It’s easy to mistake the eye-catching white building dotted with lead lights on the exterior as a boutique hotel instead of a restaurant. Over four floors, the W52 experience includes a ground floor bar and a glass elevator whisks guests up to various levels of the dining area leading up to the private kitchen on the uppermost floor. There’s even a small alfresco area suitable for couples on dates. And though smaller than it seems from the outside, the minimalist decor, abundant use of glass, white and natural light all add a feeling of space.
Food
The menu proves as minimal as the decor, with a small selection of dishes representing various Italian regional specialties. The dishes are fairly straightforward and simple - almost homemade in its appeal. The quality of the ingredients, however, does stand out. Once the golden crispy stuffed artichoke hearts arrived, we were first struck by how small the servings were. Once we bit into the appetiser, we noticed that the temperature of the dish was slightly too cool. However, we were delighted by the crunch afforded by the crusted, salty Pecorino cheese on top. The herbs drizzled around gave a tasty complement. Over all too soon, we turn to another appetiser, Mediterranean red shrimps. The fresh and moist shrimps came with a giardiniera of pickled artichokes, mushrooms and lemon, creating a harmony of light flavours in the mouth. The selection of pasta comes in two sizes, half and full, a good way to sample more of the selection. The signature hand-made Pici pasta with a touch of spice in the fresh Sienese tomato sauce coupled with the freshly-made pasta makes for an easy-to-appreciate dish. For the mains, crispy sea bass came less crispy than promised, though cooked well and complemented by the mussel clam sauce.
Wine
As expected, a predominantly Italian selection is on offer, with a W52 special cellar selection that includes a 1990 Barbaseco Sori San Lorenzo, Gaja and a 2004 Bruneate DOCG, Elio Altare.
Service
The service here exceeds expectations, with a friendly and quick-to-respond wait staff offering pleasant smiles as they strive to accommodate all your requests.
Price
A dinner for two with wine will come to about HK$1,200.
Promotions
Start Date
01 Mar
End Date
Days left
Spring Cocktails at W52
As we finally seem to step into spring, Italian restaurant W52 on Wyndham Street in Central has introduced a list of zesty cocktails to welcome the warmer weather. Notable mixes from the menu include Roselle Margret, a frozen and fruity delight created from Roselle tequila, lime juice and Grand Marnier; and Great Time, W52's signature cocktails with vanilla sugar, sweet and sour and Grand Marnier served on the rocks. During happy hour from 3pm to 8pm, selected cocktails and a range of standard drinks will be available at HK$52.
If it's not just drinks you're after, W52 is also offering a complimentary Italian apperitivo buffet, available from 6pm to 8:30pm from Monday to Saturday. A large variety of canapés are rotated daily, including melon and prawn skewers, sweet sun-dried tomatoes and chicken on crispy Tuscan toast, deep-fried Sicilian rice and mozzarella cheese, and a special homemade parmesan cheese gelato that will tickle your taste buds.
For reservations, please call +852 6768-5252.
Dishes
Golden crispy stuffed artichoke hearts with Pecorino cheese and herbs 羊奶芝士釀雅枝竹
Hand-made pici pasta with Sienese tomato sauce 蒜蓉蕃茄汁手做粗麵
Grilled Florentine style steak with sage broiled cannellini beans 燒翡冷翠和牛扒
Cuori di carciofo ripieni alle erbe e pecorino -
Insalata tiepida di polpo e gamberi / Cannellini cipolle ed ed olive verdi -
Zuppa di zucca/mozzarella di bufala Campana, mandorle e melograno -
Risotto ai funghi porcini/code di scampi dorate -
Capretto stufato alle erbe/ cavolo nero toscano/ castagne croccanti -
Overall the food was excellent, I must give thanks to Chef Francesco for the treat.
