When a chef acquaintance of mine first raved to me about Griglia along Craig Road, I was determined to visit it one day, and that day finally arrived.
Instead of the usual pizza and pasta, the restaurant specialises in grigliata, a traditional Italian summertime tradition of cooking over a flaming grill.
Since I won’t be able to fulfil my dreams of visiting Italy in the summer anytime soon, I was more than happy to eat my share of Griglia’s charcoal-grilled specialities, which are served as sharing-style plates.
The restaurant itself boasts an atmosphere that is cosy and inviting, yet elegant, with warm wood finishes, plush leather seats, and an open kitchen with a custom-made charcoal grill. Pretty ideal for both intimate dates and chill nights out with friends!
Start off with a selection of finger food, otherwise known as cicchetti, a Venetian type of tapas, that is best enjoyed without cutlery.
Look forward to Confit Tomatoes (S$4) with spiced, crisp house-made sourdough bread and avocado; Smoked Eel (S$8) on toasted buttery brioche with trout roe and horseradish; and my favourite of the lot, Beef Tartare (S$6), bite-sized beef tartare and confit egg in crisp taco shells, finished with parmigiano shavings.
The menu features three categories, with each inspired by the garden, land, and sea.
Have you ever had an Italian meal served without bread? That should never be a thing, so just go ahead and order the crusty Rustic Bread (S$8), served with a sweet, subtly tangy Piennolo tomato sauce from Naples, and a side of Apulian extra virgin olive oil for dipping.
The meticulously crafted Eggplant (S$19), comprising layers of eggplant, Roma tomatoes, and basil on creamy smoked caciocavallo (a cheese from Southern Italy) fondue, was a hit at the table, with many praising the delicate balance of flavours and textures.
Another textural delight came in the form of the Romanesco (S$14), paired with soft and creamy stracchino (an Italian cheese made of cow’s milk), bottarga (salted, cured fish roe), and crunchy hazelnuts. It fell flat, unfortunately, in comparison to the more complex Eggplant.
Moving on to plates from the land, I almost exclaimed out loud when we were served the grilled Bone Marrow (S$26) with a layer of parmesan crust. Just look at that beauty!
You are supposed to scoop up the creamy bone marrow and savour it with radish and salsa verde crostini. Airy parmesan shavings take it to a whole new level, making for more than a couple of perfect bites.
We also got to try the House-Made Pappardelle (S$26), consisting of long strands of pappardelle that was unfortunately a tad too al dente, though the tender braised pork jowl and crisp guanciale were its saving grace.
I preferred the “sea” pasta option — Charcoal Grilled Fusilli (S$22) with freshly-grilled octopus and a nduja (spiced salami) dressing gently grilled over the open flame, yielding a smoky, intensely flavoured pasta dish that almost everyone showered praises on.
Next, it was finally time to tackle the Open Fire Grill section, which commenced with an rustic-looking array of sides, including Roasted Potatoes (S$10), Charcoal Grilled Baby Corn (S$10) with brown butter sabayon, and some seriously addictive Sautéed Kale (S$12) tossed in a mildly sweet white balsamico, which left me pleasantly surprised.
One of the newer additions to the Griglia menu is the Whole Mediterranean Seabass (S$78); it is seasoned simply and cooked over the flame, allowing its natural sweetness to shine. Although some of my other dining partners couldn’t stop going for seconds of the tender and flaky fish, it was the meat I had my eye on.
Nothing gets me more excited than a beautiful steak, and the 30 Days Dry Aged Porterhouse ‘Fiorentina’ (S$158) was absolutely stunning, in more ways than one.
Florentine style steak is dry-aged for 30 days and tenderly cooked over the open fire grill. Don’t be taken aback by the vivid red hues of the meat — it is, according to the chef, how a “well-aged medium steak” should look like, and boy was every bite sublime!
Do note that the steak is a serving for two, but it can easily feed four diners, especially if you’re ordering other small plates to share.
It’s up to you to make dessert an equally indulgent affair, so go ahead and order crowd favourites like the Cappuccinomisu (S$12), a cappuccino tiramisu with buffalo mascarpone and port wine, topped off with a fluffy cappuccino foam.
I was, however, more drawn towards the Capri in a Cake (S$14), soft Italian sweet cake with intensely tart lemon curd made from a rich limoncello and fresh Amalfi lemon juice, paired with a creamy vanilla gelato with extra virgin olive oil on the side.
As a sucker for lemons (and anything sour), I also had to end off with a digestif of Limoncello, a classic Italian lemon liqueur made with lemons from the Amalfi Coast.
All things considered, a meal at Griglia is a communal experience filled with conviviality and warm Italian hospitality — you’ll find yourself clinking glasses of wine and laughing with your friends and family throughout the evening!
Reservations can be made here.
Griglia
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???? 37 Craig Road #01-01, Singapore 089675
???? 12pm—3pm, 6pm–11pm (Tue to Sun), Closed on Mon
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Photos by Christabel Tan
I'm always feelin' either boozy or boujee ✨