Since its opening, Hotel Arco Iris has maintained a restaurant sporadically, sometimes on, sometimes off.  The food, as I remember it, was usually vegetarian and of Mediterranean cuisine, interesting and good.  But it was never one of my favourite eateries, as it lacked in ambience.  The restaurant sat under a low rancho, surrounded by heavy trees and cabinas, and had a gloomy feel to it.  Now, since some renovation, it is a bright, airy space alongside a swimming pool, very refreshing and comfortable.  Add to that a kitchen under control of chef Shlomy Koren, who ran Pachanga for years, and you have a wonderful dining experience.

The menu starts with very varied appetizers – sashimi, sautéed calamari, goat cheese salad, blackened tuna, rigatoni with shrimp and two vegetarian salads. My companion enjoyed the field salad with parmesan and gorgonzola in a balsamic vinaigrette dressing, while I tried the excellent chicken pate with spiced apple chutney.  Entrees are marinated chicken and filet mignon in red wine or mustard sauce and, again, two vegetarian dishes – pesto rigatoni and couscous.  The remaining main dishes are seafood – snapper, mahi-mahi, sautéed shrimp, scampi with parmesan salad.  We ate the seared yellow-fin tuna in honey-chili marinade and pasta with shrimp, calamari, basil and tomato – both very tasty and plentiful.  For dessert we had white chocolate mousse with strawberries and sorbet assortment.  An eclectic wine list has selections from the U.S., Australia, Italy, Argentina and Chile.