Villa 47 opens new fusion cocktail lounge

My partner and I were recently invited to test out the new lounge, which replaces Stuzzcio on the second floor at Villa 47 Emporio Italiano, and made our way through 90% of the extensive cocktail menu, as well as sampling a few of the shared and small plates so as to remain steady on our feet.

Seta the mood

With its moody and luxurious interior, comfy booth and couches, plus a bar area and DJ set up, Seta offers a perfect spot to grab a few pre or post dinner drinks when out on the town. A small food menu is offered however there are two other dining sections offered at Villa 47. Locanda, an Italian-style bistro downstairs and in the courtyard offers a more casual and day dining option, while third-floor restaurant Pierino Penati offers sophisticated fine-dining. Sandwiched between the two Seta is a perfect party accompaniment to both.

Overwhelmed by the choice in cocktails, I started with one of the more simple ones; the Elderflower Fizz which consists of St Germain Snow Leopard Vodka, lemon and mint while my partner dived in with the Spicy Mango Margarita with Olmeca Bianco Tequila, Cointreau, mango, jalapeno, lime slice and salt. This was our favourite cocktail of the night and it even made a second appearance order later on. Sweet, spicy and salty; it was a wonderful balance of flavours.

Other noteworthy cocktails sampled were the fruity Clover Field with gin, pistachio, raspberry, mint, rooibos and lemon, the pungent Ponzu Sour with Jim Beam, honey syrup, ponzu, coconut and lime, the refreshing Apothica with Beefeater Gin, grapefruit, Capertif, ginger and rosemary and the creamy and bordering into smoothie territory; Kentucky Sours with Woodford Reserve, avocadao puree, lemon, agave and beetroot.

Decadent delicacies

The focus is definitely on the cocktails, however the food menu, though small is equally delightful. We settled on a small plate of the arancini with saffron, mozzarella, ragu and parmesan cream and the marinated salmon with fennel, orange segments and wasabi mayonnaise to start. The winning dish goes to the arancini hands down. Light and crispy these substantial golden nuggets were so moreish and the parmesan cream was totally worthy of a plate lick.

For mains, we had the fragrant and subtle gnocchi in prawn broth with ginger and chervil and one of the specials; the three cheese tortellini in a creamy cheese sauce and topped by diced Parma ham and truffle oil. Incredibly rich this was one decadent dish.

For dessert, we opted for the spiced crème Brule and pannacotta with orange caramel. Both delectably creamy and dreamy.

Well sated we ambled our way downstairs to our uber as the party vibe began to take off.

For more info go to www.villa47.co.za and email az.oc.74alliv@snoitavreser or call 021 418 2740 to book.