Casa Don Alfonso — Restaurant in Sé

Never has the phrase "a diamond in the rough" been more fitting than to describe Don Alfonso in Macau. Among the gaudy glitz and dazzling lights you can feast like a king for a fraction of the price you would expect for such quality. Unburdened by the curse of Michelin, Don Alfonso is frequently overlooked by Michelin star-chasers and instabloggers who prefer the high glam and brag-ability of Robuchon cooped up in his dome, allowing Don Alfonso to focus on what they do best: turning high quality ingredients from Italy into Michelin-star-level dishes. After all, they do have their 2 star reputation at home in Amalfi to defend. Next time you're looking for a comfortable restaurant that's quiet enough for civil conversation, with excellent service and Michelin-quality dishes without the same price tag, consider going to Don Alfonso with an open mind and seeing what's just arrived in Chef Claudio's kitchen. Succulent black-skinned figs or earthy porcini mushrooms from Italy perhaps?

2018 update: After the refurbishment, Don Alfonso appears to be targeting a wider, less elitist audience while still maintaining their focus on fresh ingredients from Italy. You can still expect a bread basket worthy of a Michelin-starred restaurant (don't let a low carb diet get in the way of their tomato focaccia) but I felt that my pasta and main course, although delicious, have declined in quality. However, I maintain my 5 star rating for the revelation that is their pizza. Get. The....

Back in March, we had lunch at Casa Don Alfonso, the Italian restaurant on the 3rd floor of Grand Lisboa Hotel. This restaurant was recently rebranded from its previous name - Don Alfonso 1890. Opening hours are 12-2.3pm (lunch) and 6.30-10.30pm (dinner) daily.

Along with the rebranding, the restaurant recently brought over Maurizio Ferrini, a Neapolitan pizza specialist. During our recent lunch, we tried a white and red pizza - the Pizza Bianco con prosciutto di Parma e rucola selvatica and the Pizza Diavola (both MOP160). These were pretty good, Curst was nearly perfect with a good amount of burn. Ingredients were fresh and tasty, there is olive oil on the table to add a bit of drizzle if you like.

We preferred he white pizza over the red but both were solid Neapolitan style pizzas, something you won't find an equivalent of in Macau and only a few similar examples in Hong Kong. Pizzas were good enough to return for and to recommend for visitors to Macau.

The rest of the menu is a nice selection of Italian cuisine, seating is casual and the restaurant is served by a large and...

Dining at Don Alfonso 1890 would be an unforgettable experience for Italian fine dining. Located in the glitzy setting of Hotel Grand Lisbao, Macau, you are surrounded by huge crystal chandeliers and other sparkling dazzlers. Tried the tasting menu and two of their famous dishes, each course was perfect in every way without feeling heavy, and the best thing is that they do not use butter or cream but the finest olive oil so that each dish will not leave you bloated. Our tasting menu was neatly rolled into a scroll on our plates. Before the dishes came, there were various breads that are made daily at Don Alfonso paired with olive oil which come from Alfonso. The green one was spinach bread and it was my favourite. After the fabulous meal, there were Petit fours where you can select to your hearts content. The selection varied from nougats, truffles, candies to gourmet chocolates. The yellow chocolate in the middle was filled with their signature Liquore de Limone. It ended perfectly with a...