Stunning restaurant terraces have sprung up across the city in recent years, and Harlan’s certainly claimed a fine space to make an impression. Nineteen floors above Nathan Road in the heart of Tsim Sha Tsui, Harlan’s can offer one of the city’s more memorable views of Victoria Harbour, the island skyline and surrounding Tsim Sha Tsui. Before hitting the terrace for a soothing meal or a couple of rounds, take time to note the interior. It may not be hugely impressive, but it is perfectly lit for intimacy and designed with taste and comfort. Above all, it does precisely what the space demands: allow the view to speak for itself.

Hand-crafted pastas, stone-fried pizzas and items from the grill are plentiful at Harlan’s, along with comforting, tasteful entrees. Harlan’s believes in premium ingredients (note the prices), but a major complaint is food temperature. For example, the appetiser of foie gras cooked three ways arrived lukewarm. This doesn’t affect the cooled terrine portion of the dish, but the pan-fried foie gras was compromised despite being well cooked. There is a similar issue with stone-fried pizza (chewier than desired) and angel hair pasta served with Italian baby squid, caramelised shallots and crispy bread crumbs. While the pasta has balance, an enticing touch of spice and bags of seafood flavour, its lukewarm arrival bound the delicate pasta together and thickened the sauce. A Harlan’s signature is slow-cooked wagyu beef cheek with beef cheek ravioli, paper-thin vegetables and mashed potatoes. The beef cheek utterly falls apart in your mouth, and risks being overly rich if not for the crucial balance provided by the slightly acidic and crunchy vegetables. The watery mashed potato garnish was hardly noticeable. It is an easy-going menu and it is obvious that Harlan\'s cares about ingredients. But at these prices, one would expect piping hot dishes that are timed to perfection.

Harlan’s features a good selection by the glass and a fine balance of new world and old world. While the list is extensive, it does not overwhelm and diners can easily find a bottle to satisfy their tastes. However, the vast majority of bottles begin at no less than HK$600.

Efficient and mistake-free, servers melt into the background and perform their function with the minimum of fuss. However, service at Harlan’s lacks that touch of warmth that makes a customer feel special.

A three-course dinner for two can easily cost over HK$2,000 even without wine. At this price point, perhaps more would be expected in food temperature and charming service.