The final night at Nordelaia was very special. After a bath in the bedroom (yes, the bedroom), dousing myself in Comfort Zone products, I dressed up and headed to L’Orto, the on-site flagship fine dining restaurant.

On what should have been a night off for the chef, Charles Pearce, he opened the dining room for a private evening unlike anything I’ve ever experienced: just one spotlight illuminated our table and the rest of the restaurant was silent, dark and empty. However, nothing about the experience was soulless or eerie. Eight, maybe 10 – I lost count in the end – neatly presented dishes were delivered with grace by a team of passionate experts, proud of the fledgling restaurant’s wares.

The standout dish for me was the sturgeon, including courgette and black garlic beurre blanc, followed closely by the spaghettoni with anchovy dripping and barbecue pepper extract (from the garden, or should I say l’orto).

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