pizza
This intimate spot hidden in The Grandstand may be slightly out of the way, but if you're after excellent Italian cuisine, making a trip down will more than satisfy. The ambience here sets the tone for a lovely dinner date. Start off with the freshly made Ciabatta Bread ($6.50), served warm with a pesto-like dip — warning: very addictive. The pastas here will leave you begging for more, especially the ever-popular signature Squid Ink Fettuccine with Crabmeat in Creamy Tomato Sauce ($29.90), and the Linguine Aglio Olio ai Fruitti De Mare ($28.50) studded with smoky seafood and whole-roasted garlic cloves. For dessert, you can't go wrong with the Tiramisu ($13.80) or Stracciatella ($15.50). You and your date will be all smiles when you leave.
By the Les Amis group is Peperoni Pizzeria's new concept, The Pizza Collective. While there are a few signature pizzas on the menu like the awesome Rendang Power, Pig-na Colada and Kim-ky (kimchi and luncheon meat, anybody?), it's waaay more fun to create your own — think a Subway-esque process of building your own pizzas. Choose from an unlimited number of toppings, from over 28 ingredients and five sauces, to churn out the pizza of your dreams for just $12! Toppings range from smoked chicken breast to roast pork, kimchi to capers. Aside from savoury options, TPC features a couple of dessert pizzas, namely Monkey Business ($12), a combination of banana, Nutella drizzle, and almond flakes that can't go wrong, and Apple of My Eye ($12), essentially an apple pie, but disguised as a pizza. This is the kinda place for those who want to have fun with their food, certainly not for pizza purists! Come for a fun date, or a night out with picky friends. ;)
This gem of a restaurant at Kandahar Street dishing out superb pizzas and pastas is surprisingly owned and helmed by a Singaporean. Expect rustic Neapolitan-style pizzas made with imported Italian flour, topped with homemade tomato sauce and loaded with fresh, quality ingredients. Baked in a massive wood-fired oven suspended from the ceiling (it's quite a sight to behold), the pies sport a remarkably spotted crust and are extremely flavourful. Be sure to start off with the Burratina Cicheti ($29), "a mass of pure indulgence being indecently creamy and lava-like in the middle", according to Tastemaker Veronica Phua. For pasta, the Pappardelle Al Ragu ($26) will more than meet the mark. The Bismark Pizza ($23) will have those who love soft runny eggs swooning over it. Save stomach space for the Salted-Chocolate ($12.50), a dreamy molten chocolate lava cake served with vanilla gelato.