Otto Ristorante

Otto Ristorante has been part of Tanjong Pagar's dining scene since 2008 and now occupies the ground floor of Maxwell Chambers on Maxwell Road. The dining room has white tablecloths and well-spaced tables, and there are private rooms, an outdoor terrace and a cigar and bar area. The wine list is almost entirely Italian.

The pasta is the main reason to go. Look for spaghetti with sea urchin and Sardinian bottarga, homemade tagliatelle with wagyu and foie gras ragù, Sardinian chiusoni with spicy sausage ragù, or veal agnolotti with Marsala and sage. For mains, there is crispy pork belly, beef tenderloin with bone marrow sauce and porcini, and a salt-baked sea bass for two. Livorno-style caciucco is a good starter.

Its location and private rooms make it a regular for business lunches, helped by a S$42 set lunch on weekdays. In the evening there are degustation (S$158), gourmet and vegetarian menus as well as à la carte. It is closed on Sunday and opens only for dinner on Saturday.