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Making a pasta dish might sound simple—you boil the pasta, add in some sauce, and the magic happens all on its own, delighting taste buds with every forkful. However, in reality, to even the most casual pasta-holic, making an unforgettable plate of pasta is regarded as a revered art form—many have tried, but few have truly succeeded.
With the staggering number of restaurants serving their own rendition of pasta dishes across the city, it’s sometimes quite a hassle to find the pasta dish that will make you keep coming back for more. Don’t worry—we’ve got you covered. Here’s to no more pasta misses, just pasta hits—below is a list of the best places for pasta in Hong Kong at all price points, so you can plan your upcoming pasta escapades with ease.
Nestled in Causeway Bay, this charming restaurant is a must-visit for pasta lovers, featuring a menu that celebrates traditional flavours with a modern twist. With a focus on seasonal ingredients, Casa Cucina crafts each dish with care, ensuring freshness and quality. Its handmade pastas stand out, offering a range of textures, sauces, and flavours that pay homage to classic Italian recipes, from a classic carbonara to a morels pappardelle. Casa Cucina’s inviting atmosphere and inventive interior design make it an ideal spot for both casual meals and special occasions.
Casa Cucina and Bar, Shop C–D, Riviera Mansion, 59–65 Paterson Street, Causeway Bay
Testina offers an authentic Italian dining experience inspired by the family tables of Italy. With a focus on the nose-to-tail cooking philosophy, the restaurant transforms lesser-known cuts of meat and offals into exquisite dishes. The menu at Testina features traditional recipes passed down through generations, refined with a contemporary touch. Highlights include the homemade pastas, such as the delicious pappardelle with chicken offal ragù, the cavatelli with Mediterranean octopus, and the tagliatelle with duck ragù, all of which showcase the restaurant’s commitment to quality ingredients.
Testina, 3/F, 8 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central
There’s no better deal for pasta than at BYOB Coffee Roaster, where you get your desired toppings piled high atop well-seasoned pasta, all at jaw-dropping prices. Opt for the ever-popular carbonara, seafood with squid ink spaghetti, Hokkaido scallop and ming taizi spaghetti, and spaghetti with mixed wild mushrooms in black truffle cream sauce.
Luckily, most—if not all—of the pasta dishes at BYOB Coffee Roaster are well-loved by the restaurant’s regular diners, so order with the comfort of knowing that whatever you are in the mood to have, it will be delicious. Grab a friend or two and each order a dish (or more) to share, so you can enjoy a satisfying helping of BYOB Coffee Roaster’s delectable pasta highlights!
BYOB Coffee Roasters, Shop 2A, G/F, Man Cheong Building, 5 Tsing To Path, Tuen Mun
Netizens and friends have been raving about Beans for quite a while now, and after trying it out for ourselves, here we are, raving about it to you! Even months after our first trip to Beans, we still cannot forget the taste of the spaghetti with garlic and ox tongue dices in tomato sauce—perhaps the biggest reason why we return to Beans again and again for a casual meal.
Yes, you have heard of this one already, we know. Its reputation precedes it—Pirata Group’s Pici has long been a favourite among pasta fanatics in Hong Kong. Its pappardelle beef cheek and tagliolini truffle are absolutely unbeatable, especially when coupled with a selection of mouth-watering starters and bustling atmosphere. Pasta here is handmade, of course, which adds to the unforgettable texture of each dish.
Aside from the à la carte menu, Pici also offers a build-your-own tasting menu, lunch sets, and brunch sets, with menus changing monthly and prices varying according to the Pici outlet you are visiting. If you find it hard to decide on what to get, ask the friendly staff for more information when you get there.
While Fini’s is best-known for its fantastic dining deal that entails free-flow chicken wings, fries, and beer, the pasta dishes at this Italian-American establishment are equally irresistible. From the eye-catching exterior and modern design to the walls, plates, and even menus, everything about this joint is stylish and attractive.
Try the homemade pappardelle Mafaldine Bolognese, the homemade tagliatelle with truffled shrimp and lobster, and the typhoon shelter crab linguini. Be sure to also order the famous pork meatballs, signature Fini’s hot wings, and pizzas with homemade mozzarella, too.
Presentable and palatable, the food at Involtini is appetising beyond belief—and that will explain why this restaurant is always filled to the brim with customers all the time. All of its pasta is handmade, too, so you know you are in for a one-of-a-kind Involtini experience that is wholesome and made with care.
Lovers of this pasta bar know exactly what to get: the classic handmade tagliolini carbonara, handmade tagliatelle with beef ragu, and orecchiette with cacio e pepe and maitake. But if you are in for a little upgrade into a more luxurious meal, try the handmade tagliolini with Carabineros. Of course, to top it all off, be sure to have some delicious dessert, too!
Involtini, 11/F, The L Square, 459–461 Lockhart Road, Causeway Bay | (+852) 2658 2128
While we did not mean to take “hidden gems” quite so literally, Dough Kitchen is exactly that—a stylish pasta bar tucked behind the lively district of Causeway Bay, sitting comfortably adjacent to Tai Hang Road amidst many small restaurants. Dough Kitchen is famous for its unique take on handmade pasta—the signature sea urchin pasta makes the restaurant stand head and shoulders above your run-of-the-mill Italian restaurant.
Other delightful dishes include the sukiyaki beef tagliatelle, Wagyu bolognese, vongole, and many more. Finally, as its name implies, Dough Kitchen specialises in all matters dough-related, so be sure to try its other signature dishes, such as the Parma ham pizza, as well.
Dough Kitchen, 21B Brown Street, Tai Hang | (+852) 2688 7008
For almost 30 years, Grappa’s has served Hong Kong with excellent Italian dishes. In fact, believe it or not, Grappa’s signature pasta dish—the fettuccine nere—is a long-time childhood favourite of ours! It features homemade pasta made with squid ink, topped with large, fresh shrimp, and a cream sauce sautéed with cognac. Once you try it, you will start having insatiable, recurring cravings for it throughout the week!
Other signatures include the spaghetti marinara and linguine tutto mare—linguine and assorted seafood in tomato sauce—but frankly, it’s a struggle for choice from the extensive and top-notch pasta menu. Here’s a little bonus: Order Chef Cosimo’s signature steak for a lovely surprise!
Grappa’s QRE, 18 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai | (+852) 2868 0086
It’s extra refreshing to enjoy handmade pasta with well-seasoned seafood cooked to perfection next to a stunning sea view. At this artisan pasta bar, traditional pasta dishes are served right in front of Repulse Bay Beach—what a way to have a memorable meal! Grab yourself your choice of pasta and pick your sauce, prepared for your unbridled pleasure; the amatriciana, the aglio olio calamari, and the classic lobster make for a splendid meal in a quiet and tranquil corner of Hong Kong.
Fratelli, Shop 112B, 1/F, The Pulse, 28 Beach Road, Repulse Bay | (+852) 2887 0082
Black Sheep Restaurants’ New York-Italian joint is not to be missed—take it from us, and the many Hongkongers who have long ranked Carbone as one of the city’s top destinations for the finest handmade pasta. Its spicy rigatoni vodka and lobster ravioli —two of Carbone’s most in-demand signature dishes—are beyond addictive, to say the least. In order to elevate what it means to be a high-end, stylish restaurant, Carbone even serves its pasta dishes on artistic plates and other tableware! Be a part of the in-crowd by swinging by one of the hottest places for pasta, and try out the other delectable options on its menu, too.
Carbone, 9/F, LKF Tower, 33 Wyndham Street, Central | (+852) 2593 2593
Who knew that Happy Valley had its very own Michelin-recommended Italian restaurant? Locanda dell’Angelo is an inconspicuous pasta spot that’s famous for its red prawn pasta! If you are tired of ordering the usual and want to get a taste of as many dishes as you can, mix and match its various dishes by building your own tasting menu. Get four courses or five courses; the tasting menu includes your own choice of tapas, appetiser, pasta, main courses, and dessert from the entire à la carte menu. Keep in mind, its brunch menu changes every once in a while, so check back often on its Facebook page for menu updates!
Locanda dell’Angelo, 12 Yuen Yuen Street, Happy Valley | (+852) 3709 2788
Fine dining, one Michelin star, floor-to-ceiling windows, chandeliers way above your head—all that is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to dining at Tosca di Angelo. Situated on the hundredth-and-second floor of the cloud-caressing ICC, this acclaimed restaurant is all about high-end cuisine. Chef Angelo Agliano, a Sicilian native with extensive experience around the globe, highlights the vibrant essence of southern Italy, so book yourself in for a chance to taste the flavours of Sicily with Victoria Harbour in the background.
Tosca di Angelo, 102/F, The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong, 1 Austin Road West, Tsim Sha Tsui | (+852) 2263 2270
It would be completely unjustified for this list to not include the three-Michelin-starred 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana, the epitome of high-end Italian dining in Hong Kong. Under the guidance of head chef Umberto Bombana—hailed by many as the “best Italian chef in Asia” and “the king of white truffles”—8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana obtained two Michelin stars mere months after its opening in 2010, with the third being awarded in 2011. Bombana has kept all of his stars since, which is certainly more than enough evidence to attest to the restaurant’s consistent and superior quality.
Every detail of each dish is meticulously planned and prepared in order to feature flavours and textures that exceed expectations. Even so, Chef Bombana’s known for his expert use of white truffles, so keep your eye out for the white truffle pasta dishes!
8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana, Shop 202, 2/F, Alexandra House, 16–20 Chater Road, Central | (+852) 2537 8859
First published on 28 July 2021. Written by Shania Siu. Last updated by Lily Valette.
Covering the hottest new eats, the best places to play, offbeat takes on local culture, and so much more, Localiiz is every Hongkonger’s destination for how to live a well-rounded life in our vibrant city. Why the strange spelling? Well, Localiiz is designed to be your “local eyes”—and for that, you need two i’s.
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