Enrico Bartolini opens Spiga in HK

In his first venture outside of Italy, celebrated chef Enrico Bartolini has launched a new upscale restaurant in Central, on the site of former Italian eatery, Lupa.

Enrico Bartolini

Born in Tuscany, Enrico Bartolini is known for his four Michelin starred restaurants in Milan, Bergamo, Castiglione della Pescaia and Venice and is strongly influenced by regional cuisine from Trentino-Alto Adige, the Veneto and Friuli in the north east of Italy.

Spiga opens under the Dining Concepts’ umbrella, the restaurant team behind Lupa which has now closed down.

Designed by Joyce Wang, Spiga’s interior emulates ‘1950s Italy’, with dramatic lighting and a long, ornate bar.

Menu-wise, the options are either Bartolini’s five-course tasting menu at HK$788 a head which is served in his other restaurants in Italy or the a la carte which champions half-fried Sicilian prawn with tamarind and Bartolini’s homemade pasta and risotto.

Other mains include grilled black Angus tenderloin with potato millefuille and perennial favourite, osso buco.

Unusually for Hong Kong, Spiga also offers an outside dining area, Portico.

“Spiga is a representation of today’s Italy. I am passionate about the contemporary tastes, style and presentation of Italian dining, in its most authentic form, and that is what we are serving our guests at Spiga.

“We want to share with Hong Kong a taste of what Italians are eating today in Italy,” he said.

There is also a 350 reference wine list picked by Dining Concepts’ sommelier, Maurizio Severgnini.