Located in the "new" SOHO West, the two-storey restaurant is heavily outfitted in blue and white seaside decor that stubbornly embraces Greek island hopping over the realities of a SOHO retail megaplex. Worse, the rich blues and faux stucco are washed out by the restaurant's hard fluorescent lighting.

Serafino specializes in deluxe pizzas baked in wood burning traditional Greek stoves. The choices range from the ambitious-we tried a feta, avocado and salmon Neptune pizza (RMB75 for a small)-to the standard pepperoni (RMB60 for a small).

Given how many pizza options there are in Beijing, Serafino's expensive prices manage to detract from their good taste and flavor. This isn't to suggest that the pizza isn't good, rather guests should adjust their expectations. The meze platter (RMB65) was the highlight of the evening. Crispy calamari, tangy yogurt, fresh grape leaf rolls and eggplant dip decked with crushed black pepper and sea salt. It's one of the few dishes on the menu that "tastes" Greek, making it hard for us to consider coming back soon when we're in the mood for Greek food.

Serafino
Address: Bldg 12, Jianwai SOHO, 39 Dongsanhuan Lu, New SOHO East
Tel: 010-5869-3512