The Capitol Theatre Arcade has been refurbished in the last few years and offers some cool new places to try out. I met up here with a few friends the other night for some Italian fare.
The Ambience, Service and Staff
As Singapore continues to emerge out of Covid-19 restrictions, we were continuing to support our F&B establishments.
La Sacala Ristorante is one of several restaurants in the Capitol Arcade. We were a party of 5 and made reservations via Chope. The restaurant was busy on a Tuesday evening operating at about 60% capacity and continued to fill up. We were seated at a table in the front and served with a bottle of mineral water by the friendly and professional staff. Menus were provided at the table via a QR code.
La Scala Ristoranta takes its name from the La Scala Opera House in Milan and transports the tastes, sights and sounds of a buzzing Italian summer’s day to Arcade offers a modernised space which retains touches of Italian tradition like exposed red-brick walls, wooden floorboards and white Roman pillars. Arcade seating has an open area, while seating indoors is far more intimate.
The Food
After starting off with a bottle of mineral water, we ordered mains, followed by some wine and desserts. For our mains, we went with the steamed Sea Bass, the Beer Braised Beef, a vegetarian version of the Orecchiette al Pomodoro and Ricotta Marzolina in a cream base, the Tagliatelle Bolognese and a Pizza Calabrese.
We were also served with some complimentary bread and olive oil to get us started. On a day when the restaurant was operating at 80% capacity by the time we ordered food, it took them a while – about 40 minutes – to get food on the table. To their credit, the wait staff did refresh our bread, and when they discovered that the vegetarian pasta was not vegetarian, and brought ought some bruschetta to keep one of our party going while they fixed the order.
The Pizza Calabrese and the Sea Bass arrived first. The pizza was a decent size, and had kick to it. The sea bass was well cooked, served on mashed potatoes and is best eaten hot as it is served. The Tagliatelle Bolognese came out next – well presented and in a decent sized portion. The Beef followed; this was a sou-vie preparation with meat having been slow cooked and served with mashed potatoes and carrots. The vegetarian Orecchiette was the last to arrive – a cream based pasta that was well presented and generous in portion size.
After our mains, we had room for drinks and dessert. A couple of us got a glass of red wine each, while three of us ordered the Tiramisu, the Crostata Al Cioccolato Morbido (a chocolate tart), and the Lemon Scent Panna Cotta. The desserts came out much quicker taking about 10 minutes from our order. The Tiramisu was a decent sized block that would satisfy 2 and wasn’t too rich. The Chocolate Tart was served with a cherry sauce and quite large. The Panna Cotta offered a lighter option for a sweet ending.
The Price Point
Our meal for four came up to just under $275, and the use of a Citibank credit card dropped the bill by 15% to just under $240 which worked out to just under $48 per person. For a restaurant in this location and the kind of food, its about the right price.
The Final Verdict
La Scala Ristorante offered great service and good food. On the night, there service was a bit slow, but we were well taken care of. The quality of food is very good making this a great place for meeting with friends and colleague after work, and a venue for romantic dates. It’s easy to get to and centrally located. Wednesday nights are ladies nights where there’s free flow wine for 3 hours for the ladies. I’d go back again with friends for a decent Italian meal.
Address: Arcade @ The Capitol Kempinski, 13 Stamford Road, Singapore 178906.
Phone: +65 6715 6877
Website: https://www.kempinski.com/en/singapore/the-capitol-singapore/dining/arcade-at-the-capitol-kempinski/la-scala-ristorante
