Receiving the email from Rosewood that they are opening this Italian diner in June, when I made reservation a few days later I could only secure a booking in July, clearly showing its popularity. Instead of accessing from the hotel, one should go direct to its entrance on the ground floor at Victoria Dockside.
We came sharp at 6pm and were seated in the middle facing the large windows looking out to the waterfront and Victoria Harbour. The restaurant reminded me of a dining hall, with different counter sections showcasing antipasti, pizza, pasta, cheese, and secondi. The décor created a relaxing, casual and lively ambience, bringing customers to the streets of Italy.
The restaurant introduced the Nordaq system to provide filtered water ($30 each, free flow) as a way to reduce shipping bottled water from overseas. We also ordered a Watermelon Fizz ($100) and Peppermint Tea ($52) to start. My mocktail was very refreshing and served as a good aperitif to start the meal.
Ordering two starters, the Octopus Salad ($210) was perhaps the most popular choice. Surprised by the big portion, the thick tentacles of the octopus were tasty and soft, with good bite but not rubbery. Together with some Bella di Cerignola olives, the biggest table olives in the world, chopped basil and extra virgin olive oil, I also like the acidity in the seasoning as well.
The Italian Cold Cuts ($280) was certainly a big platter of different types. With limited knowledge, I could only identify Salami, aged Finocchiona, Prosciutto, Pancetta, Mortadella, and the spicy Salsiccia, together with some green and brown olives. These were nice, and the portion was good for three to four people, it was a bit overwhelming for the two of us, but we managed to finish them.
We also had the Braised Beef Cheek ($280), as recommended by the staff. Very tender, I could use a spoon to cut it open, with the beef cheek infused with the great flavours from the root vegetable and red wine sauce. The latter was so good I would like to have some spaghetti to mix with, to savour every last drop of the delicious wonders.
Decided to order a slice of pizza, we chose Tonno Pizza ($90), with tuna, red onion, Pantelleria capers which are famous for its sweetness and aromas, heirloom tomato, and fresh basil. This pizza was very good, especially the crunchy pizza base, with its texture one of the best I had tasted in town. The staff had helpfully cut the pizza in halves for us to share too.
For dessert, my wife had Tiramisu ($88), with the recipe having a bit of twist, including ladyfinger, espresso, eggnog zabaione, and dark cocoa. I had the Venchi 2 Flavour ($59) instead, choosing the Pineapple Sorbet and Brutto & Buono Gelato. In fact, a wide range was available, and going out to take a look at the counter was like visiting an ice-cream parlour which brought joy to my young heart.
Wrapping up with a Double Espresso ($45), the staff perhaps misunderstood me and got a cup for each of us, so I ended up finishing four shots. Fortunately, I was well-trained on caffeine and did not affect my sleep on the night. Service was very good, with the staff friendly and happy, making you feel at home and relaxing. The bill was $1,440 and I can now see why this place has become such a popular spot for people vying for a place to enjoy some nice food in a casual manner, without having to break the bank.
Octopus Salad
Verdict:
我們被安排坐在近甜品櫃對開位置，整個餐廳以白色襯黑色雲石紋為主色，雲石圓枱加藤椅，相當有渡假feel。
我們餐枱的左手邊是一個很大的甜品🍮及包點區域，所有甜品都放置在一個長長的玻璃櫃內，客人可以到甜品櫃前挑選自己喜愛的甜品再下單。這個甜品🍮區域面向星光大道的部分是售賣Venchi雪糕🍦的，而室外更設置有單邊卡座以方便途經星光大道的遊客購買及享用。
甜品區域旁邊有另外一個從星光大道進入餐廳的入口，如果從這個入口進入左手邊就是售賣Venchi朱古力🍫的counter，主色調是復古綠色。
旁邊有一個水吧，裝有Nordaq純凈水手動裝瓶設施，客人如果不選擇其他品牌的礦泉水或其他飲品，餐廳會為客人提供這一款過濾水，每瓶$30。 
餐廳最深處是一個型格的圓型酒吧，同樣用白色襯黑色雲石紋，餐廳內還另設有單邊沙發座位。酒吧左邊是一部份用餐區，而右邊則設有兩三張高枱及設有可通往室外座位的出入口玻璃門，此部分適合飲嘢🍷🍹🍸🥃聊天。
再細看餐廳內部的佈局，從餐廳酒店入口開始，部分紅酒及其他乾貨擺放在近餐廳酒店入口一個同系列復古綠色多層木櫃上以作為裝飾的一部份；
由左邊開始環繞餐廳一周，發現這間餐廳大部份供應的食物都分別存放於餐廳四周的食物展示玻璃柜內，如沙律配料🥗，芝士🧀及火腿🥩等擺放在一個特定溫度雪櫃內保存；
再往前走就是燒雞🐓及薯角🥔展示玻璃櫃；
以及薄餅🍕展示玻璃櫃，所有餐廳內售賣的薄餅其實都已經在這個櫃內展示，只要你看準喜歡吃那一款，那你就可以回到自己的座位再進行點菜，因為這些薄餅都不是傳統石窯烤製的，客人點菜後餐廳再進行翻熱處理，可以看到薄餅是有一定的厚度所以都較為飽肚的，價格由$78至$98，以一間五星級酒店來説，價格是相當之親民。😍
薄餅展示玻璃櫃對開也有很寬闊的座位提供，而這部份的餐枱是選用黑色襯白色雲石紋及木椅，用色與其他用餐區剛好相反，有自成一角的感覺；窗邊玻璃則採用了磨砂玻璃設計，可以令在此餐廳區域內用餐的客人跟室外保持距離及私隱度。
在餐廳裏走完一圈，其實感覺這家餐廳好像是一個商場/超市內的美食廣場，彷彿在時代廣場CitySuper的Food Court差不多，分別在於環境裝潢，食品與服務當然不一樣啦！
然而，如果每人要吃兩件，就感覺有一些過量，畢竟燒豬腩肉的脂肪也不少；看到餐牌介紹這一款薄餅用的薯仔是選用質地較creamy 的Yukon Gold薯仔烹調，而這一款美國薯仔澱粉質含量較高，因此這款薄餅是比較飽肚和有 膩滯感，建議最好四人分享這一款薄餅，那麼就可以多嚐一些其他的食物。😄
而左右兩邊餐廳所佔位置室外均設有用餐區，室外的用餐區座位以藍白色藤椅為主，靠牆一邊則採用藍白直間單邊沙發。室外的用餐位置設計為W型，利用石磚牆分隔開每個用餐區，樓底相當高，非常通爽，炎炎夏日也不會感覺太悶熱，半開放式的設計也可遮擋陽光和雨水，更可欣賞到維多利亞海港景色。👍
總的來說，這間餐廳裝修漂亮，食物有一定水準，飲品項目相當豐富，價格親民，室內室外座位均非常充足，個人認為若不是假日繁忙時間，其實路經此處找一個坐位歇一歇其實不是太困難的。推薦！
影片
