Cuisine: Italian.

Ambience: This recently renovated restaurant has two separate indoor areas and an open-air terrace. Enticing leather couches sit beside the tables along one wall, uncomfortable-looking chairs surround the tables near the entrance. The decor is pleasantly modern, but not startlingly original.

Price: A three-course meal without drinks costs about HK$350 plus 10 per cent service charge.

Pros: The menu was extensive, inventive and varied. The leather couches were ideal for relaxing after a tough evening's shopping in Lee Gardens. Dining on the terrace is a welcome option when the weather is fine.

Cons: The service, although friendly, was irritatingly over-zealous. Staff didn't wait for the two of us to finish a course before clearing the table, instead whisking away any plate within seconds of the last bite being consumed. Moreover, wait staff twice approached our table to ask if they could remove plates we weren't finished with - hardly conducive to a relaxed meal. The size of the wine glasses was on

the small side, despite costing HK$68 and up for a glass.

Recommended dishes: We started by sharing half a dozen fresh oysters (HK$192) and a Caprese salad (HK$108). The latter featured a superbly creamy and subtle burrata cheese and a satisfyingly salty Parma ham, but was let down slightly by the tomatoes, which tasted more like the bland local variety than the imported Italian ones our server insisted they were. We were divided about the oysters: I found them fairly forgettable, whereas my companion praised their delicate flavour. The main course of spaghetti alla marinara (HK$198), which included prawns, rock lobster, marinated monkfish and mussels, came in a rich vermouth, tomato, paprika and garlic sauce - although the portion wasn't particularly generous. The whole red emperor (HK$198, left), however, was the highlight of the meal. The boneless fish was juicy and the accompanying black olive tapenade, lemon beurre blanc, leaf spinach and Jerusalem artichokes greatly enhanced the natural flavour. For dessert, the Valrhona chocolate tart with raspberry ice cream (HK$70) was intense and indulgent, while the 'warm' zabaglione with amaretto liqueur and seasonal fresh fruits (HK$55) was fairly enjoyable, even if the temperature didn't live up to its billing.

What else? Habitu the Garden has a sister restaurant, Habitu the Pier, in Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui.