Osteria Art – Il Lido’s Brand New Osterie in the CBD: Review
PUBLISHED July 23rd, 2015 04:00 pm | UPDATED January 20th, 2016 05:19 pm
A tribute to classic eateries in Milan, Rome, and Florence, Osteria Art is the latest brainchild of restaurateur Beppe De Vito, which redefines elegance with its classy, yet unpretentious environment.
An exquisite bar lounge fronts the entrance; with beautiful furnishings of Italian marble, solid cherry wood, and designer copper lamps adding a sweet touch, the glamour continues as you take your seat in bright-red leather seats. Expect white-collar workers and business associates to be chatting noisily over lunch.
Osteria Art’s Bar Lounge
A basket of freshly baked, piping bread was served as we settled in, and we fell in love with its beautiful crisp-yet-fluffy texture. It made for a good appetiser, and prepared our palates for the Porcini Mushroom Flan with Truffle Leek Velouté ($22) nicely. The umami flavour of the mushroom and the truffle complemented each other superbly. Expect an earthy aftertaste with this dish.
Porcini Mushroom Flan with Truffle Leek Velouté
The Bollito Misto Soup with Bone Marrow Crostino ($23), however, was slightly disappointing. While the soup was very hearty, the stock wasn’t strong or flavourful enough for us. Our next dish, the Veal Ossobuco with Gremolata and Potato Purée ($38), was infinitely punchier and left more of an impression. It was a joy to sink our teeth into the oh-so-tender veal – and credit must be given to the kitchen for not drowning the meat in sauce.
Black Cod Caciucco with Scampi
Another delicious dish was the Black Cod Caciucco with Scampi ($32). Fresh and juicy, this is definitely one of the few dishes that showcased Osteria Art’s potential. To end things, we had the Apple Cake and Rum Gelato ($12) and the Coffee & Chocolate Profiterole ($15) for dessert. We preferred the latter, with a decadent blend of chocolate and coffee oozing out of the profiterole’s body with every bite. Be prepared to hit the treadmill after this sweet treat!
Coffee & Chocolate Profiterole
Italian food fanatics lusting after a good drink will be impressed with their 500-strong wine list as well as their large list of craft cocktails, fine spirits, grappa, and vermouths available at the bar.
Osteria Art may have some brushing up to do when it comes to the food, but the service and ambience here is first-rate, and we think that with time, we may soon see a new Italian dark horse in Singapore’s culinary scene.
