Splendido Mare, A Belmond Hotel, Portofino inaugurates the 2023 season with regattas, cinema and the new Executive Chef, Davide Galbiati

30 MARCH 2023 - Splendido Mare, A Belmond Hotel, Portofino and the DaV Mare restaurant have reopened to guests from Friday, 24 March. With a delicious new menu, a new gym available this summer for guests, and updated experiences, the next chapter of the exclusive “locanda di charme” (inn full of charm) situated in the heart of the renowned Piazzetta will feature numerous initiatives including gastronomy, cinema and sailing, to enhance a unique destination, with ever-closer attention to the important issues of the world around it, particularly sustainability.

SPRING 2023 REGATTAS AND ASPETTANDO SLOW FISH

After the great success of the first two editions, Splendido Mare is bringing the Spring Regattas back to Portofino once more, now as the Main Sponsor. The 2023 edition will be held from 5 to 7 May, with over 30 boats competing, including vessels of over 50 feet this year, for an event that will be a festive occasion for all. In the spirit of celebrating this tradition, so closely connected with the local area, Splendido Mare will also be promoting the Aspettando (awaiting) Slow Fish initiative, the biennial exhibition dedicated to aquatic ecosystems, organised by Slow Food and the Region of Liguria. The event, in which DaV Mare’s Executive Chef, Davide Galbiati, is participating, will be held from 1 to 4 June in Genoa. As part of it, the preview day on 6 May in Portofino will include a market for producers of excellent local Slow Food products, who will be showcasing Liguria to the public through their products. This is a real gift from Splendido Mare to the local community that will make the town’s atmosphere even more lively during the regatta weekend.

CINEMA IN BLU “CON L’AIUTO DI DIO”

The magical evenings of great cinema under the stars are also back, in collaboration with Sestri Levante’s Riviera International Film Festival. The silver screen returns to the Piazzetta on 12 May and 26 June, once more overlooking the magnificent bay of Portofino. These events will offer the public films “en plein air” by young emerging talents who explore important contemporary themes. Once again, Splendido and Splendido Mare want to celebrate Portofino, a natural stage, and its close and enduring ties with cinema.

A docufilm by Flying Donkeys, co-financed by POR FESR (the European Regional Development Fund Operational Programme) Liguria 2014-2020, with the contribution of Splendido and Splendido Mare, will preview on 12 May. “Con l’aiuto di Dio” (With the Help of God) is a touching modern tale of courage and resilience. Through the voice of the protagonist, Mosè, it immerses the viewer in a story spanning from the early twentieth century up to the present, about a 93-year-old dreamer who has lived most of his life on the sea. Passion has driven him to attempt a gargantuan feat: Mosè is trying to single-handedly build the largest ever Leudo, a typical local sailing boat. This has never been done before without the help of another person. As he says himself, it is all “with the help of God”, the name he has given his ark.

“Mosè’s story is an extraordinary one,” commented Alberto Pirozzini, the Managing Director of Splendido. “When we discovered this person, all on his own, and over 90 years of age, building a 22-metre boat just a few kilometres from our hotels, we immediately fell in love with the project and are proud to have contributed to the production of the docufilm that will bring Mosè’s story around the world. It is a remarkable message of strength, resilience and brazen optimism; values that today, more than ever, we are happy to spread”.

THE NEW EXECUTIVE CHEF DAVIDE GALBIATI PRESENTS THE 2023 SEASON OF DAV MARE, THE SEASIDE RESTAURANT DESIGNED BY THE DA VITTORIO GROUP

Chef Davide Galbiati and his team are delighted to launch DaV Mare’s 2023 season with a new menu that celebrates Liguria’s products and gastronomic culture, as well as the Da Vittorio group’s timeless classics. The group are collaborators in the creation and success of the restaurant, which has by now become a benchmark for the region’s gastronomic scene. The refined yet warm and cosy interior room overlooks the magnificent veranda; a real “front row” position to enjoy the best views of the town, the small harbour and the Portofino headland, on which the famous Castello Brown is perched.

At the restaurant’s helm, Davide Galbiati has assumed the title of Executive Chef. A native of Lesmo, a village in Brianza, Davide has matured his experience working in kitchens around the world, driven by his strong motivation and passion. France, England, Australia, China and the Emirates are just some of the stages of a career in which he has worked with the biggest stars on the international scene and, in particular, with the highest quality raw ingredients, which, as he himself states, has been a key aspect of his professional development. From the art of the truffle, learned with Bombana in Macao, to the flame-cooking techniques of Neil Perry in Australia, Davide honed his culinary identity alongside great masters in every corner of the globe, and then returned to Italy, where he put his vast experience into practice under the attentive guidance of Chicco and Bobo Cerea from Da Vittorio in Brusaporto. In 2022, Davide moved down to the Riviera and made his debut in Splendido Mare in the role of Head Chef.

DaV Mare’s new menu presents a delicious voyage of discovery through Liguria’s gastronomic riches, in the hotel’s maritime setting. This is where the unique combination of the Cerea family’s culinary expertise and Splendido Mare’s deep connections with the local area can be seen. Tomato salad, “Rice” pasta in zimino (fish soup) with chard and squid, Brill in pastry, conchiglie (seashell) pasta in ragu, Ligurian Salade Niçoise and Charred Blue Lobster with crab dumplings, saffron potatoes, broad beans and peas are just some of the new choices on the menu that reflect this union.

“DaV Mare is beginning its third year in Portofino with great expectations,” commented Davide. “This season is a real opportunity for us to establish ourselves and showcase the success of a winning collaboration between Da Vittorio and Belmond.”

“We are excited about Davide Galbiati’s growth as the new Executive Chef,” added Michela Nicosia, Splendido Mare’s Hotel Manager. “We can’t wait to see how his vast international experience and his passion for excellence will be reflected in our ‘trattoria di pesce’ (seafood restaurant). Davide and his team will certainly offer our guests an extraordinary culinary experience.”

INFORMATION ON DaV MARE

Open every day for breakfast (7.30-11.00 am), lunch (12.30-2.30 pm) and dinner (7.30-10.30 pm). Reservations: telephone +39 0185 267 8531, or click here to book online.