If piazza della Repubblica is on your daily walking route, you will probably have noticed that Hotel Savoy’s usually popular outside seating area has been barricaded off for works in recent months. Fans of the hotel established 25 years ago by Sir Rocco Forte and Olga Polizzi will be relieved to learn that the Savoy’s stylish restaurant and bar have reopened with a spacious and, at times, tongue-in-cheek vibe.
Retaining the name Irene, after the founder’s mother, the restaurant now vaunts a fresh, airy style that resembles a London museum café. The natural-tone textured walls are lined with carefully placed artworks in frames of all shapes and sizes, while the floors are covered in lively Tuscan ceramics. Botanical-inspired cushions are dotted around the Loro Piana fabric banquettes and upholstered Cinelli dining chairs.
The main change is the removal of the backlit bar from the dining hall, freeing up space and moved to a smaller room that has been reborn as Bar Artemisia. A darker, enigmatic contrast to the light-filled restaurant, the speakeasy ambience derives from the glistening marble-topped bar and bespoke Adam Ellis wallpaper, which at first glance features classic scenes like card playing and glasses filled with wine before yielding curious details such as the Renaissance woman artist taking a selfie and Smarties colouring the house Artemisia Martini. Salvatore Calabrese’s inspired drinks—try the Truffle Negroni or the Leather Cardinale for something different—are imbibed before diners head into Irene for sophisticated, seasonal and unashamedly simple delights by consulting chef Fulvio Pierangelini. Renowned for his “three ingredient” approach to cooking, for the press lunch we oohed and aahed over flavour combinations like prawns, loquat and broad beans as well as red mullet, n’duja and agretti.
For connoisseurs who love to people watch in the piazza, the outdoor seating space, while fully renovated, remains largely unaltered.
Cocktails from 18 euro, antipasti from 30 euro, mains from 43 euro
