Probably the best thing about Valentino Italian Restaurant at Landison is the view looking out over Hangzhou as you stand at the urinal to pee. Well, the rest of the views are pretty good too. But nevertheless, that makes the restaurant the most expensive public toilet in Hangzhou. The other restaurants in the hotel are good: Unkai has always been a favourite, as has the Oriental. Conceptually, Italian food on the top of one of Hangzhou’s better hotels should be a good idea, so what is it about this restaurant that fails to hit the spot?

Without a little guidance, you might not find the place. Thankfully Landison thought of that and have a waitress to meet you on the 25th floor where the main lifts let you out. Round the corner there is another tiny lift that takes you up to the 26th and 27th floors. The layout of the restaurant is a little weird, cant put my finger on why, but at least there is a still a smoking section.

Some menus leave you stuck with what to choose because you want to eat it all, and some leave you hard pressed to pick anything because for one reason or the other, you don’t want anything on it. Valentino’s definitely falls in the latter category of the two. First courses offer a fair show: soups, a range of differing antipasti, couple of salads. We opted to share a couple of the antipasti – a meaty one and a fishy one. Both were good, served with good bread. The problem comes with the main course. Pasta, pizza and steak to choose from. There is some grilled fish too, but the MP in the price column always makes me a little worried. Of course, if you are in the mood for a bowl of pasta, that is great, although the one I make at home is pretty good too. The steak is expensive with many of the cuts well into 300RMB, which frankly, is unnecessary these days. After much deliberation, I chose a Lobster Risotto and my friend a minestrone soup. The lobster was small – probably illegal in some countries and rice quite salt. The wine list offered nothing much very unique looking, except for the pricing which favoured the restaurant.

The piano was tinkling away in the background, lighting good and service attentive without being in your face.

I do not pretend to be an experienced restaurant critic and so I have no idea why this place just doesn’t quite do it. Perhaps simply a lack of joie de vivre?

Valentino’s Italian Restaurant | 26th Floor, Landison Hotel, 333 Tiyuchang Road, Hangzhou.