Wyndham Street is practically the Little Italy of Hong Kong now. This bustling Central stretch is increasingly crowded with Italian restaurants, from Divino and Goccia to Mrs Jones and the recently opened Prego. This latest addition to the scene, a four floor pasta palace, carves the biggest chunk of the Italian dining presence out of them all. W52 informs us that it took nearly a year for this venue to happen due to a complete overhaul of this space which was formerly a Middle Eastern carpet store. The bulk of that time was spent on building a central elevator, as previously the only way patrons would have entered was through a back lift entrance that probably won't fit well with their theme of high minded Italian elegance. Now, from the outside, it looks more like a boutique hotel with a Jenga-style building exterior studded with little star-like lights. Four distinct rooms are fashioned into an almost clinical white and beige setting. A partially transparent glass lift, built from scratch, takes you through this multi-floored eatery that's increasingly exclusive (and high end) as you head up.

This is the first major fine dining venture from founder Benjamin Lung, who apparently has strong ties and roots with the food trade. He lured Ernesto Tonnetto from Italy, who for many years has governed the kitchens of the Va Bene restaurant group, back to the city to herald W52's kitchens. His regional Italian fare, prepared with imported Italian ingredients, will be a central theme at this venue. An extensive drinks list, naturally of predominantly Italian wines, will come second on the priority list, highlighted from the ambitious wine cellar stocked on the premises.

On entering the ground floor is a casual bar space, a smart decision to lure the after work drinking crowd on this street that's also a bustling nightlife scene on weekends. With a focus on more elegant and well-heeled crowd, expect Apertivos with wines and cocktails available daily. The first and second floors reveal more formal dining rooms in beige, white and marbled interior fashioned in classic and inoffensive style. On the highest floor is a more exclusive private kitchen seating up to 8 people, with floor-to-ceiling windows to check out all the action along the Wyndham street strip. Food-wise, beside handmade pasta dishes, like sea bass tortellini with dry Martini, tomatoes and caramelized orange peels (HK$180), the menu's centred around Italian style roasted meats and seafood dishes. Their signature appetizer, for example, is sweetbread and prawn crepinette in a shell fish sauce (HK$170) while mains course dishes include a half Bresse chicken prepared in three ways (HK$480). Prices at W52 are a little steep: meals can average around HK$1,000 to HK$1,200 for two people.

W Place, 52 Wyndham Street, Central. Tel: +852 6768-5252; www.w52.com.hk