Etna Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria's the perfect place for great company and food. An intimate setting with dimmed lights and fantastic service. We also like that it's tucked away amongst rows of shop houses in good ol' Duxton Hill. Had a such a nice time at Etna's, in fact it was my second time there!

Lucky for us we made reservations cause they were full house that night! Ambience was nice, quiet and intimate, though a tad small. There were lotsa couples and a few after work cliques.

We were served the usual complimentary bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Dee thinks it's the best she's ever had, she continued munching on them even after our mains arrived.

Burrata di Andria con Rucola, Pomodorini Pachino e Prosciutto di Parma ($32.00)

For starters, we shared the Burrata di Andria con Rucola, Pomodorini Pachino e Prosciutto di Parma ($32.00) which for us translates to, Fresh mozzarella cheese with rocket salad, Pachino cherry tomatoes and Parma raw ham. I love Parma ham and the mozzarella cheese was amazingg, +++ points! Definitely a great start to our meal. Dee preferred the starters at Spizzico, though she says the oozing mozzarella cheese was "fascinating".

Merluzzo Norvegese alla Griglia con Pomodorini Secchi al Limone ($28.00)

We had the Merluzzo Norvegese alla Griglia con Pomodorini Secchi al Limone ($28.00), Grilled Norwegian Codfish with sundried tomatoes in lemon sauce for one of our mains. Decent portion of fresh codfish with a wee bit of an antipasto flavour with the kalamata olives & sundried tomatoes! 

Taglierini al Nero di Seppia ai Frutti di Mare ($26.00)

Our second main was the Taglierini al Nero di Seppia ai Frutti di Mare ($26.00), Squid ink pasta with seafood. Pats self on back for a great choice. Full of flavor and fresh seafood! Definitely a must if you don't mind having black teeth for awhile, unless well you're on a first date, then maybe squid ink pasta's not the way to go.

I'd definitely go back to Etna, cuz well what's there not to love? Ideal location, stellar service and great authentic Italian food! Perfect for a fancy date night, or if you're looking to impress that special someone. Oh and they've also got an ongoing 3 course weekday lunch promotion @ $27.80++ that we're hoping to check out soon!


Etna Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria
49-50 Duxton Road
Singapore 089513
Tel : 6220 5513
Fax : 6220 5613

Opening hours: Daily: 12:00PM - 2:30PM, 6:30PM - 10:30PM

Etna Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria (East Coast) 
 110 Upp East Coast Road
Singapore 455298
Tel : 6444 9530
Fax : 6444 9553

Opening hours: Mon to Sat (Lunch): 12:00PM – 2:30PM; (Dinner): 6:30PM – 10:30PM
Sunday 11:00AM – 11:00PM

So we popped by Arbite for a quick dessert indulgence. Indie cafes with quirky names like Wimbly Lu and Arbite seem to be quite the trend these days. Spent a good few minutes entertaining myself (and annoying Dee) with "We're going to Arbite for Arrrrr(Our) Bite" - I'd like to believe my sense of humor is acquired.

Dee had her obvious choice of dessert or rather what she'd say was the "best of both worlds" in one - Gula Meleka Tiramisu ($8.00). Topped with berries and served in a cute glass, this light and fluffy dessert was made up of a rich layer of gula meleka mascarpone and a dense base of sponge fingers that were soaked in liquor and coffee. Just the right consistency and sweetness, this dessert is definitely one of the better tiramisus we've tasted!

Gula Melaka Tiramisu ($8.00)

I settled for the Fruit Terrine ($7.00)! Layers of berries, bananas, citrus segments held together by a passion fruit jelly served with a delicious scoop of classic Vanilla ice cream. It was a light and refreshing alternative to the usual calorie-heavy desserts.

Fruit Terrine ($7.00)

I liked Arbite, white washed walls with random Lego bricks, unpretentious food and friendly waiters - it's a great place for a casual mid afternoon hang out. Even though we're not big fans of cakes for dessert, Arbite's famous My Wife's Chocolate Cake is one thing on the menu we'd wanna share when we're back again for brunch!




Arbite 
66 Serangoon Garden Way
Singapore 555962
Tel:+65 6287 0430

Opening Hours: Tues - Fri: 11:30AM - 10:30PM, Sat - Sun: 11:00AM - 10:30PM
(Closed on Mondays)

We decided to have some Italian at Spizzico Ristorante Italiano, post yoga/post Valentines, since it's tucked away from the usual hustle and bustle in town and the last thing you'd want is to bump into yet another couple with a huge bouquet and an abundance of balloons, teddy bears and chocolates. The place was a nice quiet escape for a romantic afternoon.

For our meal we used a Groupon voucher ($20 for $40 worth of Italian Cuisine)! Well we aren't usually keen on getting dining vouchers since past experiences have led us to believe that the serving size and quality of service is greatly compromised. But Spizzico was an exception - extremely efficient and friendly waiters serving up palatable dishes!

We were spoilt for choice with their comprehensive menu of salads and soups, pastas, pizzas, risottos and main dishes.

Prosciutto e Melone ($20.00)

The Prosciutto e Melone ($20.00) for our appetizer was a unanimous decision - simple, yet refreshing and perfect for the afternoon heat. The sweetness of the rock melon complemented the parma ham well. The last time we had proscuitto was at Etna Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria - a classic mix of parma ham with burrata and rocket salad.

Crab Meat and Prawn Ravioli ($24.00)

The Crab Meat and Prawn Ravioli ($24.00) was divine. A lovely dish of homemade ravioli covered in a creamy saffron sauce, accompanied with onions and sundried tomatoes. Did I mention the ravioli was heart shaped? Plus points for details! Dee wished they were more generous with the filling though; cause she felt full too soon from having plain dough for majority of the dish.

Crab Meat Linguine with Arrabiata Sauce ($20.00)

I opted to customise my pasta selection with a Crab Meat Linguine with Arrabiata sauce ($20.00). It was perfect for me, just the right amount of spiciness and generous servings of crab meat with garlic slices. I couldn't decide if their version was better than the one I had at La Nonna! Though the 1-for-1 lunch promotion at La Nonna makes it a tough contender.

We were eager to end the meal with sweet treats such as the Crème Brûlée or Tiramisu, but we were too stuffed by then. Contented with our meal, we'll be finding our way back to try Spizzico's Set lunch. Priced at just $14.50++, the set includes an appealing variety of starters, mains and desserts of the day. Besides who wouldn't want to spend a nice afternoon in a pretty Italian restaurant hidden away from the crowds!

Spizzico Ristorante Italiano
81A Clemenceau Avenue #01-13
UE Square
Tel: 6333 6174 / 6333 6833

Opening Hours: Daily: 11:30AM - 2:30PM, 6PM - 10:30PM