Tosca

Doubletree by Hilton's Italian restaurant is a breezy, casual hangout.

It's 100 percent alfresco here, right beside the hotel's 11th-floor pool. Certainly a nice change from KL's predominantly indoor, earthbound Italian eateries.

If you're only here for a drink, grab a seat at the lounge section, which provides a panoramic view of Jalan Tun Razak and Jalan Ampang.

The menu is kept basic _ trattoria-style pasta, salads, risotto, meat and fish. (Note, however, that Tosca is in its soft-launch phase, so only pizzas, sandwiches and desserts are available through mid-August).

Wood-fired pizza with seafood, tomatoes, mozzarella & garlic. This had a fair amount of fresh, flavorsome toppings, with a reasonably thin and crisp crust, but you'll still find more impressive pizzas elsewhere in town.

What made the pizza memorable were these accompaniments: three types of olive oil _ rosemary-&-thyme, chili, and extra virgin. Drizzled on the pizza, they added a range of aromas _ herbaceous, peppery and buttery _ that made each bite more distinctively enjoyable.

Mint-marinated strawberries, stracciatella ice cream & pistachio crumble. A pleasant mix, with the ice cream offering a sugary counterpoint to the gently tart strawberries.

Tiramisu. Skip this; tasted middling, with a frosty, refrigerated texture.

Madagascar vanilla & mascarpone gelati. Cold and creamy enough, as well as subtly sweet, but still not quite the gelato of our dreams.

Service was excellent. That, coupled with the ambiance, is the key reason to head here.

Tosca,

Doubletree by Hilton,

The Intermark, Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 2172-7272