The Place The latest dining concept to open in Dempsey Hill is Petra, a gorgeous 8,000 sq ft Mediterranean-Levantine restaurant which took over the now defunct Curly’s. Located along Harding Road close to where Claudine is located, Petra is a collaboration between Mission Group and Chef Antonio Miscellaneo who is behind concepts like Casa Vostra and La Bottega Enoteca.

The interior of Petra is definitely one of the most beautiful restaurants in Dempsey. I like how the windows frame the lush greenery of Dempsey, coupled with beautiful arches and wooden ceilings. It is designed in a way that it suits different dining sizes, be it couples or bigger groups. Indoor seats aside, there is also a pet-friendly outdoor terrace.

The Food Petra focuses on Mediterranean-Levantine cuisine (yes, not Italian) where the kitchen is helmed by Executive Chef Anas Shami (formerly of Aniba) alongside Consultant Chef Dawid Nowosadzki.

My meal started with some bread and dips. From the house-baked breads, I had the soft and fluffy Barbari with sesame seeds (S$12) which is delicious. I find the freshly baked bread good on its own, but there is always an option to dip it in the Hummus (S$12) with coriander zhug, falafel crumble, paprika. Or you can simply go for the Mezze Dip Trio (S$32) – which comes with three dips – Hummus, matbucha (slow-cooked tomato, mixed olives, parsley) and taramasalata (shaved bottarga, olive tapenade).

From the cold starters, I had the refreshing Hamachi Tartare (S$24) with beetroot horseradish, finger lime and tossed in green gazpacho.

From the Salad Bar (S$20), I tried their Beetroot Salad which is healthy enough to make me feel a little balanced after having the bread. This is a weekly rotating selection of seasonal salads.

For warm starters, expect the likes of Eggplant and Zucchini Chips (S$22) with tzatziki, saffron honey and dukkah nuts; and Crispy Falafel (S$18) with ponzu edamame, toum and arak.

For mains, the charcoal-grilled dishes are one of the highlights where I had the Chargrilled Japanese Mackerel (S$56) with sumac vinaigrette, fennel and parsley gremolata. I like that it was already largely deboned, where the fish is moderately fatty in flavour. That said, the seasoning was quite heavy as I find it a tad salty.

You can also opt for skewers with options like Chicken shawarma, Lamb leg kofte and Grass-fed ribeye, which go with sauces available such as chimichurri, capsicum or demi-glace.

Rants Its location at Harding Road can be a little inconvenient without getting here by car.

Will I Return Again? If you are a fan of Mediterranean food, Petra is definitely worth checking out. The dishes are generally hearty though it can be heavy in seasoning, and it is a plus that the gorgeous space adds positively to the overall pleasant dining experience.

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

Petra
40C Harding Road
Level 1, Dempsey Hill
Singapore 249548
Tel: +65 8876 5823

Opening Hours
Monday to Sunday: 11.30am to 3pm; 5.30pm to 10.30pm
Closed on Tuesday

Ranted by The Ranter