Singapore 2015 - Ristorante Pietrasanta

Consistently appearing in the top 10 list of Italian restaurants in Singapore - I was quite happy to be invited to dinner at this popular restaurant in an obscure area of town - Portsdown Road. Like many of the trendy F&B places in Singapore - Pietrasanta occupies a space in a row of Colonial-era building that has been re-purposed into a laid-back F&B hub.

The interior of the restaurant is quite simple, with a predominance of wood and rustic furniture. The overall ambiance is relaxed and cozy.

This is not a place you come for trendy food. The cooking here is decidedly traditional and old-fashioned - like what your Italian mama used to make. So it is natural to start with some antipasto. Here they have quite a large selection for you to choose from. We ended up with some cold cuts and olives which were delicious.

Another antipasti was Grilled Squid with Italian Tomato Chutney and Rocket Salad. The squid was cooked very well - very tender and with a nice smokey flavour from the grill.

For pasta we had the spaghetti with seafood, which came with prawns, mussels, squid and clams. The prawns were on the smallish side, but the flavours were good.

My main was Grilled Sword Fish with Tomato Puree, Olives and Capers. The fish was very lightly marinated and had a nice firm texture, and complimented well by the tomato puree and olives.

 

The food at Pietrasanta is simple but nicely cooked with clean and uncomplicated flavours. The focus is on fresh ingredients and uncluttered plates. Sometimes that is all you need.