Losing a star is not the end of the world, as Garibaldi Italian Restaurant & Bar proved with consistently good Italian food all these years, with or without the Michelin star.

Gourmands who visit this Italian stalwart will enter through the bar, cleverly positioned to entice them to have a cocktail or two. They are then led to the main dining room, which is swathed in warm tones, matched with tables dressed elegantly in pristine white.

Taking Italian fine dining to the next level, Garibaldi on trendy Purvis Street is Singapore’s unofficial Italian culinary embassy. For twenty years now under the helm of Executive Chef/Owner Roberto Galetti, the restaurant has continuously exceeded the high expectations foodies and critics set alike.

The impressive wine list, featuring around 7000 labels, is another feature for which this cosy and contemporary-styled restaurant is celebrated. And there were half-bottles available for smaller groups.

The Meal

The pleasant bar at the front was quiet but main restaurant to the rear was busy with a mix of casual diners and business groups. This was what my party ordered for the business lunch, which included ala carte items and a set menu.

1. Granchio e Ricci
2. Gari-Bruschetta
3. Gamberi – Ricci Di Mare (Set Menu)
4. Bisque di Aragosta
5. Tagliolini – Gamberi
6. Fusilli alla Gar-bonara
7. Agnello (Set Menu)
8. Agnello
9. Dolce (Set Menu)

Once seated, we were given parmigiana grissini (breadsticks) as snacks (just like peanuts in a Chinese restaurant). After selecting our menu choices, we were served fresh toasted tomato focaccia with olive oil, however both were not refilled when our bread dish was empty. The bread was nice, crusty outside, soft and moist inside, the bread complimented adequately with the extra virgin olive oil. And the grissini had a delicious taste of shaved parmigiana.

Granchio e Ricci

Cold Angel Hair with Snow Crab, Bafun Sea Urchin & Siberian Caviar

Ordered their signature capellini (angel hair pasta) to share and they had kindly portioned it out into two portions when serving. Garibaldi used Antonius Caviar from Poland, harvested from farmed Siberian sturgeon and silky in the mouth, with a perfectly integrated saltiness and a long finishing tone of lake and sea.

Well, nothing to nitpick about the caviar, nor the freshness of the Bafun sea urchin used, and pasta was cooked just nice. It was the cold snow crab sauce that bonded everything together. A very good appetiser, and a must-order every time you are here.

Gari-Bruschetta

Italian Tomatoes Basil & Pecorino Cheese on Toasted Garlic Focaccia Bread 

From the Italian bruscare meaning “to roast over coals,” this traditional garlic bread is made by rubbing slices of toasted bread with garlic cloves, then drizzling the bread with extra-virgin olive oil.

Gamberi – Ricci Di Mare (Set Menu)

Sweet Prawn Tartare, Bafun Sea Urchin, Zucchini Flower

Fresh imported Hokkaido Bafun sea urchin pair with sweet prawns. It is perfectly balanced in texture, aroma and flavour. It is silky in the mouth, fresh on the nose, and has lingering notes of ocean on the palate.

And to balance off the overwhelming umami was a zucchini flower tempura, lightly salted. The perilla flowers provided some peppery fragrance to the mix.

Bisque di Aragosta

Lobster Soup with Lobster Meat & Tarragon

Another guest ordered the lobster bisque. Did not have any complains from her so I guessed it was good.

Tagliolini – Gamberi

Tagliolini, Sea Prawns, Wild Garlic Leaves

Delicious tiger prawns with homemade authentic tagliolini cooked in a creamy sauce infused with wild garlic leaves. A distant relative of chives, wild garlic leaves boast distinct piquantness and mild sweetness akin to leeks and spring onions, and often used as a replacement for basil in pasta dishes. Delicious, garlicky and perfect pasta.

Fusilli alla Gar-bonara

Spiral Pasta with Egg Yolk, Dry Parma Ham, Cream & Parmesan Cheese

My guest order this carbonara, cheekily renamed the “Carbonara”. He gave the thumbs up for this perfectly executed carbonara with fusilli which was the perfect pasta shape to draw up as much sauce as possible.

Agnello (Set Menu)

Roasted NZ Lamb Rack, Organic Hokkaido Shiitake Mushrooms

All of us coincidentally ordered the NZ lamb rack for the main course. But mine came from the set menu and was paired with roasted shiitake mushrooms and Romanesco broccoli with au jus reduction sauce. The lamb chops were grilled to medium as recommended by the chef. Although it was not described, it also came with mint jelly to balance the muskiness of the lamb, which there was none. The lamb chops were delicious.

Agnello

Roasted New Zealand Lamb Rack with Mint Jelly & Butternut Pumpkin Purée 

For the ala carte lamb rack, they came with morel mushrooms, regular broccoli and roasted pumpkin on a bed of mashed butternut squash.

Dolce (Set Menu)

Mango Chantilly, Lemon Yogurt Cake, Florentine

Florentines are made of nuts and candied cherries mixed with sugar melted together with butter and honey, cooked in an oven. A thin slice would have a lot of flavours. Coupled with a delicious quenelle of mango-flavoured Chantilly cream fortified with mascarpone cheese, and a small sphere of lemon yoghurt mousse cake and sakura jelly, this was aptly placed dessert for lunch, not too heavy and had all the dessert flavours.

Afterthoughts

Whether you are looking for fine dining Italian cuisine, a romantic restaurant, an elegant business lunch spot or a reasonably priced good set lunch, Garibaldi Italian Restaurant & Bar will fit the bill. This award-winning restaurant has an upscale but relaxed atmosphere, professional and friendly service and, most importantly, quality enjoyable food at reasonable prices.

Garibaldi Italian Restaurant & Bar
36 Purvis Street #01-02, SIngapore 188613
Tel : +65 6837 1468

Visited Apr 2023

Michelin Singapore Guide 1 Star 2017-2021, Plate 2022

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