Porto Ercole, Italy - Il Pellicano (The Food!)

The breakfast tables

Breakfast at Il Pellicano was my favorite meal of the day. Each morning they had a different home-made doughnut filled with cream waiting for us, with freshly squeezed juices of all kinds and frothy cappuccino. 

The breakfast buffet was a force to be reckoned with ... I could have spent half the day grazing off the various tables. Items ranged from cold cuts, smoked salmon, Italian cheeses, to home made breads, scrambled eggs, bacon, oatmeal, daily home made cakes and sweets, cereals, grains, nuts and even a juicer where you could make your own combinations (my favorites were straight pineapple or carrot, apple, ginger).  

The juice bar

Crostate and sweet cakes

My award for the most unusual breakfast buffet item goes to the fudge tray:

Lunch at Il Pellicano takes place at the Pelli Grill, with its outside terrace overlooking the sea and outdoor kitchen. The Pelli Grill serves typical Tuscan dishes from pasta to meat and the freshest of seafood caught that morning. They also have a very extensive wine list, and a wine cellar that holds around 800 bottles.

The view from Pelli Grill at lunch

Our table

Outdoor kitchen

Veal milanese with rucola, tomatoes and onion

Eggplant parmigiana

Risotto with mussels infused with lemon

A mixed grilled vegetable plate drizzled with tuscan olive oil

The dessert tray, which is brought to your table in lieu of a menu (these clever waiters pass the sweet delectables right under your nose just to test your willpower), had me cross eyed with excitement.

I decided on the profiteroles: five perfect pastry balls filled with the most delicious yellow cream and drizzled with chocolate:

The almond biscotti came with the bill and were perfect for dipping in your afternoon espresso: 

Dinner can be eaten in the more formal 2 star Michelin restaurant or again in the Pelli Grill. We opted for the Pelli Grill as we had enjoyed a big lunch and wanted more simply prepared menu items. We chose a lovely dry white Vermentino wine from the local area to go with out meal.

Rucola salad with artichokes and parmigianocheese

Potato gnocchi with fresh tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella

Spaghetti with clams

Grilled baby chicken with roasted new potatoes

Rum Baba

After dinner, head to the piano/cocktail bar for a nightcap and then retreat to your room to tuck up tight.

Pin It

Porto Ercole, Italy - Il Pellicano

For those naughty readers out there who are living the good life, Il Pellicano may be your only shot at experiencing heaven. I think my mother said it best when she sat down at the lunch table overlooking the pool and the Tyrrhenian Sea below it, and exclaimed, “If there can be such beauty here on earth, heaven must be incomprehensible.” My parents and I spent the last weekend of September at Il Pellicano, which is located on the coast in Tuscany’s Maremma area. From the moment we stepped foot on the property we knew we were in a truly exclusive and remarkable resort.

Monday morning October 1st, brilliantly sunny and around 80 degrees, most guests have departed and I'm feeling like I am in my own private villa, can I stay like this forever?

Frequently named one of the top hotels in the world, Il Pellicano, which is a Relais Chateaux, has 50 rooms, suites and cottages, a spa, a clothing shop, the Il Pellicano 2 star Michelin restaurant, indoor and outdoor cocktail and piano bar, All’aperto outdoor Tuscan restaurant as well as a heated salt water swimming pool and a private rocky beach accessible by lift.

Private beach accessible by elevator

Ladder into the sea for swimming

Outdoor cocktail bar (look at all of the wild rosemary!)

The service at Il Pellicano is, well, quite outstanding. As soon as you arrive you are given a complete tour of the property and escorted to your room. They had a table waiting for us for lunch on the terrace, so we could relax and refuel after the trip up from Rome. Lucia, who is the head of concierge services, is always on hand to help you plan interesting excursions in the area, including wine tastings or the hire of a private boat for trips to secluded beaches and the neighboring island of Giglio. The hotel even has a few Fiat 500 cars that you can rent for the day if you want to explore Tuscany on your own.

The front desk and common areas of the lobby ... 

A double room with sea view ... 

Always travel in style: Boeing 55 Duffle bag with hand-painted monogram, Goyard

The terrace of our room overlooking the sea ... 

Toiletries are made especially for the hotel and the scents are delicious ... 

Il Pellicano 2 star Michelin restaurant with outdoor terrace also serves as the breakfast room in the morning (I'll be writing about all the delicious food we ate here in my next post):

Very fun wallpaper

The indoor cocktail and piano bar (lots of pelicans around)... 

The only drawbacks, if I can find any, are the many small external staircases, which may be difficult for older, less spry guests, and, as the resort is very secluded, if you don’t have a car then your only option is to hire a chauffeur in order to leave the property (prices start at €60 for half an hour). There are no taxis available. 

Il Pellicano can be reached by train in just under 2 hours from Rome and the station stop is Orbetello – Monte Argentario. 

Pin It