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It's always a pleasure to visit the Padma Resort Bali, with its ornate water fountains, and stone pathways meandering through lush tropical gardens. Today the path leads us to Bella Rosa, the signature beachside restaurant that serves up classic Italian fare.
The setting is elegantly simple with an ac interior featuring floor to ceiling windows, an elaborate chandelier and a plethora of fresh flowers, but we are drawn to the terrace which overlooks the gardens and the beach. It's a tranquil spot, ideal for sunsets, and we order some of their new cocktail concoctions, starting with Yuniberry's, a berry crush of vodka with pureed fresh raspberry and lemon combining to create a tart and refreshing concoction. There is also Le Gede Apple made with whiskey, sliced apple, Dry Vermouth and soda, the apple smoothes the strong flavour of the whiskey and the soda adds a hint of sparkle. Sangria, punch, classic cocktails and mocktails all make an appearance on the beverage list as well as a decent selection of wines.
Bruschetta is an excellent way to start an Italian meal and the Bella Rosa version is presented as a generous trilogy. Air dried ham wrapped around goats cheese and rucola; a classic tomato concasse with basil and slices of parmesan; and a third with a rather lovely combination of quince paste and gorgonzola – the sweetness of the quince contrasting delightfully with the creamy pungency of the cheese. Another favourite is the Avocado Crabmeat Salad, fresh crab meat marinated with lime and extra virgin olive oil, served in a tower of avocado slices with cucumber and capsicum.
A wood fired oven produces a good selection of pizza, while pasta dishes include an impressive sounding Homemade slow braised Wagyu Beef Cheek and Duck Ragout Ravioli served with wild mushroom sauce and English spinach. I opt for the Potato Gnocchi Giovanni with garlic, roasted peppers, chilli, cherry tomatoes and pancetta. This is a rich hearty dish with the fire of an arabiata, smoothed with the sweetness of the mixed peppers, and a liberal dousing of fresh parmesan. The Pan fried Tasmanian Salmon in Herb Cheese Breadcrumb Crust is superb, the soft flaky salmon beautifully complimented by the cheesy crumbly crust, accompanied by creamy mashed potato, asparagus spears and a tangy ragout of capers and cherry sundried tomatoes.
We round off the meal with a selection of their new desserts, a smooth mildly flavoured Lemon Cheesecake, and a wonderful Raspberry Chocolate Mousse Cake. I always love the combination of tart berries with semi sweet chocolate and this has contrasting layers of sweet soft mousse, slightly sour raspberry and a base of chocolate sponge.
