All good things must come to an end, and the latest development in a string of F&B closures in Hong Kong comes in the form of Testina, the modern Milanese trattoria.
On Friday, October 3, a post announcing the impending closure was shared on the restaurant’s official social media platforms, citing ‘shifting market demands’ as the reason for this ‘tough but collective decision’. According to the post, Testina will remain open until the end of the year, though no exact closing date has been given.
Testina turned heads in Hong Kong with its unique nose-to-tail concept when it first opened in 2022, exposing Hong Kong diners to a side of rustic, down-to-earth Italian cuisine that’s not widely offered on an international level. Hong Kong-based hospitality group ZS Hospitality teamed up with Milan’s acclaimed Trippa restaurant to open Testina, working with Trippa’s chef Diego Rossi to establish Testina’s signature trattoria experience and culinary philosophy. Chef Marco Xodo has helmed the restaurant since the beginning and brought dishes such as the homemade pappardelle with chicken offal ragu, pig’s head with salsa verde, codfish tripe, and the Trippa-inspired ‘fritta’ fried honeycomb beef tripe to the attention of local guests. Every part of the animal is used, and traditional recipes passed down through generations are examined through a modern lens to present comfort dishes featuring often-overlooked ingredients.
Testina was listed on the 50 Best Discovery list in 2024 and ranked at number 60 on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2025, in addition to being a Michelin-recommended restaurant in 2025 – a testament to the accomplishment and refinement of its Northern Italian-style cuisine.
If you’re longing for a final bite of Testina’s ‘lingua tonnata’ (milk-fed veal tongue) or the stew tripe Amatriciana with guanciale and smoked pecorino, you’ll still have a few months to swing by the restaurant for a proper send-off before a last goodbye.
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