On the 11th floor of the modern Cubus building, Bella Vita is a surprisingly relaxing and cozy dining establishment. The Italian restaurant comprises just a few tables, giving the space an intimate ambience while the friendly staff and neutral tones make it inviting. One wall is lined with shelves holding products imported from Italy, while the opposite side features windows through which diners can look out over the hustle and bustle of Causeway Bay below. There is a small but comfortable patio at the back of the restaurant with seats for aperitifs or after-dinner drinks and the restaurant also offers two private dining rooms.

Chef Francesco Pasquini serves up authentic modern Tuscan cuisine full of enticing flavour and texture combinations. The menu is varied, with pasta and risotto dishes, but there is a definite meat and seafood focus with not much choice for vegetarians. Start with the Atlantic cod dish timbale with black truffle and Tuscan bruschetta, a fishy pâté-like creation that incorporates the finest cod and combines it with crisp Tuscan bread and the distinct and delightful flavour of shaved black truffle. The grilled octopus with black pepper and green apple salad is one of the restaurant’s signature starters, featuring succulent tentacles cooked so that they are not too chewy, not too tender, and set atop a crunchy bed of sliced green apple. The slight kick of black pepper complements the tart yet sweet flavour of the fruit. The grilled Fiorentina steak is prepared for two people, served beautifully sliced for convenience and cooked medium rare as typical in Tuscany (we were not asked how well we wanted the steak to be cooked). The meat is succulent and served alongside a crisp salad, comprising of the more common lettuce and tomatoes peppered with the addition of strawberries, blueberries, pear and walnuts which add an unexpected sweetness as well as unusual texture to the flavoursome steak. After such a large main course, the delicate desserts are the perfect way to round off the meal. The freshly-baked white chocolate cake with berry coulis is a deliciously warm, soft sponge with sweet white chocolate filling that oozes out into the berry coulis, while the puff pastry apple tart and vanilla gelato is a classic combination done well here.

There is a focus on Italian and French wines with a good selection across the grape-growing regions of these two countries. The house wines have been well chosen and the selection of wines by the glass is good. The restaurant also offers wines in different sizes (glass, half bottle, bottle) to suit varying needs. There is nothing at the lower end of the scale in terms of price but more expensive wines are aplenty. Staff can offer good recommendations though there did not seem to be a sommelier available.

For the size of the restaurant there are a lot of staff on duty so it is always easy to get attention and advice as all are well-versed in the restaurant’s offerings and willing to give their own recommendations. 

A three-course dinner with wine for two comes to around HK$2,000 which, given the quality of the food and, in particular, the house wine, is reasonable. Bella Vita offers a set lunch which ranges in price from $169 for two appetisers to $298 for three courses including appetizer, pasta and main course.