The spacious dining room seats diners on two different levels, which increases the sense of separation without needing to space the tables out further. The very high ceiling – typically found only in hotel restaurants – adds to the feeling of grandeur. The large panels of floor-to-ceiling windows allows for plenty of natural light comes through. Those looking for a slightly more intimate experience will find refuge in the booths, with high panels providing extra privacy for a rendezvous.

The restaurant serves northern Italian fare with modern touches. The eggplant parmigiana (HK$198) provides an interesting contrast between classic and new styles. The burrata (HK$208) mozzarella isn’t as creamy and runny as some other top examples in town, but is well-complemented by some beefsteak tomato. The spaghetti carbonara with pork cheek (HK$428 as main course) is served with truffle slices and a wonderful soft-boiled, orange-yolk egg, while the slightly watery sauce and yolk mixture can be mopped up by the otherwise dry bread from the basket. The sea urchin linguine (HK$368 as main course) is a little soggy, with too little sea urchin and bottarga to provide flavour for the entire bowl. The signature single origin chocolate trio (HK$178) is delicious. It comes as white, milk and dark chocolate, and showcases chocolate from Ghana and Venezuela.

Although the wine list is dominated by French offerings, there are bottles from an impressive 13 wine-producing regions in Italy which cover many indigenous varietals. Australia leads the well-rounded selection from the rest of the world. Lovers of Champagne will have no trouble finding their favourite bubbly, including a 6-litre bottle of the “Millenium Release” of Cristal on display in the cellar.

The service is friendly, attentive and efficient, although lunch service is perhaps too busy for the number of staff present in the room.

A three-course meal for two without wine comes to around HK$1,900, which is what one would expect from dining in a five-star hotel.