Finding perfectly cooked al dente pasta or tiramisu is hardly a trial in a city that has long had a love affair with Italian cuisine. Michelin-starred chef Enrico Bartolini’s newly opened Spiga, however, has a secret ingredient: a charming cinematic experience of retro 1950s Italy with a chic outdoor garden terrace created by local architect Joyce Wang. ‘I wanted to celebrate different aspects of Italian life with several areas within the restaurant reflecting their own side of Italy,’ Wang explains.
Textures and colours of the country are presented through a seamless blend of the designer’s own custom-design furnishings and a covetable collection of modern Italian design including modernist pendants and table lamps by the likes of Stilux and Stilnovo, Tucroma dining chairs by Pace, and Terrazzo stone floors. ‘There is a soul in something that has been reclaimed,’ Wang continues.
Seating is mainly arranged around cosy clusters and banquettes, but the best spot for people watching is from a central large communal table featuring a dramatic ceiling light complete with working pendulum. Here, a ceiling clad in silk wallpaper and rope alongside walls lined with vintage stall games offers a subtle, playful nod to traditional Italian circuses. It’s the perfect backdrop for Bartolini’s signature Sicilian red prawns with tamarind sauce followed by sublime chocolate foam with hazelnut ice cream.
INFORMATION
Website
ADDRESS
3/F LHT Tower Podium
31 Queen’s Road Central
-
Mondrian makes waves at Burleigh Heads with a striking Australian debutMondrian Gold Coast emerges as a sculptural new anchor for Burleigh Heads, pairing surf-side glamour with global polish
-
Introducing the design-led Split Watches, a force for goodGood design is given a charitable spin by Split Watches – for every one sold, the company donates an hour of therapy
-
Meet the New York-based artists destabilising the boundaries of societyA new show in London presents seven young New York-based artists who are pushing against the borders between refined aesthetics and primal materiality
-
A colossal ‘ship’ in Shanghai honours Louis Vuitton’s travel legacyLouis Vuitton’s The Louis is an OMA-designed hub combining retail, culture and dining in the heart of Nanjing West Road
-
The Trip to Hong Kong: exploring a bold new capital of cultureA resilient desire to shift perceptions yet preserve heritage is driving a new energy in Hong Kong as the next generation creates a bold new capital of culture
-
Take off with the June 2025 Travel Issue of Wallpaper*Head to Hong Kong, paint the town red in Las Vegas, reimagine room service, and make a splash in sizzling swimwear – the June issue is hot to globe-trot, on newsstands now
-
Tour the best contemporary tea houses around the worldCelebrate the world’s most unique tea houses, from Melbourne to Stockholm, with a new book by Wallpaper’s Léa Teuscher
-
Prada and Wong Kar-wai dream up a cinematic restaurant in ShanghaiPrada partners with Wong Kar-wai to bring Mi Shang Rong Zhai to life, a dining experience influenced by the arthouse director’s seminal oeuvre
-
A local’s guide to Hong Kong, by photographer Lean LuiAs Hong Kong hosts its annual Art Basel fair, local photographer Lean Lui shares her go-to spots for an alternative take on the city
-
Where to stay in Hong KongFrom sky-high glamour to intimate design sanctuaries, here's our pick of Hong Kong's finest stays
-
Enjoy heritage views and contemporary brews at a new Beijing caféJM Café, White Pagoda Temple by B.L.U.E. Architecture Studio nods to the history of the Xicheng District while injecting a shot of vitality
