Lux Lucis Dining Room
Lux Lucis, home to the Michelin-starred cuisine of chef Valentino Cassanelli, will reopen its doors on the evening of Friday 15th March 2019.
Following a hugely successful 2018, Lux Lucis will be back with a new tasting menu “On the Road Via Vandelli”, which this year takes guests on a gastronomic odyssey from Modena, Valentino’s hometown in Emilia-Romagna, over the Apuan Alps to Tuscany’s coastal town of Forte dei Marmi. The origins of the modern Via Vandelli date back to the 18th century and was the first road in Europe to be provided with inns, taverns and staging posts. In honour of this, Valentino has created a 13-course menu celebrating this unique passage, focussing on the very best of regional produce from land-locked Modena, up and over the mountain pass and down into the lush hinterland of Forte Dei Marmi and out over the Tyrrhenian Sea.
The annual four month winter closure, has gifted Valentino and his kitchen brigade the time to travel, research, develop and refine dishes, working together to create a menu that heralds and celebrates the beginning of spring. In addition, the sommelier team lead by Maître Sommelier, Sokol Ndreko have worked in tandem with Valentino, further developing the drinks pairings, not only with wine but cocktail combinations too, introducing Nocino, a liquer made from walnut shells and aged over eight years and that most ancient of alcoholic beverages, Mead.
Over the past few years, Lux Lucis has undergone huge refurbishment, transitioning from the ground floor to the rooftop of the main hotel. The move has afforded guests, not only uninterrupted 360 degree views of the mountains and sea but also the perfect platform to enjoy the unique sculptural art of Korean artist, Park Eun Sun. In addition the open, show kitchen ensures a front row seat into the stage that is the theatre of the chefs during service and this year, greater emphasis will be placed on tableside trolley service, enhancing the dining experience even more.
Continually evolving, the Lux Lucis team strive to provide the ultimate in guest experience, creating a bridge between tradition and the contemporary and transforming each visit into unforgettable memories.
Lux Lucis will be open Wednesday-Sunday from 7:30pm until 10pm, and for dinner daily from 1st July until 1st September.
Lux Lucis Side Terrace
Notes to the editor
About Lux Lucis
Lux Lucis is situated on the rooftop of Hotel Principe Forte dei Marmi, in a stunning landscape caught between mountains and sea. The 24-seat restaurant is ideally positioned to capture the aureate evening light, offering panoramic views over the town’s stone pines to the Apuan Alps in the east and westwards over the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Valentino’s dishes are a free expression of Italian cuisine, drawing not only from his own life experiences, but also the rich biodiversity surrounding the coastal town of Forte dei Marmi. Inspiration too comes from his close collaboration with Maître Sommelier Sokol Ndreko, with dishes often beginning with the flavour profiling of particular wines.
The restaurant achieved a first Michelin star in 2017. In 2018, Principe Forte dei Marmi was awarded Best Dining Experience by Condé Nast Johansens Awards for Excellence.
About Valentino Cassanelli
Born in Modena in 1984, Valentino Cassanelli inspiration came from his his grandmother who was an excellent home cook. Valentino developed a strong sense for the quality of local produce and watching and learning the processes of preparing seasonal produce to provide daily meals for the family.
He went on to study at the catering college in Serramazzoni, where he was sent to Floriana in Beauchamp Place in Knightsbridge, before returning Italy to gain professional experience in a more traditional restaurant in Modena. After graduation, the lure of London’s dynamic restaurant scene saw him back in England, gaining experience in Mosaic in Mayfair, followed by Locando Locatelli in Marylebone and later Nobu on Berkeley Street. Valentino then returned to Italy to work under two Michelin starred Carlo Cracco in Milan, where he remained for three years. Then in 2010, Valentino was asked to join two chef friends at their popular restaurant Sangal in Venice, where he grew creatively as a chef.
Valentino arrived at Principe Forte dei Marmi in February 2012, following recommendation from Carlo Cracco to lead the hotels new F&B project. A month later, restaurant Lux Lucis opened to huge critical acclaim and gained its first star in The Michelin Guide Italy 2017.