Best Italian Restaurants in Singapore

Best Italian restaurants in Singapore

Da Paolo Gastronomia

If a relaxing dining atmosphere or a quick and convenient Italian meal is what you are looking for, head down to Da Paolo Gastronomia. A one-stop outlet that combines a café and retail store concept, Da Paolo is one of the cafés in Singapore offering  freshly made food, curated Italian drinks and wine, and imported boutique produce for the ultimate gourmet experience.

Begin your day with authentic Italian coffee and pair it with a pastry or cake for a delicious breakfast. For lunch, sample their freshly baked pizzas topped with their finest ingredients. You can plan a satisfying dinner with their lip-smacking pastas and Italian artisanal gelato. They offer gluten-free and vegetarian options as well.

Don’t forget to try Da Paolo’s Pasta Set that includes handmade pasta options such as the Pesto al Basilico, the foodie-favourite Beef Lasagne, and more.

Da Paolo Gastronomia is located at L1-87, The Shoppes.
 

Lavo Italian Restaurant & Rooftop Bar

Apart from the delectable food, what makes Italian-American powerhouse LAVO a must-visit is the experience of dining 57 storeys above ground amidst Singapore’s stunning skyline. It is no surprise that this rooftop restaurant is the recipient of two prestigious awards – Tripadvisor - Travellers' Choice 2021 award, and Wine & Dine Singapore’s Top Restaurants award.

Get a taste of their all-time favourites such as the classic Chicken Parmigiana, or signature dishes such as the Charred Octopus and the famed LAVO Meatball, made with fresh Imperial Wagyu Beef, Italian sausage, and whipped ricotta cheese. Complete your meal with a bite of their signature 20-Layer Chocolate Cake, a rich and luscious treat layered with peanut butter mascarpone.

Patrons craving a drink can enjoy LAVO’s handcrafted cocktails at their sprawling outdoor bar and terrace while taking in spectacular rooftop views of the city at night.

LAVO is located at L57, Hotel Tower 1.
 

Italian Cuisine

Rooted in ancient culture and traditions of Italy, Italian cuisine has several regional variations. Like Asian cuisines, Italian food from the North and South have their differences due to the varied climate and natural landscapes in the respective regions.

Freshness of ingredients, whether of seafood or of salads, is one of the most important factors considered by Southern chefs before cooking. Since the region is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea, the South uses plenty of seafood and warm-climate vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants.

Some of the regional classics include minestrone, eggplant parmigiana, tangy marinara sauce, and of course, one of the world’s most popular dishes, the pizza. Olive oil is also one of the main ingredients of Southern cooking. You’ll find a whole range of olive oils in your meal – green oils for salads, light yellow oils for pan-searing fish and as dipping sauce for breads.

North Italian food typically features ingredients sourced from green pastures and mountainous terrains. Thus, Northern dishes, such as soups and stews, are more focused on meat, like beef and veal. The mountainous terrains are used as grazing land for goats, cows, and sheep, which in turn produce some of the tastiest cheeses, like Pecorino Romano, Parmigiano Reggiano, and Gorgonzola.

Northern food uses more butter instead of olive oil, and creamy alfredos instead of tomato sauces. While Southern Italy’s contribution to worldwide cuisine is pizza, Northern Italy’s contribution is parmesan cheese.

Cross-border travels and colonisation have impacted Italian cuisine as well. For instance, the Arabs are believed to have introduced rice, spices and a few other ingredients to Italy; whereas the Spanish are believed to have brought in tomatoes.

Italian herbs and spices

Though there are regional variations in culinary approaches, these herbs and spices are often found across all types of Italian food.

Basil
One of the most important spices used in Italian cuisine is the distinctively flavourful basil.

This herb is used in pasta sauces, minestrone, salads and dressings, marinades, and even some types of breads. It is also one of the bases for traditional pesto sauce.
 

Oregano
Oregano is another important spice used in Italian food as it melds well with many other herbs. Its strength lies in its versatility as it can be used in most tomato-based dishes and in a variety of sauces, soups, vegetable dishes, and pizzas.

Olive Oil
Olive oil is one of the key ingredients in Italian cuisine, often used in cooking, drizzling on salads, dipping crusty breads, and tossing with pasta. Believed to have numerous health benefits, there are different kinds of olive oils, categorised by the region in which they are produced.
 

Tomatoes
It is hard to imagine Italian food without tomatoes. Fresh tomatoes are a key ingredient in sauces and in dishes such as pizzas and pastas. Dried tomato flakes have a longer shelf life and bring a deeper, richer taste to sauces, soups, and casseroles.
 

Garlic
Garlic is another staple ingredient used in Italian food. One of the base spices for many cuisines around the world, it is available as flakes, granules, and in powdered form. It is used in pasta sauces, breads, stews, croutons, salad dressings, soups, casseroles, and more.

Famous Italian dishes

Here is a quick list of the most unique and globally loved Italian dishes.

Pasta

Another staple Italian dish that is as well-known worldwide as the pizza is pasta. They are often distinguished by the shape of the noodle used, with varieties such as spaghetti, penne, fusilli, maccheroni, linguine, rigatoni, and more.

Pasta is divided into two categories – fresh (pasta fresca which usually created by hand) and dried (pasta secca which is made commercially using extrusion). There are three different ways of cooking it – pasta asciutta (the pasta is cooked and served with a sauce and condiment); pasta in brodo (cooked and served in meat or vegetable broth with chopped veggies), and pasta al forno (cooked and seasoned then baked in the oven.)

Some of the other Italian dishes worth mentioning are the creamy risotto, the baked lasagne, the flavoured gelato, and the lip-smacking tiramisu.

Pizza

One of the best dishes that represents the country is pizza. Recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, pizza is one of the most ubiquitous street dishes found across the country, in two styles - Pizza al taglio (rectangular), and the most common, Pizza al piatto (dish/plate pizza, circular).

If you have the chance to visit Italy, these are some of the most popular pizzas worth trying – the classic Pizza Margherita, Pizza Marinara (tomato, garlic, oregano, oil, and sometimes basil), Pizza Capricciosa (tomatoes, mozzarella, mushrooms, artichokes, ham, olives, and a sliced hard-boiled egg, with occasional sausages and capers), Pizza Quattro Formaggi (mozzarella and provolone or parmigiano reggiano or stracchino or fontina or gorgonzola), and Pizza Diavola (tomatoes, mozzarella, and spicy salami).

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