Italiano

Loved dining here with a great view of Singapore's night skyline, having been lucky enough to score prime seats right by the river. Unfortunately, service wasn't very attentive - perhaps because we were so near the waters, kind of down a step (& I am a small human), so it was difficult to see us?

Ordered a pasta & pizza to share, & it was plenty to keep us full:

The Orecchiette Salsiccia e Porcini ($31++) had an al dente chew to it, & I enjoyed the meatiness of the pork sausage ragout with the earthiness of the
porcini mushrooms. I'd definitely order this again.

The Zucchine e Gamberi ($32+) pizza fared well too, with juicy tiger prawns, san marzano tomatoes & zucchini for freshness, & lots of mozzarella cheese.

The drinks menu here, while fairly standard, seems reliable & are at pretty ordinary prices for Singapore. Peroni beer in tap goes for $16++/pint.

They have a Signature Cocktails menu - so I chose the Barrel Aged Chocolate Negroni ($22++) as it was the most interesting-sounding one... Unfortunately to my disappointment, it was poured from a bottle (lol I think I need to calibrate my expectations) & it also wasn't that amazing. Maybe a glass of wine, next time.

Used Chope vouchers to get a slight discount off the final bill - drinks are eligible to make up minimum spend, much to my delight.

💳 Accepts credit cards
🌬 Air-conditioned seats available
☀️ Al fresco seats available
🖥 Accepts reservations - I used Chope
🎫 Chope vouchers available
💦 Water is not chargeable

Not gonna lie, was expecting a larger portion for this plate of Mushroom Madness ($15.40++). This is the default size of 100g; you can add $3++ to upsize your pasta by 50g.

Ingredients are somewhat skimpy as well, with a couple of slices of shiitake & button mushrooms. My favourite part of this was the truffle pate mixed in to the cream sauce. But that isn't enough for me to want to return here again, unfortunately.

The space here is fairly small as well - didn't bother me, but just a heads up that it's better to reserve a table before heading down.

📱 Order via their mobile app
🌬 Air-conditioned seats available
☀️ Al fresco seats available
🖥 Accepts reservations on SevenRooms (I walked in as a solo diner, though)
📍 Inside Royal Square at Novena

In all honesty, the Spinach Salmon Linguine ($19.90++) looked like quite a small portion.. & it was, but it made up for it in flavours. Thick delicious cream sauce that wasn't cloying, in part from the acidity of the lemon that cuts through it & binds the flavours together nicely.

The salmon was done perfectly too, fork tender & juicy. Would order this again.

💳 Accepts credit cards
☀ Al fresco seats only
🖥 Accepts reservations - I used Chope

The Crab Tagliolini ($28++) was my favourite by far out of everything we had. Nicely al dente pasta (looks like yee mee, we joked 😂) in a decadent broth, slightly briney brown crab & the smokey-umami of the ikura exploding in my mouth... Mmm yes.

Vongole ($18++) was on the slightly small side (portion-wise), but clams weren't sandy (yay) & there was loads of garlic. I'd be surprised if this messed up.

💳 Accepts credit cards
🖥 Accepts reservations - I used Chope

I discovered Happy Ending Pizza on Burpple Beyond during Phase 2 of Circuit Breaker, when they were a hole-in-the-wall space in Orchard Towers serving only takeouts.

It was a cool October night; I'd ordered 2 pizza sets from them 2 hours in advance. Stood by the roadside eating my piping hot pizza, & I was impressed. The Mushroom Madness & Green Hulk I ordered were delicious, but I couldn't finish everything - so I kept the leftovers in fridge & heated them up the next day.

Guess what? The 2nd-day pizza still tasted good. & that, my friends, was the beginning of my happy ending. They've since relocated to City Gate, where you can enjoy their pizzas with a dine-in experience.

I placed an order in advance & they confirmed it. But when I turned up to collect it, I was just as shocked as the waiter to be told that there's no such order.

Appreciate that my order was rushed out immediately, but it really is such a shame that this was executed so poorly.

1-for-1 lunch is a great promo, but I'll certainly think twice about ordering takeaways here. (My dine-in experiences at here so far have been good.)

Also, apparently, Instagram DMs aren't the "proper" way to order. Not exactly sure what that means. After an unnecessary 20-minute wait, I just wanted to get home ASAP for the birthday celebration this order was placed for.

Don't look down on the Fettuccine Ai Funghi ($22.00++) for being a vegetarian dish. This was delightful. A great mix of juicy sliced mushrooms & confit tomatoes, with creaminess from the ricotta cheese & some acidity from balsamic vinegar that cuts through the heaviness of this dish. What a winner.

💳 Accepts credit cards
🌬 Air-conditioned seats available
☀ Al fresco seats available
🍽 Burpple Beyond partner
📱 Accepts reservations - I used Hungrygowhere, also available on Chope
🏩 Located inside Novotel Singapore on Stevens
💦 Water is not chargeable

Eventually ordered the Ragout Tagliatelle ($25.00++) & Fettuccine Ai Funghi ($22.00++) to share with my friend. I originally thought these wouldn't fill me up when they were served, but I was wrong.

Being a beef lover, I thought I'd enjoy the ragout (pictured) more, as it is generally a hearty solid dish right up my alley. I generally prefer shredded meat ragout over minced meat ones, & this was minced meat town. I did enjoy my half of this while it lasted, but on a comparative basis, it was definitely heavier on the palate which I can't guarantee everyone would appreciate.

💳 Accepts credit cards
🌬 Air-conditioned seats available
☀ Al fresco seats available
🍽 Burpple Beyond partner
📱 Accepts reservations - I used Hungrygowhere, also available on Chope
🏩 Located inside Novotel Singapore on Stevens
💦 Water is not chargeable

I came here for the whiskey, but was impressed by the food as well. Yet another dish that I saw @larvitar write about on Burpple (his photo looks much better than mine).

I swear, the Spicy Prawn & Scallop Aglio Olio ($22++) tastes much better than it looks in my photo. Can't decide if the prawn was juicier, or the scallops. Both were pretty dang amazing with the al dente spaghetti. This dish had the right amount of spice/heat in it, & I'd definitely order this again 👌🏻

💳 Accepts credit cards
🌬 Air-conditioned seats only
🖥 Accepts reservations - I used Chope

The Risotto ($36++) won my heart too, but I doubt I could finish this on my own. Remember, folks, sharing is caring.

Firstly, this is a pretty rich dish. Just look at all that Acquerello rice in the cured egg yolk sauce. Even with the squeeze of Amalfi lemon that cuts through the richness nicely, it still is heavy on the palate.

Secondly, & this is just my own personal thing, I can't eat raw fish. I did sneak some small bites of the blue fin tuna, which was pretty heavenly in terms of contrasting taste & texture to the risotto. Nicely executed.

Definitely one for sharing, & I hope that whoever I next come here with will want to share this with me 😁

💳 Accepts credit cards
🌬 Air-conditioned seats only
🖥 Accepts reservations - I used Chope
🍽 Burpple Beyond partner

I had high expectations for the Linguine ($42++) with Hokkaido Sea Urchin, but it was at best okay to me. I felt that the sea urchin should have been fresher, & I wished it were creamier.

The Sardinian Bottarta (fish roe), however, added a nice briney flavour to this dish. But overall, unfortunately, this isn't my favourite dish.

💳 Accepts credit cards
🌬 Air-conditioned seats only
🖥 Accepts reservations - I used Chope
🍽 Burpple Beyond partner