Il Presidente: a taste of Italy’s glamorous ’80s comes to Central

Words by Aude Camus
 
I have a slightly ridiculous love affair with Italian pop music from the '80s. You know the kind: unapologetically cheesy, impossibly catchy and guaranteed to put me in a good mood, no matter how bad the day has been.
 
Sara Perché Ti Amo by Ricchi e Poveri is my ultimate power song. I love it so much that I even convinced my husband to have it playing as we made our entrance at our wedding dinner. Felicità was the song I sang to both my girls when they needed comforting, while my Spotify is home to a very special playlist of Eros Ramazzotti and Umberto Tozzi hits for whenever I need a little pick-me-up.

So when I heard about Il Presidente, a new Italian restaurant in Central inspired by the country's decadent '80s and '90s heyday, I was already halfway there. Add a cocktail menu peppered with references to Italian pop culture, interiors that wouldn't look out of place in a Milanese power broker's favourite haunt, and a promise of unapologetic Italian indulgence, and you can imagine the rest.
 
Located on Duddell Street, Il Presidente  is the latest venture from the team behind Trattoria Felino, one of our family's favourite Italian restaurants in Hong Kong. And while the two share a love of Italian hospitality, this new address has a rather different personality: think less neighbourhood trattoria, more glamorous night out, with a healthy dose of retro excess thrown in for good measure.
 
 
A little Milanese glamour on Duddell Street
 
First impressions count, and Il Presidente certainly knows how to make one. After climbing the historic granite steps of Duddell Street, you arrive at a sunset-orange façade that feels like an invitation to leave everyday life behind for a few hours.
 

Inside, the restaurant is the work of Sean Dix Designs, which has leaned wholeheartedly into the glamour and excess of Italy's golden era. Think rich wood panelling, Belgian velvet, premium leather, deep carpets and soft accent lighting, all coming together in a space that feels plush, intimate and just a little bit seductive.
 
There's something wonderfully transportive about it. You can almost imagine a Milanese fashion designer holding court in one corner, a well-connected businessman nursing a whisky in another, and the evening's most glamorous guests drifting between the dining room and the bar. It's a world away from the pared-back interiors that have become so familiar in Hong Kong's restaurant scene, and all the better for it.

The atmosphere also comes with a gentle dress code in spirit, if not necessarily on paper. This is the kind of place that makes you want to put on a great outfit, touch up your lipstick and make an evening of it. The waiters, dressed in crisp white dinner jackets, complete the picture beautifully.
 
 
Start with a Bunga Bunga
 
Il Presidente takes its cocktails just as seriously as its food, with a bar programme designed to evoke the Italy of the '80s and '90s through music, football, films and the country's wonderfully colourful popular culture.

Behind the bar is Simone Ciambrone, whose impressive hospitality credentials include The Ritz London, The Dorchester, the Donovan Bar at Brown's Hotel and the Bvlgari Ginza Bar in Tokyo. His philosophy, Miscelazione Educata, is all about balancing creativity with savoir-faire: pushing flavours and techniques without overcomplicating the drink.
 
The result is a cocktail list that feels as playful as it is considered. Names reference Italian pop songs, sporting culture and familiar national obsessions, with each drink offering its own little nod to the era.
 
I kicked off the evening with a Bunga Bunga, a cheeky take on the Pornstar Martini named after Silvio Berlusconi's infamous parties. It's the sort of cocktail that immediately sets the tone: a little irreverent, unapologetically fun and very much in keeping with the restaurant's anything-but-boring personality.
 
Elsewhere on the menu, the Whisky e Sole combines Michter's rye whiskey, Fernet Branca and Nardini almond liqueur in a bold riff on the Old Fashioned, while the Amores Extraños takes inspiration from Laura Pausini, reimagining the Margarita with basil and absinthe. Football fans might gravitate towards the Coppa Italia, a Negroni variation, while the Piazza Duomo offers a playful twist on the Aperol Spritz.
 
Even if you don't recognise every reference, there's plenty to enjoy. And if you're anything like me, you'll appreciate a cocktail menu that gives you something to talk about before the food even arrives.
 
 
Italian classics, done right

Of course, all the retro glamour in the world wouldn't mean much if the food didn't deliver. Thankfully, Il Presidente has more than a few reasons to earn its place on your dining shortlist.
 
Executive Chef and co-founder Marcello Scognamiglio's approach is centred on what the restaurant calls a "new classic" philosophy: familiar Italian dishes, prepared with quality ingredients and without unnecessary reinvention. The menu celebrates the kind of generous, comforting cooking that makes you want to linger at the table a little longer.
 
We started with a trio of dishes that set the tone nicely: Arancini al Mare, Carpaccio di Manzo (Wagyu beef carpaccio) and Crudo di Ricciola (Hamachi crudo with smoked eggplant and sala vergine). There's something particularly appealing about beginning an Italian dinner with a few plates to pass around, letting everyone dip into a little of everything before moving on to the main event.
 
For me, the standout came in the form of the Tagliolini agli Scampi e Limone. A beautiful reminder that sometimes the best Italian cooking doesn't need to shout to make an impression, this was the dish I kept thinking about afterwards. It's the kind of pasta I'd happily return for.
 
We also ordered the Costoletta alla Valdostana, a breaded veal chop stuffed with Fontina cheese and smoked ham. Rich, hearty and decidedly indulgent, it's a fitting expression of Il Presidente's approach to Italian comfort food: classic dishes that embrace their own decadence rather than apologising for it.
 
One of my favourite moments of the evening, however, had little to do with a particular dish. At the table next to us, a diner asked the waiter whether the food could be ordered to share. His answer came without a moment's hesitation: "Of course, we love you to share. Here, it's all about conviviality." And really, what could be more Italian than that?
 
It's an attitude that makes the restaurant particularly appealing for a dinner with friends or a lively date night. Rather than treating the meal as a procession of individual plates, the experience encourages you to order generously, pass things around and enjoy the simple pleasure of eating together.
 
 
Don't leave without trying the tableside gelato

If there's one thing I've been seeing all over Instagram, it's Il Presidente's Gelato al Tavolo, the freshly churned gelato prepared tableside. Naturally, I had to try it.
 
And I'm pleased to report that it lives up to the anticipation. There's something wonderfully old-school about having dessert brought into the spotlight, with the preparation itself becoming part of the evening's entertainment.
 
You can dress it up with toppings such as caramel or Biscoff, which will no doubt appeal to anyone with a serious sweet tooth. But if you take just one recommendation from me, make it this: go for the olive oil and balsamic topping.
 
I know it might sound like an unusual choice for gelato, but trust me on this one. The combination is a delight, bringing a savoury edge and a lovely contrast to the sweetness of the ice cream. It feels distinctly Italian, a little unexpected and all the more memorable for it.
 
 
The pleasure of a proper night out
 
What stayed with me most about Il Presidente wasn't just the décor, the cocktails or even that very good plate of tagliolini. It was the feeling that the entire experience had been designed around the pleasure of going out.
 
The service deserves a special mention, too. The team struck that lovely balance between being attentive and genuinely warm, making the evening feel welcoming rather than overly formal. A particular kudos to Andrea, the restaurant manager, for helping make the experience such an enjoyable one.
 
Il Presidente could easily have leaned too heavily on its retro concept, turning the whole thing into a caricature of Italian glamour. Instead, the playful details sit alongside a menu of comforting classics, cocktails with personality and hospitality that makes you want to stay for one more drink.
 
And perhaps that's what I love most about the place. It doesn't take itself too seriously, but it takes the business of making people feel good very seriously indeed.
 
So, if your idea of a perfect evening involves dressing up a little, starting with a proper cocktail, sharing a generous Italian meal and finishing with tableside gelato, Il Presidente should be on your list.