Our first time here at Forestis in the Dolomites. We had our eye on it for quite some time and finally here we were, a little relaxing paradise in the mountains where we could really unwind/chill out after a jam packed, stressful year. The hotel delivers a very understated luxury, a cosiness like no other. You do not want to leave; it is one of the few hotels that you want to return to repeatedly. The food I was particularly impressed with on New Years Eve, because normally everywhere there is a trend whereby the standard just drops. You are either left with a reduced/set menu that is not as good as usual, or just sheer disappointment in general. Oh well it is New Years; everyone is too busy getting merry anyway to care about the food! Wrong…
There is a consistency here, and when there is only one main restaurant in the hotel you are expecting this to be the case. The dining room was one of the most breathtaking spaces I have had the pleasure of sitting down and eating in. We had the same table each night and it was like we were in our own private space just for us, with the tables being laid out in a very clever way. You are safe staying for a while because every night we had a decent meal without fail and this was after a week here. The interest was kept alive keeping us wondering what we would eat with their nightly changing menus. You are always taking a little bit of a gamble in hotels for long stays. Is the food good or not? This is the first question I always ask myself. Then you have to hope and pray for the best. Being at Forestis lifted this weight from my shoulders and I looked forward to eating here every single night. Forestis is also blessed to have a fantastic bar with some talented bartenders. The food here also matching the standard throughout the hotel.
We start with our breakfast; they clearly know how to do it well, which is important, you need to start the day off right in a place like this! Perfectly cooked eggs, everything from the jams to the juices are homemade and freshly squeezed, with added interest with ingredients from the surroundings. (Expect nothing less here). You can taste the forest on your plate, I particularly enjoyed their porridge with a Dolomites twist. With the incredible view of the mountains straight ahead of you whilst eating in your room, what can be better than this? Our New Years Day brunch spread was one of the most fantastic breakfasts for us. For a gluten intolerance this is taken care of, they can make gluten free waffle or pancake. If you ask, they can do it.
For mostly every lunch we sat in the spa area gazing out onto the view whilst eating their salads. We were there to relax of course, and I tried to still be healthy for this mealtime. I am not normally overly excited by salad, but this one was acceptable for me. I asked for bread and homemade butter on the side each time just so it brought some interest to my plate. I can only go so far! I really enjoyed the salads here. It is being in the mountains that helped me to see them in a different light.
Dinner throughout the week was always a journey, going down the steps and arriving to your table itself was special. I am emphasising the dinner on New Years Eve for my story because for once it was good overall and not an easy after thought. I find it difficult each year to be satisfied and here I was.
Amuse Bouche to start: Local char, horseradish, stone pine nuts. Staying true to local produce, a good introduction to the menu.
Chestnut from the Eisack valley Muscat pumpkin, mountain pine: Everything was quite soft on the plate, some other textures would be most welcome, however it was a light start to the menu.
Guineafowl bouillon, root vegetables, tree lichen: An excellent idea to put this dish on the menu at this stage. A wonderfully clear and flavourful broth, surrounded by delicate, bite sized morsels. Root vegetables and tree lichen are a match.
Beets fagottini: Onion, crispy leaves- The fagottini execution was perfect. I could have eaten more of them.
Pikeperch confit, white truffle, South Tyrolean sparkling wine: Is it true? Are we really getting this quality of cookery on New Years Eve? I had to pinch myself. The fish with the white truffle and local sparkling wine must stay together forever. It was cooked perfect, an enjoyable dish.
Local beef, Crosne, spruce, morel: More and more having been exposed to local mountain ingredients, my sense of intrigue heightens. An excellent end to the meal with a quality morel (Thank you)
The only downfall in the restaurant is the dessert. I found myself not liking many of them, mainly down to the execution of the dishes, they did not taste that great. The pastry section did not match the cuisine, I would take one bite and not go in for another one. This should be improved to reflect the rest of the kitchen.
The bar- A wonderful place to sit before the dinner for a brief aperitif. The drinks come with a couple of canapés, and they are well made, there is talent here. You can eat a full meal instead if you prefer a more relaxed night as we did. We took a burger (They serve this with both gluten and gluten free buns) This is something I wish more people thought about. They were deliciously high-end tasting burgers, not your usual greasy, sloppy American style ones obviously. (There is a time and a place for those). This is just what we fancied after spending every night in the main restaurant. We were craving this, and the taste did not disappoint. The chips were perfectly fried, crisp and moorish. I love it when they arrive in a fryer basket. We were greedy before this and ate a loaded flat bread and a salad. There was no need for it, but I can confirm that the bread was fresh and comforting, delicious too.
I will end by saying that Forestis is a special place, a place worth revisiting with the food being overall solid. If you are looking for a place to celebrate in the new year, where the food is half decent, it is here. The use of local ingredients and tasting deep into nature is an experience all on its own. A chance to learn and discover new things, there is not a lot of disappointment here. I am already booking my next visit to paradise in the mountains. See you soon chef.
