It’s a bit of a funky concept, this Fiat Caffe—on one side of the venue you have patrons strolling around the car models (from Fiat, natch), checking the open-top mechanisms and bargaining with salespeople. On the other side, you have coffee drinkers and serious diners squished into a 500-square-foot space, nibbling on their pastas with not a care (or a car) in the world. The environment can best be described as mildly chaotic; the place gives off a constant buzz, to say the least.

Now, Hong Kong has plenty of premium establishments that offer fine Italian, but a casual diner that serves simple countryside fare at oh-so-reasonable prices? Those are few and far between—and Fiat gladly fills this gap. We only wish the cars were separated altogether, if only so the restaurant could be taken more seriously.

Foodwise, the appetizers, mains and desserts are equally amazing—if you need a hand in selecting (because the choices are all tempting), order anything with truffles, figs or ricotta. The homemade ricotta is a piece of heaven—light and fluffy, it goes well with figs, truffle honey and olive oil (as an appetizer) or with stewed pears in cinnamon syrup with almonds and honey (for dessert). We had both, on two separate occasions, and are still happily in love. The bruschetta are simple and hearty; our order of fried pancetta, stewed tomato, fried egg and truffles silenced us as we focused on eating. The pastas are easily something you can make yourself at home—nothing fancy, but effortlessly delicious.

The coffees, by Illy, are generally good, too (if you stay away from the sweetened and too-fancy ones). Can’t be bothered with a fancy formal dinner, and don’t want to book weeks in advance? Fiat Caffe is the answer.