Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on June 2012

In the affluent triangle of Hiroo, Ebisu and Shibuya, Orgoglio del Casalta (1F Hiroo Bldg, 3-12-40 Hiroo, Shibuya-ku; www.orgogliodelcasalta.com) is aiming to put a spin on how Italian restaurants set themselves up in Tokyo. For starters, the outdoors is a small Tuscan garden of creeping ivy and other pretty vegetation. Just inside the opened doors, you’ll see something unusual for Tokyo restaurants, which is a cocktail bar right up front. This is a good place for a pre-prandial Campari and orange, or to chill out while you wait for a table. Owner-chef Yoshinori Konno learned his trade in the Old Country and handmakes his delicious pasta (from ¥1,400).