Few years ago, I remember having asked an Italian friend of mine which was her favourite Italian restaurant in Singapore and without hestitation she had said Pietrasanta ! Always a believer of natives-know-best, I made a mental note of the place and managed to check it out in 2008 for the first time. The experience had started off well with one of the Massimini brothers (who are the owners) seating us at the table and informing us they do not have a printed wine list as they encourage guests to have a walk around their wine cellar and choose their wine. Whilst the evening had been nice, I remember it only for its dreadful end. When the cheque came, I had noticed the wine (priced at SGD 100+) had not been billed and being conscientious, I had pointed this out to the brothers who graciously thanked me for pointing out the error and sent the revised cheque. This time however, I did not recheck the bill and just paid the amount. Only when I got home, I noticed that the 'revised' cheque in addition to the erstwhile missing wine had also been laden with 2 starters which we hadn't ordered ! I was angry, disappointed and promised myself whatever it be I'am not going back to Pietrasanta.
So that was what happened 3 years ago. Fast forward to 2012 when friends visiting Singapore decided to meet at Pietrasanta and I decided to revisit the place hoping things would be better this time. It is a bit tricky for first-timers to find Pietrasanta at Portsdown Road since the area is not a commercial hub and bears quite a forlorn look at night. The restaurant itself looks like a quaint jungle lodge with a large al fresco dining area that leads to a relatively small indoor dining room. There is additional seating space at the back where the garden and washrooms are. The indoor tables were all taken and we decided to sit in the relatively quieter garden area. Be mindful that the outdoor area is infested with lizards and takes away significantly from the experience.
Deciding to skip the appetizers, we ordered an assortment of mains ranging from mixed grilled vegetable salad, grilled cod fish with cannelini beans and onion salad, ravioli with spinach and ricotta cheese to risotto with porcini mushrooms. If it is possible to make a super-lousy salad, Pietrasanta excelled. One bite and we knew the salad order was a mistake. The vegetables tasted stale and the seasoning left an odd after-taste. The cod fish was excellent and this prompted me to order another fish item : this time a fillet of Monkfish which happened to be their catch of the day. When the cheque came, I felt cheated since the monkfish priced at a whopping $58++ was double the price of the larger and tastier cod fish. Needless to say, the waitress hadn't informed us about the prices of the daily specials. The ravioli with spinach was barely average while the risotto with mushrooms was quite decent but nothing to write home about. The food thus far had left us fairly hungry so a 'safe' order for potato dumpling with pesto sauce was placed. Another mistake. My guess is the kitchen was too busy since it was a weekend. Only that can possibly explain the below average main course we had.
So that was what happened 3 years ago. Fast forward to 2012 when friends visiting Singapore decided to meet at Pietrasanta and I decided to revisit the place hoping things would be better this time. It is a bit tricky for first-timers to find Pietrasanta at Portsdown Road since the area is not a commercial hub and bears quite a forlorn look at night. The restaurant itself looks like a quaint jungle lodge with a large al fresco dining area that leads to a relatively small indoor dining room. There is additional seating space at the back where the garden and washrooms are. The indoor tables were all taken and we decided to sit in the relatively quieter garden area. Be mindful that the outdoor area is infested with lizards and takes away significantly from the experience.
Considering it was a weekend, the place was crowded and none of us were enthusiastic to do the cellar walkabout bit. We just ordered the Australian Yarra Valley Chardonnay - a safe, tried and tested wine. It goes with all kind of dishes especially seafood and is light and crispy in finish.
Deciding to skip the appetizers, we ordered an assortment of mains ranging from mixed grilled vegetable salad, grilled cod fish with cannelini beans and onion salad, ravioli with spinach and ricotta cheese to risotto with porcini mushrooms. If it is possible to make a super-lousy salad, Pietrasanta excelled. One bite and we knew the salad order was a mistake. The vegetables tasted stale and the seasoning left an odd after-taste. The cod fish was excellent and this prompted me to order another fish item : this time a fillet of Monkfish which happened to be their catch of the day. When the cheque came, I felt cheated since the monkfish priced at a whopping $58++ was double the price of the larger and tastier cod fish. Needless to say, the waitress hadn't informed us about the prices of the daily specials. The ravioli with spinach was barely average while the risotto with mushrooms was quite decent but nothing to write home about. The food thus far had left us fairly hungry so a 'safe' order for potato dumpling with pesto sauce was placed. Another mistake. My guess is the kitchen was too busy since it was a weekend. Only that can possibly explain the below average main course we had.
Since it was quite late to hop to another place for desserts, we decided to stay put and resigned ourselves to another disappointing course. Thanks to the powers that be, the desserts were excellent and we enjoyed them to the hilt. The creme brulee was perfect and so was the tiramisu. The melting chocolate cake with vanilla home made ice cream was another treat. Maybe we were just hungry from the disappointing main course, but I would like to believe the desserts were genuinely good.
Would I be returning to Pietrasanta anytime in the future ? Well, if I'am the sole decision maker, then the answer is a resounding NO. The restaurant is well past its glory days and I cannot think of a single reason to go all the way to Portsdown Road to endure another evening of disappointment and deceit. As for the desserts, there are enough bakeries and restaurants closer home which will satiate my sweet tooth without having to make the long trek. A big thumbs down to a has-been.
Would I be returning to Pietrasanta anytime in the future ? Well, if I'am the sole decision maker, then the answer is a resounding NO. The restaurant is well past its glory days and I cannot think of a single reason to go all the way to Portsdown Road to endure another evening of disappointment and deceit. As for the desserts, there are enough bakeries and restaurants closer home which will satiate my sweet tooth without having to make the long trek. A big thumbs down to a has-been.
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