing vegetable dishes to explore, like the warm vegetable and soft goat's cheese salad and the light and classic fennel, orange and rucula salad.
Like many of the dishes, the house-made pasta and pizza are taken from the à la carte menu, albeit served in smaller but no less impressive portions. The goat cheese and ricotta tortelloni with dried orange, parmesan and toasted almonds is rich and satisfying, whilst the linguini dish, crammed with mussels, is bold and flavoursome.
The meaty dishes include meat balls and paccheri, as well as the gorgeous rabbit and porcini ragu pappardelle. For pizza lovers there are four choices – margherita, mushroom, four cheese, and rucola and prosciutto, all with wonderfully crisp bases and lush toppings.
In today's hectic world we find ourselves eating in a hurry, or worse on the go. Why not take time out this week and indulge yourself over lunch at Settimo Cielo and feel the warmth and pleasure that quality communal dining delivers.
Settimo Cielo (settimocielobali.com)