The Place Located on the rooftop floor of the 24-storey Hilton Singapore on Orchard Road, il Cielo is quite underrated as an Italian restaurant. The name means “the sky” in Italian, and we must confess that we didn’t know the existence of the restaurant until recently. The space at il Cielo is a semi-open concept fine dining with some outdoor seatings which overlooks the rooftop pool and Skybar.

The Food On to the most important part, Italian Chef Riccardo Catarsi has introduced his new menu recently in a bid to impress all your senses. Being the first restaurant in Singapore to achieve the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)’s Chain of Custody certification, the restaurant prides itself on being environmentally conscious. As such, seafood dishes with the eco-label in the menu are prepared with sustainably caught seafood sources.

We managed to try two new MSC-certified dishes from il Cielo. The MSC-certified Hokkaido scallop (S$28) is served alongside roasted mushrooms, pine nuts, bottarga mayonnaise, red radish and black truffles. Other than the exquisite presentation, the bottarga mayonnaise was the winning formula of the dish, elevating the overall flavor of the fresh scallops. We were craving for more.

The other MSC-certified new dish is the slow-cooked Glacier 51 toothfish (S$45) in smoked herbs, roasted pumpkin cream, asparagus and cauliflower. We were first stunned by the visual presentation of this dish, especially accentuated by the pumpkin cream which resembles a spilled splash of paint on the plate.

Other notable new dishes are the Pumpkin Charcoal Ravioli (S$24) with chickpeas cream, red onions, Modena balsamic and black truffles and Spaghetti with Maine lobster (S$39), fresh tomatoes, Italian basil and burrata cheese. The former is an interesting play of charcoal which is a deviation from the usual ravioli, but we enjoyed the Spaghetti with lobster more as the combination of ingredients enhanced the flavor of the pasta better for us.

Other il Cielo’s signature must-try dishes are the burrata and sea bass.

The Famous buffalo milk burrata (S$25) is served with heirloom tomato carpaccio, basil cream and olives. The freshness of the burrata was unmistakable.

The Branzino di’orbetello (S$68), or whole sea bass roasted on olive wood, was done on special wood pieces from olive trees and smoked herbs. Watch out for the smoky aroma of the sea bass, which will definitely pique your appetite.

Desserts are not neglected either at  il Cielo. We had the Tiramisu millefoglie, il Cielo tiramisu with cappuccino gelato, one of my favourite desserts this year so far. I’m usually not a big fan of tiramisu, but to have it in the millefoglie fashion reignites my love for it. Imagine the crisp layers of tiramisu with an equally impressive cappuucinno gelato, stupendo!

If sweet pink is your thing, you will love the other new dessert on the menu – Macarons and strawberry composition (S$14). Presentation is something which the chef emphasizes greatly in il Ceilo, and we were convinced by the end of our meal as evident from the mains to the desserts.

Rants It’s good and bad to be located at the rooftop of the hotel. It may be distracting for your meal with what’s going on at the Skybar or the pool if you are looking for some serious privacy, especially with the semi-open dining design of il Ceilo.

Will I Return Again? Overall, it was a surprising discovery of il Ceilo, which you would not stumble into unless you know of its existence. If you are looking for a good Italian restaurant in Orchard Road the next time with the hustle and bustle of the crowd, this restaurant should be on the top of your mind.

Make your reservation instantly at il Cielo here.

TheRantingPanda says:
Taste bud: 4/5
Hole in the pocket: 4/5
Ambience: 3.5/5
Overall Experience: 4/5 

il Cielo
Level 24, Hilton Singapore
581 Orchard Road
Singapore 238883
Tel: +65 6730 3395

Opening Hours
Daily: 12 pm to 2.30pm, 7pm to 10.30pm

Ranted by The Ranter