Grappa's

Description:

• If you like to eat pizza or pasta to the accompaniment of noise, commotion, and lots of people parading past, this is the place for you. Grappa's is decorated like a trattoria, but with big glass windows overlooking the shops of Pacific Place; you can't escape the fact that this place is not a sidewalk cafe but is in a mall. The open kitchen, while providing some diversion, adds to the noise. Still, this is certainly the best place for moderately priced Italian food anywhere in the area, even though it is strictly standard fare, because all the bread (served with olive oil and fresh Parmesan and brought swiftly to each table), sauces, pasta, sausages, and desserts are made in the restaurant's own kitchen. The salads are good here, as are the dozen or so authentic Italian pizzas and the even larger selection of pastas. The entrees lean toward the tried and true, from veal-shank stew in Barolo red-wine sauce to roasted lamb chops with rosemary.

  For more atmospheric dining, head to Grappa's Cellar in the basement of Jardine House, Connaught Road Central (tel. 852/2521 2322; MTR: Central), open daily 10am to midnight and even offering live jazz several nights a month.

• © Frommer's 2012

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Recommended 2010