If the tomatoes are on, order them. Certainly Peppina offers more complex dishes than a single tomato – sliced, seasoned, served with basil leaves and doused in excellent olive oil – but its treatment speaks volumes about chef Massimo Mele’s approach at this large, glamorous hotel restaurant. Hint: it’s all about the ingredients. Brilliant prosciutto is teamed with buffalo mozzarella and cime di rapa. Textbook gnocchi bonds beautifully with a tomato sauce crunchy with pangrattato. An exemplary pork chop, grilled over charcoal, is accompanied by sweet glazed carrots and salsa verde. Classic Torte Caprese is turbocharged with tart rhubarb and clotted cream. Making simple-seeming dishes remarkable demands a deft touch, and Mele has it. The excellent service and a wine list that spends most time in Tasmania and Italy are similarly adroit. Add a gorgeous room with the perfect amount of bustle, and you’ll be planning a return visit before you’ve finished this one.
