Al Dente Trattoria

Invite my husband for a ballet show (something like Swan Lake) and hear him groan! I think I must have put some trauma into him that day when I literally arm-twisted him to sit through 2 and a half hours of Swan Lake (including intermissions).

The husband and I were hunting for food on a Sunday afternoon at the Esplanade prior to watching the ballet and it proved to be a little tiring as many of the makan places weren’t even open yet. Finally, we found Al Dente Trattoria which opened at 12pm – yay! Lunch was found.

Service was good there and we were given quite a bit of attention as there was no other patrons around. First came some bread & buns with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Assorted breads

This was lovely and it filled our tummies for a short while, while we talked about things and what to expect during the performance. It would be the husband’s first ballet so I guess he must be wondering what’s it all about! Just men in tight tights and females prancing around on tiptoes perhaps. As we were sitting by the big floor to ceiling windows, it was also lovely to look outside and take in the scenery overlooking the waters and tourists walking by or joggers having a leisurely run.

Our pastas came soon after and here’s what we ordered.

For the husband, this is possibly the 100th seafood tomato-based pasta he has ordered to date. He thought it was not too bad, the sauce was done well – fresh tomato puree – I think and the ingredients used were quite fresh.

alla Marinara: sauteed fresh prawn, squid, scallop, mussel and clam in tomato sauce

Mine was almost just as predictable! As usual, no tomato-based one for me!

A simple tossed linguine with clams and white wine was the answer to my growling stomach.

alla Vongole: sauteed fresh clams with garlic, chilli & parsley in white wine sauce

Would I go to Al Dente Trattoria again? Yes I would!

Their full menu available here: http://www.aldente.com.sg/content/aldente_new.pdf

A little introduction about Al Dente Trattoria:

Immerse yourself in the best of Italian cuisine at Al Dente Trattoria, a restaurant that prides itself for serving all-time traditional flavours from various regions and provinces in Italy. Its impressive line-up of fine Italian pastas and traditional thin-crust pizzas is one of the key highlights that make up the Al Dente Trattoria dining experience.

At Al Dente Trattoria Esplanade, diners are treated to a cosy and relaxing ambience of a trattoria. The restaurant also boasts of a second-level, rooftop al fresco dining area with a breath-taking view of Singapore’s city skyline and Marina Bay area. Dining here will give you a true sense of what Italians call “la dolce vita”.

Address:

8 Raffles Avenue, #01-13

Tel: 6341 9188