At Chicco Pasta Bar, chef Drew Nocente honours his Italian roots with lighter-than-air focaccia, street food and pasta, handmade daily

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Luxury isn’t always a thousand-dollar meal at the city’s finest restaurant. Luxury, for us, is sometimes being able to enjoy a delicious meal in a comfortable space, without the need for dress-up or spiel. (We don’t always need the origin story behind the stump of carrot on our plate.) 

So where should we go?

Chicco Pasta Bar makes our point. Built with the charm of an idyllic Italian beachfront, it was inspired by the appeal of being able to walk into a restaurant at any time, to enjoy the “true flavours of Italy without breaking the bank.” Situated not far from Cenzo and Kulto, two other sister concepts, Chicco is one of many restaurants in such an attractive location as Telok Ayer, except it stands out for both food and friendly prices. Although less can be said about the service, the good news is one can order via a QR code so interaction is minimal.

What should we order?

The restaurant’s coming out of its teething stages, but check in ahead of time and make sure chef Drew Nocente is in the house. He’s typically slinging pasta at Cenzo, the fancier sister restaurant, but you’d find him at Chicco about twice a week. With over 20 years of cooking experience under his belt—including time with Gordon Ramsay and Jason Atherton, and six years developing a ‘zero-waste’ restaurant —the Australian chef honours his Italian roots with lighter-than-air focaccia, street food and pasta, handmade daily. If you’re there for lunch, we highly recommend the Stracciatella, Peppers and Onion Focaccia, Rigatoni Carbonara, Spanner Crab Bisque Mafaldine and Fried Mozzarella. Those who dine at dusk may add on heartier dishes like Roasted Suckling Pig Belly and Ribeye. 

What else should we know?

Nocente and his wife are proud parents of a little poodle mix, which you might see on occasion. As such, they have made the al fresco dining area dog-friendly, so you may bring your pup for lunch, dinner or a drink—any time from 11.30am to 10pm from Tuesday to Saturday, swing by for a pint of beer (S$13), spritz (S$14) or cocktail (S$16). No dog? No problem. Ask for the table by the window, where you can sit catty-corner and enjoy the view, whatever view that is. 

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