Gattopardo, Singapore

Gattopardo, Singapore ★★★★★☆

Nestled in the charming Hotel Fort Canning Singapore, and named after one of the greatest Sicilian literary works (Il Gattopardo which translates to "the leopard"), this Sicilian restaurant is all my all time favorite restaurant in Singapore. Ben and I have been going there since they opened their doors around 2 years ago (even before the hotel finished their renovations). The chef and partner, Lino Sauro, is this happy and always smiley Sicilian guy who never fails to whip up new dishes for us whenever we are there for dinner. He is really an amazing chef. I personally love his method of saucing a lot! Their seafood is incredibly fresh and there is a deserved emphasis on seasonality. This restaurant is absolutely a MUST TRY restaurant in Singapore. Every Tuesday is BYO night, so feel free to bring your bottles there! Here are the pictures from our most recent visit on 31st Jan 2012 for dinner....

We had a demi-bouteille of Clos des Papes, one of the finest Chateauneufs around, from 2007, an excellent vintage for that appellation... and the vino lived up to its storied reputation, yielding elegant, plummy notes coupled with an aroma that would tempt the most ardent teetotaller..

The Menu

The Menu

The Menu

The Menu

A happy customer after placing orders and waiting for the food to be served!

To start, the foccacia and Sicilian spicy crackers are just amazingly yummy and thoroughly addictive, especially when paired with a dash of extra virgin... oil, that is.

One of Ben's all time favorite dishes, the cold cappellini ( with lobster in this iteration ). Lino always does a radically different version for us to ensure we won't get sick of it ! Haha...

The chef, Lino and I...he will always come out to check on us and the food.... =)

Seared Red Garoupa (from New Zealand) grilled and crusted with herbs...

Fabian, the sommelier and assistant manager, de-boning the seabream.. the potatoes and aubergines are absolutely to die for...

Warm cheese and chestnut tart, with vanilla ice cream... specially baked by Lino for us...

And finally the petit fours, a duo of chocolate cookies....

My Verdict:

Well, what can I say, other than my continued patronage of this tour de force in the local dining scene since its soft opening in Feb 2011 is sufficient testament to the ridiculously-fresh produce imported from the Mediterranean and Oceania with nuanced saucing that Lino employs with all his frutti di mare. If only more dining establishments here had the same respect for seasonality and produce, and the good heart not to douse all and sundry with cloying, monolithic and industrial saucing. Service is very good with friendly and attentive staffs. I would recommend this restaurant for family and friends gathering, corporate celebrations and to anyone who appreciates fresh produce. Gattopardo is in my opinion likely the best restaurant in this country, and remains my default destination for practically all my gustatory needs... High praise, perhaps.. but well-deserved!