A slick, wood-lined bistro on a side street off Colaba Causeway, serving authentic Italian pasta dishes and thick gourmet sandwiches on freshly-baked bread. The dining room is screened by foliage and is full of dark wood, creating a calm haven from the busy street outside. Diners are a mix of international travellers and locals experimenting with European cuisine. There's also a branch in Bandra.

Targeting international business travellers and visiting high-fliers, the Italian restaurant at the Grand Hyatt offers an elegant dining experience. Fresh ingredients like prosciutto di Parma and Mediterranean seabass are cooked into inspired secondi platti, and the pizzas, salads and pasta are all excellent. The open-plan dining room feels spacious and airy - a good place to escape the Mumbai crowds.

Don Giovanni is the archetypal Italian bistro ­ racks of wine bottles, starched white tablecloths, photos of opera stars on the walls. People make the trip across town to enjoy the homestyle Italian cooking in homely surroundings. Pasta, pizzas and secondi platti are prepared by an Italian chef using fresh local ingredients, with a few essential imports like prosciutto and Parmesan.

The European option at the stylish Hilton Towers hotel, Frangipani is the definition of sophistication. The dining room is bright and modern, attracting ladies who lunch and travellers doing business nearby in Nariman Point. The menu runs from light and healthy salads to authentic pizzas, prepared in a wood-fired oven. Many executives come here for the breakfast buffet, with legendary Belgian waffles.

JUHU. Over the years, Juhu has developed into an Italian enclave, at least as far as restaurants go. The chefs at Little Italy offer a tantalising taste of the Mediterranean in a small, cozy dining room on the main Juhu strip. The highlight here is the pasta ­ handmade ravioli, stuffed pasta shells, gnocchi. It feels like a small Italian bistro ought to feel, and cooks up a treat.