Sopra Cucina rewards you with a: “ah, so that’s where it is” type of relief. It’s actually very prominent from one direction, but otherwise a bit trickier to find as its livery is covered by trees. (It’s at 10 Claymore Road, behind Palais Renaissance, also behind Pan Pacific Orchard).

When you’re here, it’s your little escapade to Sardinia, North Italy.

The cuisine here draws on Sardinian dishes unique to the second largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. And though the restaurant has been around since 2013, the revamped menu showcases some new additions and re-introduces a few familiars.

For starters go for Polpo Alla Carlofortina ($20), a slow-cooked fresh octopus with olives, pine nuts and a special house dressing. It’s tangy, tasty and delivered a kind of homestyle cooking you don’t often feel. Then aim for the Spaghetti All’aragosta ($36) seen here. The homemade bisque sauce is the clincher.

The Porcheddu Sardo ($48), a traditional Sardinian suckling pig (400g) feeds two, easily. It’s seasoned with sea salt, Mediterranean herbs and roasted on a bed of potatoes. For meat lovers, this is the highlight. (But if you’re the sort that absolutely must have a pizza, then go with Pizza Sopra).

I’m not a fregola expert, but the Fregola al Frutti de Mare Risotto  ($30) is heady brew of seafood and yes, fregola (kinda like couscous). It has the delicate texture you want from this semolina pasta, plus a homemade seafood sauce to make it a surprising winner.

Another one for the podium is the starter Biscotto di Pecorino ($22), pecorino cheese stuffed in pane carosau – drizzled with honey. We kinda went with the familiar signatures, and not so much the new entrants. You know how it is with comfort food, nothing beats granny’s cooking (or as the Italians say, you’re nonna‘s boy).

For wines we recommend the Monte Santu vintages, a range of biodynamic wines from Sardinia, Italy – it pairs well with rich fish and shellfish.

Bonus: Ladies night on Wednesdays is from 7-10pm. You get three hours of free flow prosecco for $25.

10 Claymore Road, Singapore 229540. Tel: 6737-3253.

www.sopracucina.com

The Bottura clan is not the first Italian family to have brought its traditions, heritage, recipes and actual family members to Singapore to open an eatery (Forlino comes to mind). This recent restaurant/gelateria/cafeteria/gourmet shop by fifth generation Luca Bottura hails from Bologna, where his family has thriving bakery shops, restaurants and a catering business – Singapore is its first overseas expansion. Why S’pore? Luca worked here as an investment banker for a few years and loves it here. (He also brought Mama Bottura here to oversee the crew and the cooking). Bello!

Mom’s not the only authentic part of the business. Almost everything is imported from Italy (mostly from Bologna, yes, where the spag bol originated). And we’re talking recipes, machines and ingredients – this ensures everything is made fresh on-site. Obviously that kind of attention to detail is what sets them and their food apart. And we haven’t even gotten to the best part yet – the serendipitously affordable prices of every dish: The egg and squid-ink tagliolini with shrimp and zucchini? $16. (Add your own Italian exclamation here).

Of course, it’s in a mall (Suntec Tower 2) and you’d expect decent prices (haha, good luck with that nowadays). But really, we’re talking about good value here for the kind of fresh, authentic quality you won’t find in most casual dining outlets. The gelato is fresh and made in house, and at $5 a scoop you can skip the queues elsewhere.

And there are plenty of choices: you get 10 types of pasta dishes (starts at $12). The four cheese gnocchi with rocket salad is recommended (has better texture than most), and we like the penne with tuna, Sicilian capers and anchovies ($14). Bonus: For the sit-on-fence foodie, there’s a degustation of six pasta dishes that includes a glass of wine for $18. (Yup, we told you ‘bout the prices. Available after 5pm weekdays, all day weekends).

If overwhelmed, we suggest you start with the arancini al ragu, a traditional risotto ball served over a bed of tomato sauce ($8!).

Groups can dine communally and spring for the extra-large, super-thin, metre-long pizza ($30, feeds 4-6). Or the piadina, a flatbread filled with hearty, healthy ingredients (above). The gourmet shop offers olive oil, award-winning wines, balsamic vinegars, salts and are precious – it’s all from Italy.

The takeaway from this: we love the quality, choices and the prices are the most revelatory we’ve seen. Well worth a visit or three. (Oh we forgot to mention, the house pour wine is a Chianti poured directly from the barrel, $8.50).

Bottura: Eat Drink Italiano. #02-472/473/474, 3 Temasek Avenue, Suntec City Mall, Singapore 038983, between Tower 1 & 2. Tel: 6238-7527

We have to start with the beers and get to the pizzas later. This new Italian joint – around the Arab Street enclave – has a great beer selection and pairing. Order any of its premium pizzas and they will recommend a fantastic craft beer to go with it. We cannot stress this enough – great craft beers! (For more about their beers read this).

Their wood-fired pizzas are made with imagination and surprising ingredients. Our favourite, even when we went back a second time, was still the pumpkin pizza, with pumpkin as the pie’s base instead of tomatoes. The relevation is that it’s quite quite brilliant and savoury. They use fresh herbs from their rooftop garden, and imported ‘00’ flour.

Other pizzas we recommend: Pesto Patate e Fagiolini (fresh Mozzarella, pesto Cream, snow peas, potato); Gorgonzola Fichi e Prosciutto di Parma (fresh mozzarella, Parma ham, fresh figs, gorgonzola cheese, walnuts) and Pere al Chianti Radicchio e Fontina (fresh mozzarella, pear cooked in Chianti, radicchio, hazelnet, fontina cheese) – otherwise known as The One With The Red Wine.

But if it’s variety you crave, then you should try the saffron pannacotta (left).

It’s an open kitchen concept, very industrial modern. Team Fabbrica creates dishes that marry tradition and innovation, and at the helm is executive chef Matteo Boifava. Born in Cremona, Italy, he honed his culinary chops in kitchens around the world, including London’s 3-Michelin-starred The Fat Duck.

One final note: Like all fine trattorias, they serve their pastas al dente (firm to the bite). And they make their ravioli and gnocchi from scratch – all the better to soak up the delicious sauces.

Pizza Fabbrica, 69/70 Bussorah Street, Singapore 199482. Tel: 6291-0434. www.pizzafabbrica.sg

Yes, the name will throw you off for a bit (though it’ll stick like cooked pasta), but this casual restaurant serves authentic Italian cuisine in a laid back, modern setting. 2it&drink is the latest offering from the partners behind Otto Ristorante and Otto Locanda, who share a life‐long passion for great Italian food.

The restaurant has a cafe/bar and of course a delicatessen (more on this later). The menu is a collection of Italian staples: Pizzas, pastas, mains (sauteed black mussels, beef meat balls) and dessert (tiramisu, pannacotta – it’s all there). Must try: the caprese, made with fresh tomatoes, buffalo mozarella and basil which makes it red, white and green – the colours of the Italian flag.

Must try: Agnolotti di brasato al funghi (braised beef agnolotti). You get an intensely satisfying unami hit of what tastes like ground slow-cooked beef (reminiscent of corned beef in terms of texture) tucked into frilly pasta pockets, topped with mushroom cream sauce that deftly coats the pasta without overwhelming it. It’s a taste revelation – tastebuds are teased with a velvety sauce before uncovering a moist meaty sliver that deepens in flavour with every chew.

There’s also The Daily Shop, where patrons can buy artisanal products like fresh pasta, Italian wines, condiments and sauces. Like a dish – why not try to replicate it at home?

2it & Drink, Valley point, 491 River Valley Road, #01-01. Tel: 6737-3001

www.2it&drink.com