Nestled on the 31st floor of the Regal Hong Kong Hotel, Alto 88 whisks diners away with its sophisticated European ambiance and sweeping views of the city. Boasting classic chandeliers and polished marble floors, this dining space offers a sense of old world charm that may come across as somewhat tacky. High ceilings in the restaurant are appreciated, giving way to a seemingly spacious environment. The restaurant appeared to be rather empty on a weekday evening, and diners were asked to sit nearby the entrance and in the middle of the restaurant to create more buzz for the space.

Authentic Italian cuisine can be found here, with a wide range of home-made pasta and risotto choices available. We began the meal with the invigorating and mildly flavoured Sicilian red prawn, which is perfectly balanced by the sweet flavours of the Lorenzini sweet melon gazpacho. The pappardelle is bursting with flavours and textures – the dish features a generous serving of hearty pasta constructed wonderfully together with the richly flavoured duck ragout. The Tagliatelle, on the other hand, is on the blend side, but it appeals with its invigorating pairing of succulent fresh lobster and crunchy cherry tomatoes. The slow-cooked monkfish tail is certainly a safe option, if not a bit dull. It boasts a tender texture with just the right amount of black pepper flavour. For desserts, we opted for Tiramisu and warm chocolate cake with home-made vanilla ice cream. The chocolate cake is overall well done with a soft sponge texture and a rich chocolate fondant, but the Tiramisu was a disappointment which fails to live up to the standard delivered by the rest of the meal. 

The wine list consists of mainly Italian and French selections to complement the dishes and staff are well-versed with the collection.

Although servers appeared to be friendly and polite, they were relatively inattentive most of the time, which is rather surprising considering there were only a few tables occupied that evening. Overall the service was decent but with room for improvement.

A filling three-course meal including a glass of wine each comes to approximately HK$ 1,864, which we find to be acceptable considering its tranquil setting and authentic cuisine.