One such address is 1-7 Ship Street, Wan Chai, the location of the freshly christened Trattoria Felino, which has seen its fair share of openings and closings in the past few years.

But Trattoria Felino’s co-owners Marcello Scognamiglio and Felix De Arriaga are hoping that luck – and longevity – might be on their side.

The two have a solid track record. Scognamiglio, who hails from Naples, previously worked as the chef de cuisine at the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong’s Grissini restaurant until he was snapped up by New World Development’s private members’ joint HKGTA Town Club.

Likewise, De Arriaga held positions as restaurant manager at places including Zuma Hong Kong as well as Ferran and Albert Adria’s Heart Ibiza project in Spain, before also joining the members’ club.

Trattoria Felino is a leap of faith, and their way of filling a gap that they believe exists in the Hong Kong food scene: an Italian restaurant that is not fine dining, yet not quite fast casual and ultra-affordable.

Recognising the trend for high-quality, straightforward food that is sensitively and not exorbitantly priced became the basis for the restaurant; the menu is concise and capped at one A3 sheet of paper.

There was once a cold cuts platter on the menu – an archetypical offering of Parma ham, mortadella, salami and capocollo – but it has since been terminated, mainly because the pair did not like how “easy” it was.

“You see all the dishes [on the menu], they have hours of elaboration,” says De Arriaga. “There is work and thought behind each of them, and then the cold cuts … not so much.”

He relishes the idea that “you can get Marcello to cook for you, and you [only] pay HK$300 [US$38]” – the duo estimate that a meal at Felino, not counting alcoholic drinks and service charge, would set diners back about HK$220 at lunchtime and a maximum of HK$400 at dinner time.

After years forging his path in hotel restaurants and clubs, it is exciting for Scognamiglio to almost go back to basics – to relearn what it means to run a restaurant.

“Before, when I worked in hotels it was so easy to find ingredients and suppliers who want to work with you,” he says. “You didn’t really mind about food cost.”

For De Arriaga, opening Trattoria Felino with his old friend is the realisation of a different kind of dream.

The Spaniard studied business and hospitality management, and interned in Michelin-star restaurants. “But I always wanted to either have a bakery, coffee shop or a pasta bar,” he says.

“I think we complement each other very well. The creativity comes from Marcello – he can focus on developing the food – and I need to really study the wine.

“It’s beautiful, this experience, because you face things that you never see, even when we’ve been working in restaurants for many years.”

From painting the walls to clearing the kitchen sink drains, the two have been involved in every aspect of the restaurant opening.

With no investors and their own savings on the line, they admit that launching in the current Hong Kong climate, post-pandemic, is more than a little “crazy”.

“A lot of people were saying [to us] that it may not be a good moment to open a restaurant,” says De Arriaga.

Facing the challenge head on formed the genesis of Trattoria Felino’s name, which references the much maligned animal that has become its de facto mascot: a cat.

It is their way of reclaiming superstition, and a bold move to turn the black cat from a symbol of terror to a talisman of fortune given that Neapolitans, according to Scognamiglio, are the most superstitious of them all.

“There are normal people,” he says, placing his hand on his collarbone as a measure, “and then there are Neapolitan people” – his arm shoots above his head.

Scognamiglio points out the quirky detail that is key: the cat is carrying what looks like a glove or severed hand in its mouth, which has its index and little finger outstretched – a gesture widely known in Italy as the mano cornuto, or the horns, which is meant to ward off bad luck.

“It’s a black cat, but it’s bringing us good luck,” adds De Arriaga, referencing the defiant little feline. “Let’s just say we’re using this to go against the odds.”