The Marco Polo Hong Kong’s harbourside location means that Cucina enjoys a lovely view of the Victoria Harbour. The interior design is nothing to scoff at, either. The predominantly black décor and dimmed lighting make for a glam, edgy setting, and diners can enjoy the action in the several open kitchens, some of which feature Chinese cuisine, which the restaurant rather bizarrely offers alongside its Italian dishes. The layout is slightly inconvenient, with the bathrooms situated down a long hallway outside the restaurant, and you have to be careful when walking in and out of the restaurant, as there is a rather unnecessary step up into Cucina from the foyer.

While the spectacle of chefs sautéing away in the Chinese open kitchens make for excellent dinner entertainment, we can’t help but feel that the restaurant suffers from a bit of an identity crisis in its decision to serve Chinese staples along with gourmet Italian dishes. We recommend sticking to the Italian half of the menu, which features inspired takes on traditional dishes, such as the carpaccio of Kagoshima beef (HK$288), one of the restaurant’s signature dishes. The raw slices of beef are cut slightly thicker than usual, all the better to appreciate the delicious top-quality beef. The lobster linguini with cherry tomatoes and basil (HK$488) is another one of the Cucina’s specialities. The pasta, portioned for two, is perfectly cooked, the sauce delightfully subtle, and the fresh lobster is the icing on the cake. Surprisingly, the porcini and black truffle pizza (HK$198) is disappointing. While fragrant at the first bite, the mushrooms soon leave an unpleasant bitter aftertaste, and there could have been a thicker layer of mozzarella on the pizza. Another truffle dish, the mashed potatoes with black truffles (HK$88), is simply delightful. Rich, creamy and redolent of black truffle, we couldn’t get enough. Another must-try is the braised beef cheek with pear, cocoa and orange peel (HK$348). The beef cheek is so tender it falls apart at the slightest touch of your fork, and the bed of risotto is gorgeously flavoured, the heady cocoa hitting your taste buds first before fading to subtle citrus notes.

Cucina has an impressive wine selection, with an emphasis on Italian vintages. For oenophiles, Cucina also has a separate fine wine selection, and we were also pleased to see that there was a range of organic wines on offer. Prices are generally on the high side, but there are some nice Italian picks that won’t break the bank.

The staff are efficient without being pushy, friendly without being intrusive, and are able to make well-informed recommendations on the food and wine.

Dinner for two comes out to about HK$1,000 for two, excluding alcohol. Considering its well-executed Italian dishes and the impressive collection of wine, we feel that this is good value.