il Cielo at Hilton Hotel Review

Time for some relaxation...I was invited by my colleague to try out this new restaurant in Hilton Hotel. Having been an ardent fan of Italian food, I gladly obliged.

When I was told it would be at the top floor of the hotel, I was even more excited. I have always liked rooftop concepts, even more so when its on a 24th floor. Don't you feel like you are the king of the world at the top, overseeing the beautiful skylights and landscape of Orchard Road. After a long day at work, it is refreshing and relax to take a breather on the night to enjoy some tranquility when you need it. Of course, tonight it was more of a party which I enjoyed as well!

il Cielo 

(‘The Sky’ in Italian)

Photo in courtesy of Hilton Hotel

Menu

The party was a standing cocktail reception, we were introduced to homemade truffle butter with black olive breads and the original grissini at the entrance which is also the start of dinner course .Thereafter guests can enjoy specialties such as fresh Burrata mozzarella filled with bufala made upon order - a first in Singapore - and Bosco, a crispy thin Rome-style pizza made with flour from Vesuviana, topped with homemade Italian sausages. Along with other Rome-style pizzas is the wide range of homemade pastas made of organic flours including the rare kamut (an ancient kind of grain that is believed to have originated from Egypt), buckwheat and spelt. 

Photo in courtesy of Hilton Hotel

When I was a child, my parents brought me to a restraint, having only exposed to chinese cuisine, my parents wanted a change and brought me to dine at an Italian place. I was curious at first at what this flat piece of crap put in front of me. With tomato toppings and cheese, sometimes with meat or pineapples to add flavour to taste. I was intrigued by the crispy crust of the food. Thinking it was just another form of bread with a more innovative "design". I tasted it for the first time.

As I sink my teeth into the cheese and the bread and tasted the mixture of the crust of the bread, melted cheese and tomato, my heart skipped a beat.

It was heaven!

Well, I have been eating pizzas since then, but after a while you get bored by the usual types of pizza. I kind of lost my first love, until I came il Cielo, and tried the Rome-Styled pizzas. In Rome, they usually prefer thin and crispy base, which is now my new love. It is a MUST-TRY! in this restaurant!

So what's so special?

The pizzas are prepared in the traditional cooking over wood fire. And Herb-crusted Ocean Trout are placed on olive wood to be quickly roasted in an open fire brick oven for an earthly flavour.

Soon, meat lovers can also look forward to relishing time-honoured recipes such as Wagyu beef slow-cooked for 16 hours.

Another MUST-TRY! is the special  Burrata mozzarella filled with bufala.

Photo in courtesy of Hilton Hotel

Warning! After savoring it, you may want to keep tasting it as it possesses a really memorable taste. Oh man, talking about it, is making me miss it greatly. 

So what's so special?
Every Burrata dish must be prepared specially by the chef, and so you can expect quality in food and the presentation. 


The Men behind the scene

And not to forget the chefs at helm – Sandro Falbo, Hilton Singapore Executive Chef and Stefano Arrigoni, Italian Chef, and the idea is to use natural and organic ingredients including organic flours, seasonal vegetables and herbs, sustainable seafood sources as well as fresh and natural cuts such as natural Meyer rib-eye to prepare the dishes. Special wood pieces from olive and cedar trees are also used in cooking to lend smoky aroma to the dishes; recreating flavours that was lost with modernization.

Ambience

With a capacity for 48 persons with 32 seats indoors including a private dining room for 8 guests as well as 16 seats by the pool side. With a panoramic view of Orchard Road skyline, the interiors and surroundings of the poolside provide an urban resort feel.

The interior made use of the chic, modern and masculine tones as well as wood and glass  to complement the surroundings of the restaurant. The contemporary geometrical trellis and sliding glass panel screens offer a sense of space and make way for a relaxing pool view from the indoor area.

At sundown, diners in the restaurant can enjoy a different alluring ambience in a semi-alfresco setting. The pool area lights with the modern cityscape of Orchard Road and the pool as the backdrop, and when weather permits, the versatile glass screens slide open to let the outdoor breeze in. 

Suitable for most occasions, be it having a party of 8 to celebrate in their private room or having to dine with your love done for a romantic dinner by the poolside, or a bunch of friends to sit back and relax at the comfort of the cushioned seats to drink and reminisce good ol' times.

Service

The service was satisfying, as it was a small inhouse party, I haven't got a chance to thoroughly judged its service, but from what I observed it was good.

So my verdict:

Here is the address!

 Level 24 Hilton Singapore

581 Orchard Road

Singapore 238883

For reservations, call +65 6730 3395 or email ilCielo@hilton.com