The Place The newest addition to the buzzing Telok Ayer in the CBD is Chicco Pasta Bar, a casual Italian pasta restaurant by Australian-Italian chef Drew Nocente of Cenzo (formerly from Salted & Hung). The concept was inspired by having a place where everyone can enjoy a plate of top-quality homemade pasta yet affordable at any time. The dining ambience at Chicco Pasta Bar is relaxed with indoor and outdoor tables.  

The Food Freshly made pastas are the core highlights at Chicco Pasta Bar where you can find pasta shapes such as Conchiglie, Rigatoni, and Mafaldine made from scratch every day on its menu. Pastas aside, there is also a good selection of starters by the name of Italian Street Food such as cauliflower and burrata, as well as grill meats and daily specials.

For a start, I had the Focaccia, Straciatella, Pepper & Onion (S$12) which spots a soft bread texture and good flavour of the cheese and onion.

Heading on to pastas, the Rigatoni Carbonara, Guanciale, Egg & Pepper (S$18) is a safe bet where it is not too cheesy. The texture of the rigatoni is not exactly al dente and is slightly on the softer side.

Comparatively, the Conchiglie, Broccoli & Cashew Pesto (S$20) is a tad overpowering in the cheese department.

My favourite amongst the pasta dishes is the Fusilli, Mushroom & Nduja (S$20) where the texture is more on the al dente side, and the slight hint of spiciness from the nduja makes it very appetising.

For meats, the Grill Chicken (S$20) features a quarter chicken with mash and red wine sauce. Tender and juicy chicken meat here which I could not fuss about.

From the daily specials, I also tried the Beef Cheek (S$28) which is nothing too surprising here.

Rants Service is a little rough in the sense that I would appreciate if the staff took the effort to briefly introduce each dish as it is served even for a “casual” concept. It would also be great if the staff made the effort to ensure there is ample space on the table before serving the next dish.

Will I Return Again? A no frills concept in Telok Ayer if you are craving for pastas where the flavours of the dishes are generally robust. Some bits and misses for me personally but I would say stick to the Fusilli and Grill Chicken for a safe bet.

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

Chicco Pasta Bar  
208 Telok Ayer Street 
Singapore 068642 
Tel: +65 8468 8146 

Opening Hours 
Monday to Saturday: 11:30am to 10pm 
Closed on Sunday 

Ranted by The Ranter