AQUA

Paolo Gavioli, Ian Fernández and Roberto Vicario first came to Sri Lanka a decade ago and watched the country transform as they returned over the years, spellbound by the island and its many diverse charms. Of these charms the Galle Fort captured their imagination the most - wandering through its cobbled streets they were strongly reminded of small Italian villages or ‘borghi’ back home, where classic architecture sets the stage for incredible Italian cuisine. Inspired, the trio opened their first Sri Lankan venture in May - AQUA Forte is serving up authentic Italian food paired with the finest of wines from Galle Fort’s residential Leyn Baan Street.

In July the restaurant was honoured to serve the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his wife Professor Maithree Wickremesinghe. The reception was also attended by Mohan Tissanayagam, Deputy Ambassador Italy Allegra Baistrocchi, Ramesh Pathirana, Deepal Wickremasinghe, Raveen Wickremasinghe, Gratiaen Prize 2018 winner Arun Welandawe Prematilleke, Niranka Perera, Mr. and Mrs. Nilanga De Alwis and Mr. and Mrs. Suresh Perera. They were hosted by Paolo, Ian and Roberto within the restaurant’s spacious dining area with seating capacity for 60, including a separate dining room on the upper floor that can accommodate 25 seats. The VVIP guests dined on a personalized four-course menu created by Chef Roberto Vicario, the restaurant’s Executive Chef and Managing Director. Chef Roberto brings a background in science to his passion for cooking, experimenting with traditional recipes and creating modern dishes prepared using classic Italian cooking techniques with respect for the freshest of produce.

Guests may begin their dining experience with refined antipasti selections such as Carpaccio di Zucchine (zucchini carpaccio with truffle oil, pistachio crumble and ricotta cheese mousse) or Baccala Mantecato alla Veneziana (Venetian style cod with extra virgin olive oil on grilled polenta).

The classic notes of Italian cuisine ring true in the pasta (‘Primi’) section, paired with the finest quality premium ingredients - Ravioli alla Norma (ravioli stuffed with eggplants, ricotta and pecorino cheese with fresh cherry tomato sauce) and Tagliatelle al Ragu di Coniglio (tagliatelle with rabbit ragu), for example. Guests can eschew the traditional carbs in favour of main courses like Polpo alla Barese (octopus sous vide with smoked potato puree, parsley powder and dry black olives) or Porchetta e Peperoni (rolled pork belly with herbs served with roast bell pepper salad and crispy crackling). For ‘dolci’ (dessert) go classic - tiramisu, panna cotta, Trio di Cioccolato e ricotta, and a fun selection of gelatos and sorbets await.

Each dish could be paired with wine from AQUA Forte’s impressive wine cellar housing a curated collection of exclusive labels from Italy’s diverse wine regions. Guests will be appreciative of the restaurant’s commitment to ensuring that they can pair each course or dish with the perfect wine- the large selection including the premium labels can be ordered by the glass or bottle. Non-alcoholic options include premium Italian waters, soft drinks, a selection of freshly pressed fruit juices, and Illy coffee.

Paolo Gavioli, Ian Fernández, Rangana Chandrasena, Roberto Vicario, Saera Ismail, Lakshitha Vithanage, Shihan Condagamage and Niranka Perera

Allegra Baistrocchi, Nilanga de Alwis, Paolo Gavioli, Mrs Tissanayagam, Ian Fernández, Mohan Tissanayagam, Roberto Vicario, Niranka Perera, Ramesh Pathirana, Rangana Chandrasena and Mr and Mrs Suresh Perera