Seminyak’s ultra-hip Double-Six Luxury Hotel has been open for just over a year now, and in that time, it has quickly built itself a reputation as a hub for world-class dining. Most recently, the Double-Six Rooftop and The Plantation Grill have kept the island’s foodies buzzing, but it was Seminyak Italian Food that first fired up the culinary esteem of the dazzling hotel.
As the brainchild of Australian restaurateur, Robert Marchetti—the genius behind Bondi’s famed munching holes Icebergs Dining Room and North Bondi Italian Food—it’s no surprise that Seminyak Italian Food raised the bar for Bali’s Italian dining scene back in 2014. But what’s so impressive about this beachfront restaurant is the way it has somehow brought together the authenticity of old-world Italy and the swankiness of 21st century Seminyak—and pulled it off without a hitch.
The restaurant is no doubt the place to be for the discerning Seminyak crowds, complete with designer cocktails, exclusive sunset views and a chic fit-out reminiscent of a trendy Sydney hangout. But in between this cool, luxury vibe is an astounding ode to true Italian cuisine.
To give you an idea of the calibre we’re talking about, consider the fact that Seminyak Italian Food not only serves one of the finest collections of Italian cured meats here in Bali, but each one is displayed in a temperature-controlled salumi cabinet, on view for all to drool over. The same can be said for its pastas. All varieties are made in-house and hung within full sight of the dining room. Even the wine list is unlike any other we’ve seen on the island, almost completely dominated by premium Italian grapes.
These stellar ingredients are then superbly translated onto the menu. Hand-picked crab meat centres a bright yellow round of Venetian marscapone polenta. A creamy Mozzerella Burrata is cradled by palm hearts, banana blossom, mint, shallots and lemon, and top quality cheeses are moreishly stuffed into plump Arancini Balls, finished with just a squeeze of zesty lemon. And that’s just for starters…
On to the pastas and each one is unsurprisingly top-notch, simply impossible to choose between. There’s the Penne con Agnello with giant chunks of succulent lamb shoulder, braised for six hours then whipped up into a velvety ragù with pancetta and rosemary. Or the Ravioli Zucca that’s filled with creamy pumpkin, simmered in a silky butter-sage sauce. The list continues. Carefully wrapped tortellini packs veal, prosciutto and black truffle; spaghetti is stirred with whole crayfish; and a risotto comes blackened with squid ink and sweetened with seared calamari.
The “Secondi” plates keep the momentum going. Roasted over lemon peel, the Porchetta di Marchegiano suckling pig is a fancied-up interpretation of a treasured home recipe, while a caveman-sized cutlet of milk-fed veal is a credit to Milan’s signature dish, served on the bone and crumbed with parmesan and lemon breadcrumbs.
Indeed, Double-Six Luxury Hotel is renowned for its world-class dining, and it all began with Seminyak Italian Food.
One of the restaurant’s most recent creations, the Pesce Pie, is a clear standout and a new favourite of ours. It’s home-baked just as Nonna would have intended, complete with a shatteringly crisp and golden brown puff pastry. Just a light tap on this delicate shell and a fragrant saffron steam is unleashed from the gourmet stew of ocean delicacies inside. There’s whole hunks of juicy salmon, snapper, giant prawns and buttery scallops, all marinating in a decadent yet heartwarming broth.
