The Royal Sunset Gourmet Dinner recreates the atmosphere of the Savoy hotel’s Grill Gourmet Fleur de Lys restaurant.
The Fleur de Lys, a lily, was a restaurant that used to belong to the Savoy hotel but no longer exists. It added to the experience of staying at the Savoy, a classic hotel in Madeira, but now remains only in memory. From that time, all that is left is its heir, the Royal Savoy and the many guests who remain faithful to its name.
This is therefore a story that has to do with the imagery, or better yet, the nostalgia for the classic atmosphere and the conviction of wanting to immortalize dinner services in which the side trolley played a role, especially when it came to flambés.
And thus the Royal Sunset Gourmet Dinner was born. Held at the Royal Savoy on Friday evenings, every two weeks, it is an intimate service with a maximum capacity of 10 people.
The Fleur de Lys may no longer stand but the atmosphere is still there, in the classical décor with elements that used to be worn in the emblematic restaurant such as the sun shaped golden mirrors, chandeliers, tables, chairs and even the silverware with hand-painted details.
New life is breathed into a classic concept of gourmet food which made the Fleur de Lys a true hallmark of Madeira. The new stage where this dinner is set is the Mezaninne room, sporting a view of the pools and the ocean. The ambience may take one to olden days but the service is a reinvention based on the best that is out there nowadays. There is a cocktail served at the piano bar but the real show only gets started after that.
There are two possible six course menus to choose from, the dishes having been selected from the Fleur de Lys’ most popular ones: the Flambéed Tiger Shrimps au sauce Dom Pérignon served with Jasmin Rice Timballo; the Roasted Duck à l’Orange and the Flambéed Crêpe Suzette still coming out on top.
The trolley goes down the room offering guests a flambéed spectacle. Customers are easily impressed by the flames lit with spirits and the French Cointreau and Grand Marnier liqueurs. These very special and specific flavours are the reason why many customers return to the Savoy. They are flavours charged with memory. It is almost like being at home.
For everything to work out, Arlindo Spínola, director of the F&B at the Savoy, is a vital presence as he conceived one of the stars of the evening. He is the one in charge of finalizing the dishes in a true gesture of culinary acrobatics that makes him the star performer of the night.
This pro’s story is easily mistaken for that of the Savoy’s. For 50 years now he has been a part of the group, something already acknowledged by the Regional Government of Madeira. He is the one who gives soul to the Royal Sunset Gourmet Dinner making for a familiar atmosphere and ambience. And he is also the one holding many of the memories of the Fleur de Lys that make this re-enactment possible.
The sound of the sax, in the background, completes the scenery in which tables are not isolated from one another. This dinner served in groups will make friends out of complete strangers.
And waiting for you at the table is the mandatory glass of Madeira Wine, preferably a dry one, to counteract the citron sweet flavour notes of the distinguished crepe suzette.
