One of the city’s best-known restaurants, Grissini delivers fine Italian food in a grand two-level venue housed at the Grand Hyatt. Most of the tables overlook the Victoria Harbour; the best seats are by the window at the far end of the restaurant where diners can scope out the stunning Tsim Sha Tsui skyline through floor-to-ceiling windows. Plush dark seats and tables are comfortably set far apart. High ceilings, grand columns, parquet floors and more summon an impressionable dining experience.

To start, the 24-month aged Parma ham with Sicilian melon (HK$210), imported from the province, is juicy and appetising. Beef carpaccio (HK$190) could do with another splash of flavoursome olive oil and even seasoning. Pan-roasted thyme marinated scallops with beetroot (HK$220) arrives grilled to perfection, accompanied with a light beetroot puree. Italian frog legs with fresh garlic cream and parsley pesto (HK$190), pan-fried with a coating of breadcrumbs, are paired with a creamy garlic sauce; a delightful mouthful of tender meat. Potato gnocchi with Ligurian coast red mullet sauce (HK$220) is the highlight of the evening, the gnocchi infused with oceanic flavours from the fish stock. Chestnut flour treccine with Genova basil pesto and vegetables (HK$200) is tasty, but the pesto overpowers the subtle flavours of the homemade chestnut pasta. Butter and thyme roasted lamb loin with Passito wine lamb jus (HK$350) is delicious and cooked just right, although nothing about this dish seems particularly northern Italian. Close the meal with sautéed Vignola cherries in Occelli butter and pistachio gelato (HK$110), a match made in heaven. For those who don’t have a sickly sweet tooth, opt for the mild Italian yellow peach with yogurt mousse and vanilla crumble (HK$110).

Grissini offers an extensive selection of wines from many regions of Italy, in a variety of price tags. Most of the wines by the bottle hover around HK$1,000. Disappointingly, wines by the glass are limited.

Service is top-notch but occasionally borderline obtrusive when our server had a habit of interrupting our conversation during and between each course to ask how the food was. They do, however, have good knowledge of the menu and wine list.

The bill for a five-course meal for two, plus a shared cheese platter, comes to about HK$2,600, minus drinks.