Tribute to La Dolce Vita at legendary Italian hotel
Sixty years ago, Italian publisher and film producer Angelo Rizzoli fell in love with Ischia and decided to build a resort next to some of the island's natural thermal baths.
In 2016, to mark 60 years since the birth of L'Albergo della Regina Isabella, the historic hotel decided to revamp and rename its main restaurant. Now called DolceVita as a tribute to the 1960 Federico Fellini movie that gave birth to the golden age of Italian cinema, the restaurant has been “transformed to enter into an entirely new age of its own.” The opening of the restaurant is perfectly timed, with Ischia having recently been named the "Best Island in Europe" and the third "Best Island in the World" by Travel+Leisure readers for their 2016 World's Best Awards.
The main feature of the new design is that the entire restaurant can be opened to the natural breezes, constructed in such a way that fresh air wafts in, but no direct sunlight. The renovation was managed by architects Sifola and Sposato, in collaboration with Beniamino di Fusco. Staying true to the Regina Isabella's style, the team has contemporised the space, while maintaining its classic original elements.
The restaurant has also been expanded, with an open-air terrace overlooking the picturesque bay of the Neapolitan archipelago. A crystal balustrade extends along the entire perimeter of the restaurant reflecting the brightness and amplifying the natural light by day, and the glistening sea by night. The floors are works of art themselves, utilising Ischia's classic majolica pottery. Pasquale Palamaro, the Michelin-starred Executive Chef of the Regina Isabella's gourmet restaurant, Indaco, has taken the reins of the kitchen at the DolceVita as Executive Chef as well, bringing his inventive and renowned cuisine to the neighboring restaurant.
Giancarlo Carriero, Regina Isabella's owner for over 30 years, has made many changes to the hotel throughout the years, but has always maintained the property's original historic features to keep its legendary history alive. From the 1950s to today, visitors continue to be drawn to this unique destination to rejuvenate the mind, body and spirit with this mystical Mediterranean escape.
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