The latest, salubrious addition to the Craig Road stretch is PerBacco — an elegant Italian wine bar and restaurant helmed by chef-owner Marco Violano. In Italian, the word ‘PerBacco’ refers to Bacchus, the god of wine and good times and is also used as an expression of pleasure and surprise. It is, indeed, an apt name for an establishment that prides itself on offering an authentic, top-notch Italian bar and dining experience.

The long, spacious bar overlooks the charming street and offers an al fresco feel thanks to high chairs and tables arranged right by its large windows. Here, amid brick-lined walls and dark wood furnishings, Chef Marco offers an impressive range of whiskeys, rums, unpasteurised beers, Italian wines and other spirits, and a list of six classic cocktails including the Manhattan, Negroni, and Spritz. The cocktails are always made to perfection with premium spirits such as Fords London Dry Gin, High West Rye Whiskey and Bottega Gold Prosecco.

To accompany the drinks is a list of premium Ciccheti (Italian bar bites to share) that Chef Marco imports from Italy and stores in a beautiful cold room that forms part of the restaurant’s décor. There are cold cuts like Parma ham aged between 12, 24 and 36 months; mild and sweet small-batch salamenostrano; pure pork salame from Felino, a small town located in the Baganza valley; unctuous salame Milano; and soppressata, a dry salami native to Tuscany and Liguria. These are cut using a beautiful, traditional Tamagnini ham hand slicer brought in from Parma, Italy.

On the menu are refined classics from the Mediterranean, including Chef Marco’s signature homemade spaghetti chitarre (guitar spaghetti, in reference to the guitar-like tool used to make the noodles) with scampi and clay pot fregola (pasta made from semolina, similar to Israeli couscous) with fresh lobster.

Chef Marco makes it a point to import the finest ingredients from around the world, including beef from Kobe, Japan and lamb from New Zealand, which he cooks to deft perfection in his mixed grill. He also brings in seasonal vegetable, fruit and seafood such as mussels and clams from Italy twice weekly.

#01-03 20 Craig Road

Tel: +65 66357130 or e-mail: www@perbacco.sg