Restaurant & Bar

Some of the best Italian evenings start at the bar. These restaurants pair a proper Italian kitchen with a bar worth visiting in its own right, whether that means a rooftop aperitivo, a cocktail lounge or a wine bar with a deep Italian list.

Jakarta leads the way: Alto pairs skyline views with golden-hour aperitivo on a Kuningan rooftop, Casa Cuomo on Gunawarman combines a grand dining room with a lounge, and Roma Osteria & Bar in SCBD pours spritzes and Negronis until late. In Kuala Lumpur, Marini's on 57 has a rooftop bar beside the Petronas Twin Towers and Strato opens its bar an hour before the kitchen. In Singapore, ANTO is built around aperitivi and La Bottega Enoteca is a garden wine bar in Joo Chiat.

Arrive early for a drink at the bar before dinner, and check opening hours, as many of these stay open well past midnight at weekends.