Italian Restaurants Singapore: Grissini at Grand Copthorne Hotel

Located in the central riverside area of Singapore, the Grand Copthorne Hotel is close to many areas, including the popular drinking district of Robertson Quay. Grissini is overlooking right out on the river and is the perfect spot for a long lunch. For those using public transport, the nearest MRT is Fort Canning and is a 15 minutes stroll to the hotel.

Grissini is a speciality Italian restaurant with an upmarket feel so make sure you are not wearing your flip flops and singlets. We are greeted by smiling staff as we are ushered to our seats with majestic full-length window overlooking the waterfront, ready to enjoy the lunch options galore.

There are several eatery stations located all around Grissini, such as a live Jambon station to the truffle trolley. We are able to sniff and smell all the rare truffles, including the white truffle. Apparently, they have the very last White Truffle in Singapore as they are out of season and will not have any more for the next 7 months!

The Starters

After being seated, we are met with several bread baskets full of Foccacia bread. We were greeted with a trolley coming to the table of dozens of olive oils to complement our bread selection. There are even some we have not heard of, but our favourite was the Chilli and the Smooth Olive Oil.

We also have to taste our share of the wines so that is exactly what we did. Sample White and Red Wines come up and will match perfectly with the food of the day. If you are unsure about your wines, they are more than happy to assist and recommend them.

While we are eating the bread, our waiter places the grill next to the table and then starts cooking up some white Asparagus. The fragrance of the food wafted over our table and we can hear the sizzle. To make it even better, Bottarga Mullet is sprinkled over the asparagus.

We are even lucky enough to dine on some Caviar, something we rarely get to enjoy and savour. It is so expensive to have just a little, so only have it as a treat (and you like fishy tasting things) To be honest I am not a huge fan of it, but a spoonful is all you need to enjoy it.

The Mains at Grissini

Just when we thought it couldn’t get better, the chef comes out with an enormous cheese wheel. It must have been at least 40kg full of parmesan cheese. However, this is only the start as they pour the mushroom and truffle risotto in the wheel. The cheese complements the risotto very well and this dish is consumed very quickly amongst the guests. The Truffle is a new concept to us and it is now something that really adds texture to the risotto. 

After the first dishes come out, we are wondering if this is the end of the meal, but we are so wrong. The next platter of dished out, the meat platter on behalf of the Josper Grill. I never heard of this new grill but it is from Spain and allows the chef to smoke inside the BBQ, a technique we know little about. 

The grill came and we got to choose from Barramundi Fish, Lamb Chops, mixed vegetables, seafood and beautiful ribeye fillet as well that is just so tender. The grill is enough to feed 4 people, which is exactly what it does. We love meat with a little bit of fat and the beef has just the right amount without being overbearing. 

Desserts at Grissini

Just when we are struggling to fit all the food in, we get the call for dessert time. And like the other dishes, it is a grand show! The chef, with a massive smile on his face, lights up the room with head high flames cooking the apples for the dessert. Suddenly, the feeling of being full changes and we have found space to get this in.

If you are looking for a fantastic long lunch, in the heart of the city then consider the Grissini Restaurant at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel. The staff know the products back to front, are helpful and happy and the food was luxurious. However, be prepared to be rolled out as you will want to keep eating for a long as possible.