The moment you walk into Cepe – the Italian restaurant inside Financial Street’s ultra modern Ritz Carlton Hotel – it’s obvious that they take their mushrooms very seriously; decorative silver mushrooms hang upside down from the ceiling above the entrance and images of magnified mushrooms hang over the kitchen window. Cepe’s menu never strays too far from the humble fungi and there’s even mushroom humidor in the dining area. Chef Giovanni Terracciano, a native of Napoli, proudly opens each drawer to show diners hundreds of fungi mushrooming in a series of dark trays.

Diners start their meals with a complimentary glass of Angela Viano sparkling wine Prosecco, which goes well with the olive foccacia. The antipasti (110RMB) consists of a selection of mixed appetizers with marinated pungent mushrooms and goose liver sandwiched between arugula leaves and topped with reduced balsamic sauce, salami, prosciutto and ham.

Cepe is also one of the few restaurants on the Mainland to offer white truffle when in season—a real luxury for Beijing gourmands. Flown in all the way from Italy, a few flakes of this precious and distinctive fungus has a huge impact on the taste on any dish—from soup to pasta, even ice cream.

The homemade pasta with shaved white truffles is only available in season but one of the finest dihses in the city, both light yet with a wonderfully full flavour. Along with the obligatory serving of fungus, the ravioli (130RMB) is filled eggplant and prosciutto and comes served in a delicious cherry tomato sauce.

Other main courses include the roasted pork tenderloin (180RMB), which is filled with slightly bitter black truffles, encased in prosciutto and served on a bed of red cabbage salad with juniper berry sauce--an interesting combination that works beautifully. The lamb encrusted in mint-crumbed bread is also perfectly cooked and oozes flavour.

Desserts include a delicate vanilla soufflé, a novel tasting lavender ice cream with caramel sauce, apricots and strawberries. All followed by handmade chocolate truffles.

Cepe’s final treat is a glass of Terracciano’s home-made Limoncello. This cool, tangy drink is made by soaking lemon peel in vodka for two days, after which syrup is added to the mixture, which is then cooled in the refrigerator.The perfect end to a perfect dinner.

Cepe 1 Jin Cheng Fang Dong Jie, Xicheng disrict (tel 6601 6666) Open10:30am-2:30pm, 6-10:30pm. Meal for two 650RMB.

意味轩 西城区金城坊东街1号