Located on Elgin Street just off the mid-levels escalators, Italian restaurant Vivo offers a casual, modern dining venue with sleek banquette seating along one entire wall and a long well-stocked bar on the other with wine glasses hanging overhead. Vertical lamps are cut in sleek geometric designs which complement the dark wood floors. Vivo opens up to the street, which can be a bit noisy and dusty from the traffic.

Start a meal at Vivo with the signature seared scallops served on a bed of sweet corn and a garnish of beetroot-infused salmon roe and basil emulsion – the scallops are sweet and tender and the accompanying sweet corn adds a fresh flavour that hints of summer. The crayfish salad requires a bit of work to eat as the three crayfish are served with shells, antennae and eyes still intact atop a bed of cauliflower mousse. While interesting to look at, the many different flavours of the cauliflower, crayfish, endives and squid ink sauce are slightly cacophonous. The crab meat ravioli, another signature dish made with blue summer crab mousse-filled ravioli in a morel mushroom sauce, is exquisite and absolutely should not be missed. For a dish out of the ordinary, try the sea urchin pizza made with a black squid ink-infused crust and topped with squid, salmon roe and generous dollops of sea urchin. For dessert, the Valrhona chocolate fondant is sinfully rich with an oozing liquid chocolate centre served with a scoop of pistachio ice cream. The lavender and almond panna cotta, light and creamy with the subtle flavour of lavender, is an excellent palate cleanser.

Vivo offers a creative signature cocktail menu but bartenders can also prepare any classic cocktails on request. For a cool and refreshing drink, try the Honey Ryder, made with cucumber, honey, apple schnapps, pineapple and Absolut citron.

While the staff is courteous, service at Vivo can be slow so put your orders in early.

A meal for two will average around HK$900, excluding wine. A four-course tasting menu is available for HK$398 per person. Lunch sets offer excellent value, starting at HK$78.