Savour Beppe De Vito’s creative modern Italian cuisine and sip on some bespoke cocktails at this new luxe restaurant along the Singapore River
It’s no secret that Boat Quay boasts a bountiful selection of bars – from laid-back karaoke joints like Skinny’s Lounge to cosy Irish bars like Molly Malone’s. But make your way through the menu-touting promoters, and you’ll find that Boat Quay has plenty to offer the discerning foodie as well.
Perched atop the taller shophouses on the stretch, Braci is the latest concept of restaurateur, Beppe De Vito, that serves modern Italian fare. The restaurant features a luxe 16-seat dining area on the fifth floor, as well as a 30-seat rooftop bar with a fantastic view of the Singapore River.
Our first taste of Beppe De Vito’s culinary flair was the rather intriguing beef tartare with smoked marrow and lettuce. Served on a halved bone, the beef tartare was studded with capers and white pieces of smoked marrow. The dish is a bit of a hands-on affair as well – scoop the marrow onto the pieces of crisp lettuce, and add a dash of the included balsamic vinegar sauce for a light, refreshing starter.
The next dish took me by surprise – a wedge of green vegetable that looked like a denser head of broccoli. The vegetable, Romanesco (or Roman broccoli), was served charred on its sides and served with silky smooth burrata, shavings of bottarga (aged fish roe) and shards of hazelnut. The chunky texture of the Romanesco paired wonderfully with the creamy burrata and crunchy hazelnuts – it’s something vegetarians will love for sure.
Eager to sample the mains, I dived into the next two dishes – a fettucine with razor clam and seabass with eggplant. The former dish was an exciting medley of textures, the pasta was cooked just right, and the sauce was light enough for the taste of the soft, fresh razor clams to trickle through – a perfect balance, I must say. Didn’t hurt either that each bite was accompanied by the occasional briny burst from spheres of orange roe.
The second main showcased a perfectly cooked chunk of seabass with a sliver of crispy skin still attached. It was served with lashings of saffron sauce alongside an artfully assembled portion of eggplant parmigiana. While perhaps the simplest dish on the menu, it was testament to the restaurant’s philosophy that all you really need are high-quality ingredients for a dish to sing.
We ended the meal on a sweet note with the gianduiotto with frangelico cream and golden hazelnuts. Now unlike the chocolate the dessert is based on, the gianduiotto is filled with a light, fluffy cake and won’t fill you up too much. And that’s something we weren’t complaining about, considering what we had in store next.
Head upstairs to the rooftop bar, and take in the sunset while enjoying a selection of unique cocktails. If you prefer stronger tipples, opt for the Diplomatico Old Fashioned. Swapping whisky for date macerated rum, this rendition of the drink is a sweeter, more complex take on the classic. Fancy something refreshing to beat the heat? Opt for the Bramble Cocktail instead – a refreshing concoction of Bombay Sapphire gin, lemon and sugar served over a blackberry ice ball.
And of course, it goes without saying that the view from the rooftop bar is a spectacular one, especially if you get here early enough to catch the sunset. So live a little, and sneak off work early for a divine meal followed by a refreshing cocktail. You won’t regret it.
Braci, 2 Boat Quay, #05-01/ #06-01, Singapore 049841. p. 6866 1933. Open Mon-Sat 5pm-12am. Closed on Sun.