Italian food is good for the heart. The tomato sauces, powerful cheeses, charcoal-cooked meats, cured fish, and hearty pizzas and pastas make us yearn to drop everything and head west for a holiday on the Mediterranean coast. Alas, we have work and we can’t right now.
If you’re in the mood for a taste of the Mediterranean’s most flavourful cuisine closer to home, scope our guide to the best Italian restaurants in Hong Kong, from traditional historic eateries to fine-dining Michelin wonders.
The best Italian restaurants in Hong Kong
Testina
Modern Italian venue Testina is a unique offering to the scene in Hong Kong, opened in early 2022, inspired by seasoned fine-casual restaurant Trippa Milano based in Milan. The nose-to-tail approach is followed at this Michelin-recommended spot, famous for its powerful, meaty secondi. Try the locally loved pig’s head and salsa verde (HKD368) and trippa alla Milanese (HKD258) for great meat. The lingua tonnata (HKD298) shines bright amongst the antipasti for punchy veal tongue, as does the trippa fritta (HKD218), offering great cuts of honeycomb beef tripe tossed with rosemary.
Testina, 3/F, 8 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central, 2798 0668, book here
Sabatini Ristorante Italiano
À la Carbone, Sabatini Ristorante Italiano first began abroad, this time in Rome in 1958, before arriving in Hong Kong with the Sabatini brothers’ global expansion. The fine-dining Italian restaurant at The Royal Garden hotel – and now at ifc mall – is pickled in time with a uniquely Italianesque decor. Highlights on the menu include the stewed veal tripe “parmigiana style” (HKD318), buffalo mozzarella cheese with tomatoes and ham (HKD358), original lasagne bolognese style (HKD428), and slow-cooked Wagyu beef cheek (HKD588).
Sabatini Ristorante Italiano, 3/F, The Royal Garden, 69 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui East, 2733 2000, book here
Sabatini Ristorante Italiano, Shop 4008, 4/F, ifc mall, 8 Finance Street, Central, 2610 0080, book here
AMA Ristorante
Chef Paolo Monti’s AMA Ristorante is a tribute to his former Roman life, crafting a menu that speaks to the quality and home recipes of the capital city, built with ingredients imported from the Italian mainland. The rustic Italian menu is fresh and flavourful. Chef Paolo’s signature is the maccheroni amatriciana (HKD288), an earthy and tangy pan-fried pasta dish made famous in Rome. Must-order mains include the Marango steak (HKD428), sea bass (HKD368), and Piedmont veal chop (HKD458). Pair your meats with a milky AMA La Burrata (HKD178).
AMA Ristorante, 25/F, 208 Johnston Road, Wan Chai, 3702 0806, book here
Cantina
Housed in the historic former prison quarters of Tai Kwun, Cantina travels back to the time-honoured trattorias of Italy, serving seasonal produce and recipes exploring every sub-cuisine of Italian fare, from pasta and risotto to antipasti, secondi, and dolce. The two- (HKD428 pp), three- (HKD488 pp), and four-course (HKD588 pp) menus host strong chef and house signatures, including the breaded veal cutlet, homemade tagliatelle with lobster, vitello tonnato, baby octopus, eggplant parmigiana, and tableside tiramisu.
Cantina, 1/F, Police Headquarters Block 01, Tai Kwun, 10 Hollywood Road, Central, 2848 3000, book here
LucAle
Founded by friends Alessandro Angelini and Luca De Berardinis, LucAle borrows not only the pairs’ names to form its moniker, but also the strengths of the chefs’ Italian fine-dining experience to serve delicious neighbourhood bites in the Sai Ying Pun ‘hood. If you’re feeling hungry and want authentic Italian flavours, try the red onions parmigiana (HKD178) and tenderloin beef tartare (HKD218) to start, the 24-hour slow cooked beef cheek (HKD308) and pumpkin and mascarpone ravioli (HKD228) for your main, and end with the LucAle-style tiramisu (HKD108).
LucAle, G/F, 100 Third Street, Sai Ying Pun, 3611 1842, book here
La Taverna
Hong Kong’s first and oldest-surviving Italian restaurant deserves a spot in our guide to the best Italian restaurants in Hong Kong, delivering fine Italian plates and service since 1969. La Taverna operates a short but snappy menu, famous for its rigatoni with Italian sausage (HKD128), risotto with seafood (HKD198), braised Dutch veal shank (HKD370), and weekday specials – check the menu. Don’t leave the restaurant without savouring the hallmark panna cotta (HKD68).
La Taverna, G/F, Astoria Building, 36–38 Ashley Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, 2376 1945, book here
Carbone
Founded by the great Mario Carbone, Hong Kong’s twin restaurant to the infamous New York eatery opened in 2014 and has served our city with a fantastic fusion of Italian-American cuisine. The design and decor date to the unique time of the mid-1900s in New York. For a taste of classic “red sauce” dishes, try Carbone’s legendary spicy rigatoni vodka (HKD278), raw tuna crudo (HKD428) for starters, and jumbo red prawn (HKD608) and veal parmesan (HKD788) for classic mains. The dessert trolley is not one to miss for sweet endings!
Carbone, 9/F, 33 Wyndham Street, Central, 2593 2593, book here
Aria
The major pluses of Lan Kwai Fong’s Aria restaurant are its stunning skyline views of Kowloon’s mountains and hearty yet fine bites, focusing on both veg-heavy and meaty Italian recipes. The Salmone pizza (HKD298) is a star on the menu, so too with starter carpaccio di ricciola (HKD208). For mains, we highly recommend the juicy Milanese (HKD468) and costata Kagoshima A4 (HKD1,192/400g).
Aria, 24/F, California Tower, 30–32 D’Aguilar Street, Lan Kwai Fong, Central, 2804 1116, book here
FINI’S Italian American
Created by chef Vinny Lauria and the lovely people at Red Sauce Hospitality, founders of Frank’s and Posto Pubblico, FINI’S brings the casual Italian-American ruckus to Soho, Wan Chai, and Tsim Sha Tsui with authentic New York-style pizzas, fresh and funky pasta flavours, and great small plates. FINI’S Famous Mariana (HKD188/12”) is a pizza flavour not to miss with its strong garlicky flavour. You must order the gnocco fritto (HKD95) to soak up FINI’S amazing red sauce, whilst chomping on the Caesar salad (HKD150) for a balance of greens. The mac ‘n’ cheese (HKD178) is one to be reckoned with too.
FINI’S Italian American, G/F, 69 Stone Nullah Lane, Wan Chai, 3182 0128, book here
FINI’S Italian American, G/F, 49 Elgin Street, Central, 2387 6338, book here
Trattoria Felino
Bursting onto the scene with might in Wan Chai, Trattoria Felino is a love letter to Napoli and southern Italy, birthing vibrant pasta, pizza, and meaty dishes, seasoned to perfection. Now booked up most nights, lucky diners at chef Marcello Scognamiglio’s restaurant should order the scialatielli (HKD148) and tagliatelle (HKD188) pastas, L’affumcata pizza (HKD158), and yellow chicken (HKD278/HKD488) and beef cheek (HKD238) for mains.
Trattoria Felino, G/F, 1–7 Ship Street, Wan Chai, WhatsApp 5697 4477, book here
208 Italian
Replacing the space where the former 208 Duecento Otto and Ramato once lay, 208 Italian continues an Italian legacy for more than a decade dishing out quality meals at this address. Lacking any tasting menus this time, to its benefit, the large menu is affordable and varied. On your trip, try the veal tonnato (HKD145), risotto alla milanese e midollo (HKD268), pizza 208 (HKD208), and the whole chicken cacciatora (HKD388) to share.
208 Italian, G/F, 208 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, 2866 0066, book here
Grissini
The splendid Grissini restaurant inside Grand Hyatt Hong Kong brings a refined touch to the cuisine with fresh seafood flavours, al dente pasta recipes, and a sharing of Neopolitan influence from the head chef. The smoked yellow carpaccio (HKD310), vitello tonnato (HKD260), and homemade saffron pappardelle (HKD280) make up a good meal at the restaurant. The Roman clay pot baked chicken (HKD780) is a must to share, although we recommend ordering early as quantities are limited for the dish.
Grissini, 2/F, Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, 1 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, 2584 7722
Oro
Central’s Oro sees the flavours of Manhattan’s Italian restaurant come to Hong Kong, bright on the flavour with a heavy side of meats, seafood, and sauces to share. Beyond the main attractions of the manzo di wagyu (HKD1,288) and Chilean sea bass (HKD428), both delivering a meaty bite with tons of buttery sauce, the poached lobster (HKD298) and parmesan risotto (HKD268) present a hearty American touch to the Italian cuisine.
Oro, 30/F, 28 Stanley Street, Central, 2133 7517, book here
Octavium
The two Michelin-star Octavium deserves the world’s attention with an artistic approach to the whole swathe of Italian food that prioritises artistic plating and high-calibre ingredients. Now featuring an à la carte menu to fit in with the modern times, their slow cooked beef cheek (HKD520), spaghetto quadrato (HKD680), homemade taglioni (HKD720), and smoked Mayura beef tenderloin (HKD680) are works of art that should be snapped first and eaten later.
Octavium, 8/F, Des Voeux Road West, Central, 2111 9395, book here
Nocino
Notorious for its hard-to-get reservations and growing presence at BaseHall 01 and soon in Kwun Tong, Nocino cooks its Italian food with Swiss influences, owing to the geo-cultural region in southern Europe. Head there and order the pistachio arancini (HKD38/pc), Wagyu beef tartare (HKD148), ox cheek pappardelle ragu (HKD178), and Nduja reginette (HKD188) to maximise your happiness and chances for a viral Instagram post. Make sure to swipe up all the good salty sauce with the house rosemary focaccia (HKD30).
Nocino, G/F, 92 Tung Lo Wan Road, Tai Hang, 6012 1098, book here
Grill House by Capo Group
Fortunately the Capo Group, who formerly ran CAPO and Pinco Palino on Hong Kong Island, are still standing at a Mui Wo location bringing their classic pizza and pastas to a new level with grilled meat and seafood added on. Their pizza italia (HKD168) is a signature with burrata and cherry tomatoes, alongside the 300 gram Thin skirt beef “Tagliata” steak (HKD368) and knife-cut slow cooked beef ragu (HKD198) good for mains. Try their Capo-stuffed olives with marina (HKD98) to cap off your meal.
Grill House by Capo Group, Shop 2, G/F, 6 Ngan Kwong Wan Road, Riverwalk, Mui Wo, 9263 3890
La Taverna
Hong Kong’s oldest Italian restaurant, opening in Tsim Sha Tsui in 1969, still holds its weight amongst other new and sceney restaurants across the city. La Taverna operates a traditional menu of five antipasto, seven pastas, two risottos, and four main courses. We recommend you order the spaghetti carbonara (HKD198), tagliatelle alla bolognese (HKD248), risotto alla milanese (HKD268), and chicken scallopini in marsala sauces (HKD248).
La Taverna, G/F, 36-38 Ashley Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, 5115 7468, book here
