With the arrival of spring, Aqualux Hotel SPA Suite & Bardolino Thermal Baths expands its gastronomic offering and presents Bardolino Reflections, the new restaurant designed to enhance the culinary tradition of Garda through contemporary cuisine, also open to those who are not staying at the hotel.
The initiative represents a further step in the hotel's philosophy, which has long aimed to combine hospitality, well-being, and sustainability with a culinary offering built on quality ingredients and a respect for seasonality.
A gastronomic project open to the territory
Riflessi was founded with the goal of becoming a meeting place dedicated to good food, where traditional recipes blend with Mediterranean influences. The menu is constantly updated based on seasonal produce and offers options designed to meet a variety of dietary needs, including vegetarian, vegan, and allergy- or intolerance-specific options.
The restaurant's name recalls water, a distinctive element of Aqualux's identity, but also the idea of a cuisine made up of multiple nuances: respect for the territory, attention to well-being, sustainability, and gastronomic research coexist in a project that maintains solid roots in tradition.
Angelo Biscotti's consultancy
The development of the new concept was carried out with the contribution of the consultant chef Angelo Biscotti, a professional specialized in the design of formats dedicated to food and beverage.
His experience has helped introduce references to Mediterranean gastronomic culture into his culinary offerings, inspired by his Cilento origins, while maintaining a central connection with Lake Garda and its products.
The food philosophy is inspired by the principles of the Mediterranean diet: plenty of extra virgin olive oil, grains, legumes, vegetables, fresh and dried fruit, accompanied by a balanced consumption of fish, dairy products, and white meat.
The symbolic dish, dedicated to the founder
Among the menu's proposals, the one that stands out is Vialone Nano rice with tench... by Mr. Bruno, considered the restaurant's signature dish.
The recipe pays homage to Bruno Viola, founder of Aqualux Hotel, remembered for his passion for tench risotto, a dish he associated with the scents of olive trees and Lake Garda. This dish thus symbolizes the Viola family's connection to the Garda area.
Local ingredients and artisanal processes
The gastronomic journey offers dishes that showcase local products, reinterpreting them with contemporary techniques.
Plant-based specialties include a cream of Lamon beans with asparagus and leek oil, as well as a potato mousse with Garda DOP oil, a slow-cooked egg, agretti, and a herb sauce.
The main courses include artisanal gnocchi with smoked char and speck, along with pork fillet served with shallots, taragna polenta, and passion fruit.
The kitchen, led by the chef Angelo Alessi, focuses on the balance between gastronomic memory and innovation, making technique and research central elements without losing the recognizability of traditional flavors.
Delicate cooking and Mediterranean influences
The preparations favor low-temperature cooking, a technique that allows us to preserve the organoleptic characteristics of the ingredients while limiting the use of fats.
Alongside the more modern methods, there is also room for traditional processes such as steaming, grilling or pan-frying.
The gastronomic offering also integrates ingredients from other Mediterranean and international food cultures, including whole salts, citrus fruits, seaweed, fermented sauces, aromatic herbs and spices, combined with vegetables naturally rich in vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids.
Extra virgin olive oil as the protagonist
The central element of the entire cuisine is extra virgin olive oil, a natural expression of the Garda region.
Particular attention is paid to thePurple Oil, produced by the family that owns the hotel, who have been involved in the cultivation of olive trees and the production of one of the area's symbolic products since the 1950s.
Short supply chain and quality of raw materials
The selection of ingredients follows a precise philosophy aimed at promoting local producers.
Cheeses, cured meats, white meats, and fish come mainly from local companies, while the catch comes from the Lake Garda fish market or from specialized Alpine farms, such as the one in Storo, Trentino.
Fruit and vegetables are purchased strictly in season, while stocks, broths, and juices are prepared directly in the restaurant's kitchens.
An experience that also looks at service
In addition to its culinary offerings, Aqualux aims to stand out through personalized service that is attentive to customer needs.
With Riflessi Bardolino, the hotel aims to consolidate a gastronomic offering that will appeal to both hotel guests and the general public, offering an experience that combines quality ingredients, a celebration of local tradition, and an openness to new interpretations of Mediterranean cuisine.
