Where do I even start?
I suppose with a huge GRAZIE MILLE to the fantastic staff – Nino, Stefania, Silvia (I hope I've spelled your names correctly!), and the rest of the amazing hospitality team at da Felicin.
Here was our experience:
I stayed at da Felicin with my partner this past August. We arrived late – both to our check-in, and for our reservation at the restaurant (and we had the last reservation of the night!). The owner's son greeted us with enthusiasm and introduced us to his father, Nino, who offered to take us to our room.
We had booked the Boeri Panoramic Suites (which I'll talk more about shortly), which are located up a hill about 250 meters from the Ristorante and main section of the hotel.
Nino asked for our car keys and personally drove us up to our room. We chatted a bit on the drive – I told him how excited we were to stay at Da Felicin, and specifically how excited we were to try their signature dish – an unfathomably thin-cut pasta bolognese. Nino asked us if we'd like for him to choose our food order for our table, and we enthusiastically agreed. It was the correct decision.
Fast-forward 20 minutes to dinner, where my partner and I were joined by two of our friends. Despite this meal being 3 months ago – and us having drank one bottle of Barolo EACH throughout the course of this meal - I still remember it vividly. It was an absolute delight and one of the most fun, delicious meals I have ever had.
The meal started with a gazpacho – a dish that I don't typically love. However, this one was exceptional – the flavors were perfectly balanced, the textures were exciting, and the soup was aromatic and delicious. This was followed by beef tartare, covered in black truffle shavings. Next, came a plate arranged with delightful morsels of soft cheese with roasted asparagus, sun-dried tomatoes, herbs, and a drizzle of oil.
Every dish was brought out ceremoniously, with 4 servers at a time – each holding one dish – and coordinating their timing of placing the food on the table synchronously so that each member of our party received their dish at the exact same time. It was a lovely detail.
Despite this extremely formal, nearly ritualistic style of service, the tone and attitude of the staff was anything but pretentious. They were energetic and could tell that we were having an awesome time with them. At this point in the meal, we were the last people at the restaurant – and we still had 2 courses to go. The staff never made us feel rushed – they cared deeply about our experience. Nino continued to be a presence for us throughout the night, too – he would come out in between courses to chat with us and see how everything was, which was really cool.
The next course was the legendary, thin-sliced bolognese. It lived up to all of my expectations. I have no idea how they were able to make the pasta that thin and cook it with such delicate precision. The main course was a magnificent steak, seared on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside.
Again, this was one of the best meals I've ever had.
Now, to talk more about the accommodations – the room at the Boeri Panoramic Suites was unbelievable.
First, it was huge – way bigger than we thought it would be. It had a kitchenette and a bathroom with two doors – one that separated the bathroom from the living room, and a second door that separated the toilet and sink from the shower. It was luxurious without pretension. And, my god, the VIEW from our room truly lived up to the "Panoramic" part of the suite's name. The balcony was HUGE, too.
The pool was awesome. It was only waist deep, but cold. It was the perfect pool to sunbathe at – when you feel too warm, just dip into the water to cool off, then return to the lounge chair. The pool was also built into a plateau in the hillside and was "infinity" style – so there was no visible edge. It was a stunning view.
Which brings me back to my final point about da Felicin – the value. For two nights, we paid less than 350 Euro. I've paid twice that for hotels that haven't even come close to this level of beauty, comfort, or hospitality. Our 5 (or 6?) course meal for 4, plus 4 bottles of spectacular DOCG Barolo wine came to 580 Euro. You cannot beat that price for the experience we received.
I would return here in a heartbeat, and extend my stay much longer than just two nights. If you're traveling to the Barolo region and you don't stay here, or your don't eat here – you've completely blown it.
Thank you once again for the unforgettable experience, da Felicin!!!