If a steady diet of hearty Italian food is good enough for Sophia Loren, then it’s good enough for the rest of us. Should you find yourself in Singapore and are looking to live la dolce vita, do it at some of the best Italian restaurants in Singapore.
Like many other cuisines, what we know as Italian food in Singapore comes from up and down the boot-shaped country. Risotto hails primarily from Lombardy. Florentine steak is a culinary icon of Tuscany. For pizza, it’s Campania. And the galaxy of pasta shapes can be traced to various regions around the country, from trofie’s origins in Liguria to Puglia’s ear-shaped orecchiette.
Some of the best Italian restaurants here delve into these specialities. Fico explores the flavours of Puglia from a seaside holiday home. Solo exemplifies the flair of Emilia-Romagna. So too does Torno Subito, a concept by renowned chef Massimo Bottura that transports diners to the shores of the Adriatic Sea.
Other Italian restaurants in Singapore are more generalist. From a Duxton Hill shophouse, Thirty9 covers a broad swath of the country from Genova to Sicily. Locanda offers excellent pasta and the warm hospitality of a countryside inn. Certain top-rated Italian restaurants in Singapore practice the hallmarks of the cuisine while pushing its boundaries, like Californian-Italian dining establishment Osteria Mozza, Bar Cicheti, and Amo.
Fine-dining Italian restaurants in Singapore also make the cut. Since 2003, Garibaldi has been turning out exquisite Italian food using Wagyu, caviar, and other premium ingredients. At Buona Terra, the Michelin-starred Italian restaurant in Singapore has been a home for irresistible Italian fare for over a decade. See below for more.
(Hero and featured images credits: Locanda; Osteria Mozza Singapore / Facebook)
10 top-rated Italian restaurants Singapore for the best pasta, pizza, & more
1 /10
Amo has already become one of our favourite spots for hearty, contemporary Italian cuisine. The restaurant is operated by the Il Lido Group and serves an extensive variety of antipasti, pastas, and pizzas. Expect slicked-up versions of the classics from trofie with Pugliese almond pesto and purple artichokes to gnocco fritto (fried dough) served with roasted bone marrow.
What to order
Anchovy colatura butter and smoked ikura bring depth to the homemade spaghetti chitarra (S$35++). The fettuccine with beef shank, mushrooms, and orange salmoriglio (S$30++) is a crowd favourite.
Daily, 12pm – 2.30pm, 6pm – 11pm
(Image credit: Amo / Facebook)
2 /10
A mere seven years since its debut, Bar Cicheti has undergone a major renovation of its space and dining offerings to become one of the best Italian restaurants in Singapore. The interior is now sultrier, inspired by the cheeky spirit of the Roman god of wine Bacchus, and the food menu has been expanded to include more starters and bar bites. Pastas, however, are still a mainstay, with eight dishes complemented by a revamped wine list segregated by movie quotes: “Oppenheimer” offers wines that blow away expectations and “Star Wars” highlights flavours that are as lively as the space odyssey.
What to order
A server described a starter of burratina as smaller than a burrata, but it was hefty enough for two and lovely when spread onto charred sourdough. Head chef Danny Ng also has a deft hand with red meat, exemplified by the perky and luxurious saltimbocca, and deeply caramelised tagliatelle al ragu. To drink, a zippy syrah from South African producer Testalonga and a sensual Jura savagnin by Jerome Arnoux, which paired fantastically well with Bar Cicheti’s calling card, the smoked rigatoni cacio e pepe.
Sunday – Thursday, 12pm – 2.30pm, 6pm – 10.30pm
Friday & Saturday, 12pm – 2.30pm, 6pm – 11pm
(Image credit: Bar Cicheti)
3 /10
For over a decade, Buona Terra chef Denis Lucchi has held court from a stately colonial bungalow on Scotts Road. He only offers tasting menus here, which he uses as a platform to showcase seasonal ingredients at their peak. H also has a flair for complex flavours. Canadian lobster tail is blanketed in Wagyu fat and enriched with anchovy sauce, while a hint of applewood smoke from crusted veal sweetbread is accented by coffee powder. Dining at the one-Michelin-starred Italian restaurant is expensive but deeply satisfying.
What to order
The most affordable way of taking in the full Buona Terra experience is to dine during lunch and opt for the five-course menu (S$178++). Wine pairings are an additional S$168++ per person.
Monday – Friday, 12pm – 3pm, 6.30pm – 10.30pm
Saturday, 6.30pm – 10.30pm
Closed on Sunday
(Image credit: Buona Terra)
4 /10
Fico, it seems, can do no wrong. Since it opened, the Puglia-centric restaurant continues to be perpetually full. It has many things going for it: an atmosphere reminiscent of an Italian holiday home by the sea. Dishes led by seafood and vegetables, all perked up by bold flavours from anchovies to goat’s milk blue cheese. To cap it off, a dessert trolley brimming with cakes, tarts, ice cream, and other riotously colourful treats. Chef Mirko Febbrile calls his food, “Cucina povera,” literally poor cuisine, but dining here enriches the soul.
What to order
Start with the fluffy focaccina (from S$19++), a focaccia-pizza hybrid, and one example came topped with goat milk blue cheese, fior di latte, fried sage, and Sicilian honey. Save the crust for a starter of charred red peppers (S$22++), which were draped with Cantabrico anchovies and dripping with extra virgin olive oil. For pasta, the denti del drago (S$27++), or “dragon’s teeth,” is enhanced by a deeply savoury white ragu of beef, lamb, and pork.
Monday – Wednesday, 5.30pm – 10.30pm
Thursday & Friday, 11.30am – 3pm, 5.30pm – 10.30pm
Saturday & Sunday, 11.30am – 10.30pm
(Image credit: Fico)
Opened in 2003, Garibaldi is an institution in the local dining scene. The restaurant offers a repertoire of traditional Italian fare with highlights such as risotto with porcini mushroom, grilled Iberico pork rack, rigatoni with beef bolognese, and pan-seared scallops.
What to order
Definitely one of Garibaldi’s signature cold angel hair pasta, with the capesante e ricci (S$98++) decadently crowned with Hokkaido scallops, bafun sea urchin and Siberian caviar. The parmigiana di melanzane (S$28++) is an exercise in top-notch ingredients: baked eggplant with mozzarella, basil, and tomatoes, while the manzo Wagyu (S$158++) is a Tochigi A5 steak dripping with truffle jus.
Daily, 12pm – 3pm, 6pm – 10.30pm
(Image credit: Garibaldi Italian Restaurant & Bar / Facebook)
6 /10
Purists might get riled up at the sight of Osteria Mozza on our list of best Italian restaurants in Singapore: founder Nancy Silverton is American! It’s not Italian, it’s Californian! And why is there a burger on the menu? But the celebrity chef knows a few things about Italian food. Like the hallmarks of the cuisine, her ingredients are exquisite, which she transforms into comforting dishes such as caprese, handmade pasta, and crusty pizzas. Want to cook like Nancy? The restaurant also offers pasta- and pesto-making workshop that includes lunch.
What to order
The ricotta and egg raviolo (S$28++) is a sight to behold, a dome that oozes creamy yolk and cheese. The beef cheek tagliatelle (S$34++) is achingly tender, and the corzetti stampati (S$33++) offers thin, chewy circles of pasta encircled with grilled eggplant, olives, and ricotta.
Monday – Friday, 12pm – 2.30pm, 3pm – 10pm
Saturday & Sunday, 12pm – 2.30pm, 5pm – 10pm
(Image credit: Hilton Singapore Orchard)
7 /10
It would be a disservice to describe Locanda as Buona Terra (see above) on a budget, but in some ways, it is. The restaurant was opened by the same people behind the one-Michelin-starred establishment. They installed two Buona Terra chefs in the kitchen. There is even a similar dish. But Locanda sets itself apart with trattoria staples like bruschetta, heartwarming pasta, and cannoli.
What to order
The dense, silky pappardelle (S$24++) was slicked with an intensely umami beef and mushroom ragu, and the tagliolini (S$28++) was thin, chewy, and brightly flavoured with sweet crab and fresh tomatoes. Spaghetti frutti di mare (S$118++) with clams, lobster, scampi, red prawns, and carabinero prawns in a garlicky tomato broth is meant for four people, but can you really share something this good?
Monday, Wednesday & Thursday, 6pm – midnight
Friday – Sunday, 12pm – 3pm, 6pm – midnight
Closed on Tuesday
(Image credit: Locanda)
8 /10
Chef-owner Simone Fraternali took over Solo in 2020 and he continues to make the restaurant a destination for high-quality, classic Italian cuisine. His dishes are unassuming – think beef carpaccio and plenty of pasta – but Fraternali makes them stand out through the use of ingredients such as Wagyu and Iberico pork.
What to order
Shavings of a 24-month-old Parmigiano Reggiano give the unassuming Wagyu carpaccio (S$30++) a beautifully sweet and delicate taste. Contrast it with the pappardelle (S$30++), sumptuously rich thanks to an Iberico pork white ragu. Uni pasta is almost a cliche these days, Fraternali’s tagliolini (S$45++) is glazed with a sweet and smokey uni sauce made with paprika.
Monday – Saturday, 12pm – 2.30pm, 6pm – 10.30pm
Closed on Sunday
(Image credit: Solo Ristorante)
9 /10
Taking its name from one of Duxton Hill’s shophouses, Thirty9 is run by husband and wife Peter and Giusi Stilli, who are as warm as their restaurant’s ambience. Their food covers a broad swath of Italy, which is why pizza Genovese lines up next to fusilli alla Napoletana and Sicilian cannoli, with bresaola, Fiorentina steak, and grilled octopus in between. The wine list is also full of gems, like a supple white blend hailing from the Italian-Swiss border.
What to order
The costata di manzo (S$218++), a grilled Australian beef tomahawk served with garlic confit and Chianti red onion. Ask for the aromatic black pepper mustard sauce and slice the meat off the bone.
Monday – Saturday, 12pm – 2.30pm, 5pm – 11pm (closed on Sunday)
(Image credit: Thirty9)
10 /10
The sweet life of 1960s Italy comes roaring back at Torno Subito, a restaurant by celebrity chef Massimo Bottura of the three-starred Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy. The atmosphere recalls summers by the Adriatic Sea and the seafood-heavy menu is just as joyful. This is a Bottura creation, after all, so expect high-brow interpretations of Italian classics like beef crudo with Parmigiano Reggiano foam and tiramisu inside a chocolate shell.
What to order
The six-course set menu (S$188++ per person) offers signature dishes including “I Love Pizza,” a distinctly aromatic margherita made with top-quality Petra flour, and cavatello pasta tossed in smoked paprika and lemony sauce with chunks of fresh Sicilian red shrimp. The Tiramisubito (SGD26++) isn’t included in the set, but should be added on just to experience Bottura’s sheer audacity: crack the espresso-infused chocolate shell with a spoon to reveal rich, creamy layers of the traditional Italian dessert.
Tuesday – Sunday, 12pm – 3pm, 5.30pm – 10pm
Closed on Monday
(Image credit: Torno Subito)
