LAVO @ MBS

From the F&B group that brought you Hakkasan and Tao comes LAVO, an Italian dining and nightclub concept that was first introduced in LA.

Occupying where Sky at 57 was, LAVO is the latest Italian fine dining from TAO Group and Marina Bay Sands. The 180 degree view of the city is not the only highlight of LAVO Singapore. LAVO also flaunts a luxurious lounge (indoor & outdoor) with a full equipped DJ booth situated in the heart of the restaurant. One should not waste the night with such a commanding view of the skyline.

It is decorated with Mediterranean style floor tiles and saloon type round tables and dark wood furnitures, with art decor bars and sofas. A little of New York meet Sicily. The food is solid Italian with influences from different regions based on the produce used in the dishes.

I know I shouldn’t fill up on their bread service. But this was so good and fresh and warmed to order with a perfect ratio of soft and fluffy to crunchy and crusty. It’s a classic focaccia with some rosemary among other herbs and finished with a sprinkle of cheese and olive oil.

Burrata 

Heirloom Tomatoes, Basil Pesto

OK, not a fan. This was rather dry and not creamy and milky as I would expect from an Italian restaurant of this calibre. Will not repeat order this, as it was a replacement for their grilled octopus which they had run out for the day.

Fin De Claire Oyster

Cocktail Sauce, Tabasco, Mignonette

Clean, briny liquor but they were quite skinny and one of them was really small and they still served it. Clearly not a place to have oysters. I was so far disappointed for their appetisers and then a 30 min wait before the first of the two mains came.

Bone In Rib Eye 1.1kg

Chimichurri

The hefty 1.1kg bone-in rib eye was enough to be shared among 7 persons, with each person getting one large piece from the middle or two slices from the sides. I like the middle for its medium rare doneness, and as you get to the sides, it became more of a medium well. Seasoned only with salt and pepper, it was a very good piece of meat even though it was not dry-aged. Sometime you wonder if the whole dry-ageing thing is just a novelty.

Lamb Chops

Béarnaise, Horseradish Cream

The lamb chops was marinated with mainly salt and pepper – nice outer seasoning but would do better with more spices like rosemary or thyme. Meat was tender as I expected it to be, and did not taste musky or gamey. This was a portion (4 racks) for one person, and they helped use sliced it to 8 pieces for our party of 7. I can’t imagine if we had one piece each as it was quite substantial even when halved.

Roasted Rosemary Potatoes

Sautéed Onions, Garlic, Veal Demi Glaze

Wow, the glaze over the roasted potato was delicious, but the potato itself had no taste. A good starch to go with the steaks. Will order again.

Grilled Asparagus

Lemon, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Cracked Pepper

The asparagus was a bit fibrous, and the lemon sauce was not my favourite. I do not understand why I would order asparagus every time I order a steak.

Mafaldine Seafood Alfredo

Prawns, Scallops, Lobster Butter

The Alfredo sauce is cooked with lobster butter, every mouth of the creamy pasta comes with strong aroma of buttery lobster. They have used mafaldine, a flat ribbon-like pasta, that retained the sauce very well. A very good cream based pasta, something that I would not order often.

Panna Cotta

Vanilla, Fresh Mango, Coconut Foam, Pistachio Biscotti

Everyone loved the panna cotta, especially the pairing with the fresh mango. I would rather not have coconut in there, kind of cheapened the whole experience.

Afterthoughts

After a disastrous start, LAVO recovered with the mains, pasta and dessert. As I was trying to order without any pork or liquor, I came to a conclusion that it would almost be almost be impossible in a classic Italian restaurant where pork is just as important as wine in the sauce. But I have to give it to the kitchen staff and our servers for trying to be accommodative to our requirements.

Special mention. One of my guests came up with this special coffee that she tried in Melbourne and was eager to try again. The barista actually tried to make it for her. Kudos to the barista. Overall, a place to entertain your guests with the view and solid food. Just remember this place is not Halal.

LAVO Italian Restaurant Singapore
Marina Bay Sands 
10 Bayfront Avenue, Singapore 018956 
Hotel Tower 1, Level 57 Sands Skypark
Tel : +65 6688 8591 

Visited Oct 2022