Upscale

Upscale Italian restaurants sit between a casual trattoria and a tasting-menu dining room, with dinner usually costing US$50 to 100 a head before drinks. They are ideal for a celebration, a date or a holiday dinner when you want polished cooking and a setting to match, without committing to a full fine-dining evening.

Many of the best are in hotels and resorts with spectacular views: La Gritta's terraces above Patong Bay, Kiree on the cliffs at Chaweng Noi, Riva del Fiume beside the Chao Phraya in Bangkok and Alto on a Kuningan rooftop in Jakarta. Others are standalone favourites, such as Lenzi's family-run Tuscan kitchen in Bangkok, Osteria Marzia's coastal cooking in Wan Chai and La Lucciola, a Seminyak beachfront institution for three decades.

Sunset tables go first, so reserve a day or two ahead and ask for a terrace seat when you book.