52 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM views, The Dining Room and Terrace offers elegant seating indoor or al fresco. The coastal California menu shifts with the season, highlighting local seafood and freshly picked herbs, lettuces and leeks from El Encanto’s own harvest. As dusk falls, we relish each course, from burrata and salt-roasted peaches to local halibut with rock shrimp and cannellini beans. Under a canopy of twinkling lights and stars, we linger even longer, sweetly capping off the evening with butter pecan creme brulee and (Because who can decide?) a slice of Goleta lemon tart. The Dining Room also plays host to El Encanto’s signature touch point: Afternoon Tea. The “Art of Afternooning,” as it’s known here, ritualistically unfolds over custom-blended infusions, savory bites, seasonal baked goods and decadent desserts. Forcing myself to look away from the three-tier visual feast before me, I make a point to scan the room. A honeymoon couple. A mother and daughter. A reunion of college roommates. What looks to be a milestone anniversary. Breaking off a piece of buttermilk scone, I peer out to the horizon line and breathe a contented sigh. Whatever the occasion, whether you’re staying as a guest or dining here, El Encanto entices with a sense of timeless tranquility. At least that’s the thought that occurs to me, right before I dip my knife into the ramekins of strawberry-basil jam and clotted cream. hillside haven belmond.com/elencanto PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: ANAIS & DAX / CHRIS SCHUSTER / SAMUEL ELKINS {due west}
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