Il Teatro overlooks the impressive fountain outside the Wynn Macau, the casino resort it is housed in. Its large windows give a good view to the nightly fountain show, which is synchronised to a wide variety of music from Italian opera to Holding out for a Hero from the Footloose soundtrack. Although the cuisine at Il Teatro is Italian fine dining, the ambience is not in the least stuffy, thanks to bright red leather banquettes, an open kitchen and exuberant carpeting and upholstery.

A good way to sample the cuisine chef Anthony Alaimo has to offer is to try Il Teatro’s signature nine-course tasting menu. Although it may sound like a lot, the portions are sensibly sized to leave you satiated rather than nauseated. We start off with a number of impressive dishes. A starter of buffalo mozzarella wrapped in Parma ham uses two classic Italian ingredients in a way that is modern and artistically presented, resting on a gelee of mint-green honey melon consommé. Similarly, the classic beef carpaccio is given a modern twist. Three thin slices of wagyu are lightly seared around the edges and then wrapped around mesclun and paper-thin slices of asparagus. On the other side of the plate is a quenelle of steak tartar resting upon a sadly tepid taleggio croquette. The seafood courses are a tad more disappointing. The homemade black angel hair with red Sicilian prawns utilises the freshest and sweetest of prawns, but the pasta itself is heavily salted. Similarly, an Atlantic halibut comes with the most delicious bisque emulsion but the fish itself is slightly overcooked. The tasting menu comes back on track with a rigatoni with Kurobuta pork which demonstrates the chef’s ease with rustic dishes as well as modern ones. The final meat course is a lamb loin of excellent quality with a cool cucumber and mint garnish, but this dish also contains the most serious flaw of the evening: a jus so over-reduced that it practically congeals on the fork. Dessert at least leaves the meal on a high note: just as the meal started with pairing mozzarella and ham, the dessert combines cannelloni stuffed with tiramisu mousse. The other side of the plate also contains a praline gelato affogato. The cannelloni is flaky in the manner of a puff pastry and is the perfect casing for the creamy tiramisu while the sweet gelato tempers the bitter espresso perfectly.

The sommelier at Il Teatro is helpful and friendly: the wine list is extensive so his services will be required by most but the most experienced of wine connoisseurs. Wines are sorted by regions, with some unusual bottles from Slovenia and Lebanon making an appearance. The wine list suits all budgets, with cheap and cheerful Portuguese bottles going for MOP200, all the way up to premium labels such as Penfolds, Screaming Eagle as well as super Tuscans and the usual Bordeaux stars.

The service at Il Teatro is very good. Staff are not just efficient but also friendly, coming by to check on your progress and enquiring whether or not the kitchen is coming out with the dishes too quickly.

A signature tasting menu without wine is MOP828 per person while the wine-paired version is about MOP1,268. Given the quality of the premium ingredients, the surroundings and the impressive wine list, this is very good value indeed.