Brian Kennett
Amateur Chef and Boozy Traveling Foodie Extraordinaire
Torno Subito Review: Best Italian in Singapore? Read on, folks...
Torno Subito Review, Chef Massimo Bottura ups the ante on Italian food in Singapore: Have you’ve ever wondered what would happen when Massimo Bottura — yes, that Bottura of Modena, Osteria Francescana, 3-Michelin-Star, “one-time best restaurant on the planet” fame — decides to set up a relaxed Italian spot in Singapore and make it feel like a splishy splashy 1950s Italian Riviera holiday: well this is what you will get, the rather amazing restaurant at Dempsey Hill.
And before you panic, no, it’s not one of those vibes where you sit on a gold chair shaped like a lobster and someone w@nks off on non-sensical food bullsh!t about basil foams and micro-greens hydroponic farming. This place has an opinion: food should be delicious, fun, and occasionally loud — like my Wifey after three limoncellos. This is Bottura’s playful side, the one that doesn’t require a 14-week email chain, bribery and donation of your first born to secure a reservation.
The name translates to “I’ll be right back.” The kind of thing I say to Wifey before disappearing for four hours after promising “I’m just popping to Jags for a quick meeting.” But here, it’s more like:
“Relax, don’t rush, you’re supposed to be on holiday.”
Except you’re in Singapore. Where we schedule enjoyment into 70-minute meal blocks between our super-important meetings and handphone Instagram trauma.
Torno Subito Review: Table of Contents
The Setting — Dempsey Doing Its Best ‘Italian Seaside Daydream’ @ Torni Subito
Dempsey Hill is already one of those neighbourhoods that makes you question your financial decisions, such as Red Sparrow, Burnt Ends, Siri House, Jumbo Seafood and so on… It’s where people walk dogs that cost more than your condo monthly rent. Parking is easy, the trees are tall, and you’ll likely always see someone wearing white linen parading about like they own their own vineyard or plantation.
So f@ck all that pretense off and drop a retro Italian seaside fantasy in the middle of that. Pastel chairs. Loud prints. Neon bits. Strong personality. Not Instagram-theatre — more film set energy.
The music is upbeat, the staff glide between casual and sharp, and conversations ping-pong off the walls in a way that makes you feel like you should order Prosecco even if it’s Tuesday and you’re supposed to be sensible because you have work calls straight after lunch.
This is holiday mode dining, activated by cool chefs in sneakers.
Torno Subito Menu: what did we eat today...?
The Menu — “Simple” Food That’s Been to a Very Good School
Italian food that appears straightforward often has strict Chef energy behind it. Nothing is there by accident. Everything has rules. It does that clever Bottura thing: it looks relaxed, but there’s serious thought in the background behind every dish.
The dishes that everyone talks about (and yes, I checked online reviews so no one can moan about me later):
Tagliatelle al Ragù: Looks familiar. Smells dangerous. The Wagyu meat sauce has depth — proper slow-cooked thinking food — the kind where time, heat, and patience have had long chats and agreed on mutual outcome of deliciousness. If you grew up thinking ragù was something from a jar, this is your personality reset. We had this and it was indeed the most wonderful foodie moment…
Pizza — Yes, Bottura Does Pizza: Thin, balanced, crisp on the edges, soft in the middle. No unnecessary theatrics. No “here’s a pizza served on a repurposed bicycle wheel.” No, just good pizza.
The Lobster Roll (Singapore Exclusive): People keep bringing this one up in reviews, but it was not on the menu on our visitation. Still, here goes: Soft bun. Rich filling. Not messy — refined, but still a pleasure bomb so people say. Pair with wine. Sit back. Smile like an Instagram influencer on a sponsored staycation: follow my mate Spence for that in action…
PARMIGIANO REGGIANO @ $8
36 months aged Parmigiano Reggiano chunks, Villa Manodori dark cherry balsamic vinegar from Modena. All the TV shows I have watched with Chef Massimo came into this dish. His passion for Modena and the regions produce is infectious, and this dish brought that home on one plate. Chunks of the most serious Parmigiano, with salt crystals you could break your teeth on.
Like cheese coc@ine, this was immediately addictive, but then add that aged cherry Balsamic and I could never go back to anything but this pairing. My goodness gracious me. Oh yeah, and beautiful bread with anchovie butter. What a way to start. I am head over heels in love already with this place!!!
MORTADELLA @ $14
Oven-baked focaccia, thinly sliced mortadella. It’s a slice of ham on some bread, right? Yeah, go on then, take a bite and try not to roll your eyes heavenward, gasp, and state: “OMG”. You just will. I know it. If you don’t I’ll pay for it!!!
EMILIA BURGER @ $22
Homemade bun, beef and pork patty, salsa verde, balsamic mayonnaise. Holy moly it’s a sodding slider, folks. Whoop di Do… BUT, then you bite it… WOWSER. Number 1 the blend of pork and beef in the pattie is genius, with perfect seasoning, but then that salsa verde and something I have never had before – balsamic mayonnaise lift this up to the burger Gods… it is sublime, I’m not kidding.
Yes, Chef, I am steling this for The Kapre Restaurant and Bar, and in fact have already had a dry run or two making a mayo recipe for myself. That is the stuff of legend!!!
GNOCCO @ $38
Homemade potato gnocchi, saffron sauce, mussels, lemon confit. I know this was good, becaise Wifey didn’t speak for about 15-minutes as she devoured this. Again no frills, simply and beautifully plated food, and Wifey advised tastes to die for like she has never had before – the gnocchi were light and pillowy like clouds with a sauce to keep any Filipino Wife happy for the week… BONUS!!!
TAGLIATELLA AL RAGÙ @ $35
Traditional egg pasta with Massimo’s favourite hand-chopped Wagyu ragù. Stop the pasta bus. Folks, for this dish I will go back again and again. Yes pasta angels with pasta harps came down from on high and seranaded Jude Jude and I as we dined on this most glorious dish. I do indeed believe that a tear did sneak from the corner of my eye (I blamed it on the bright lighting…) – it’s emotional folks, and you simply have to have this at least once.
CARPACCIO DI POMODORO @ $12
Heirloom tomato, capers, rocket, Villa Manodori dark cherry balsamic vinegar from Modena. Goodness me – I am going to rave about a tomato salad. It’s deliciouness is in its simplicity. It is gorgeous. Beefy tomatoes, with a green apple crunch and taste (yes, I kid you not), with deep-fried little capers and that banging balsamic again: WOOF!!!
MODENA RIBS @ $52
Slow-cooked Wagyu beef ribs, seasonal vegetable sauce, Villa Manodori dark cherry balsamic vinegar from Modena.
Is it food, or is it art? I think it is both. Massimo Bottura decided to blur the lines with some of his legendary dishes: ‘Beautiful, psychedelic, wagyu rib plating, with glorious colors as a painting’—a delicious homage to Damien Hirst’s iconic spin-art canvases. Bottura’s playful spirit shines through.
I believe this was creamy turnip and a Jackson Pollock riot of sauce: arugula green, beetroot red, and aged cherry balsamic flicked across the plate. The final result? A dish so vivid and exuberant it could’ve hung in a gallery instead of sitting down for dinner, and ending up in my stomach.
And that my friends is just the plating. The taste is an OMG moment in your foodie life – beefy beyond belief with that sour glaze, and tenderness like a nurse in a palliative care facility. This is ‘die die and try not to cry’ food. Totally awe inspiring amazingness…
TIRAMISUBITO @ $18
Tradition in evolution: mascarpone, coffee, cacao. Another dish to cry over, and likely because whoever orders it surely is not going to share it… This is like no other Tiramisu I have ever had. I won’t give the surprise away, but suffice it to say, this is 11/10 for marking it against other Tiramisu’s that have found their way into my fat hairy gob. It is totally wonderful, and totally unique. Wow, dribbling just thinking about it…
The Service
You know when service feels like someone has memorised corporate dialogue?
This is not that.
Staff speak like they actually eat and love the food and know why the dishes are the way they are, like relaying stories of their best mates and family. They’re relaxed and so damned friendly and chatty.
It works. We had the most incredible time with the guys serving us, and then Chef came to say goodbey at the end as well. Truly a memorable lunch, with just the most special crew. Sincere thanks to you all #BeProud Chef Massimo, your crew is most excellent: and you should give them all WHOPPING Xmas bonuses!!!
Torno Subito Cocktails: Don't Skip These...
I repeat:
Do. Not. Skip. The. Cocktails.
They are bright, playful, slightly mischievous, and they fit the room.
Think Italian spritz theory meets “day drinking is allowed, relax”.
If you want something safe, order a Negroni.
If you want something that reminds you that you’re alive: ask staff for their pick. They will do you right.
Plus if you have kids, ALL the cocktails can be made with zero alcohol – Jude Jude surely did enjoy one or two of these bad boys!!!
Photo courtesy of Food and Wine Gazette
Massimo Bottura - the great man himself...
Let’s talk about Massimo Bottura — the Italian culinary wizard who looks like he could MacGyver a gourmet meal out of stale bread, parmesan rinds, and the metaphysical concept of “umami.” You think you know Wagyu ragu until you’ve had Bottura’s masterpiece: it’s like eating a history lesson if school was taught by your hilarious lunatic-driver uncle after too much espresso. Seriously, this guy could take a traffic jam and plate it as “Urban Angst al Dente.”
Eating at Bottura’s place wasn’t just about lunch — it’s like an edible TED Talk, where you picture the chef himself on stage, glasses askew, weaving tales of Modena that’ll make your nan weep into her lasagne. Every bite crawls with the great man’s food philosophy: with every dish whispering, “Eat me before someone writes a love sonnet about me.” If food is love, Massimo is sending the world a handwritten valentine, one brushstroke of balsamic at a time. Don’t forget to Instagram it before the inevitable food coma kicks in. The man is a GENIUS!!!
Torno Subito Menu
Voice of the Restaurant...
CIAO SINGAPORE!
‘Torno Subito’ – our way of saying ‘I’ll be right back!’
From internationally acclaimed chef Massimo Bottura, Torno Subito pays homage to 1960s Italy, an era that witnessed the Golden Age of Italian cinema and summers by the Adriatic Riviera. Our menu showcases the whimsical and innovative use of ingredients that celebrate the specialties of the Emilia-Romagna region – from balsamic vinegar of Modena, and cured meats to fresh pasta -, where Bottura comes from…
Torno Subito Price: Let's have a grown up chat...
This is Bottura.
In Dempsey Hill.
You already knew where this was going – right?
Hey, be serious now, it’s not hawker food money, but it’s also not one of those tasting menus that makes your Wifey weep.
Set lunch sets are more than fair.
Dinner can tip into “treat night” zone.
Bring someone you like enough to spend good pasta money on – as I did today with my beautiful Wifey and Jude Jude (my foodie BFF).
Also — portions are proper, not microscopic art installations with micro-sh!t everywhere.
Image courtesy of the restaurant web site
Torno Subito Review: Final Thoughts - Should you go?
If you enjoy Italian food that tastes like sunshine and has zero pretentious crap going on, this total stunner at Dempsey Hill is worth your seat and $$$.
- Bring friends.
- Bring someone who makes you laugh.
- Bring your family and foodies BFFs.
- Bring a wallet that loves to buy food.
This is happy food cooked by people who actually seem happy to feed you.
And you’ll feel it — from the first bite of burrata to that Tiramisu finale.
Would I go back?
Yes.
There are an array (yes I did write that) of dishes on the menu that now live rent-free in my head.
And I still haven’t tried every cocktail.
Which means my foodie research just for you folks, must continue.
Purely for professional reasons, of course. 🥂
“Devo dire che è stato uno dei piatti italiani più buoni e memorabili che abbia mai assaggiato. Il cibo e il servizio erano squisiti, e l’arredamento ha reso il tutto ancora più speciale. È assolutamente da provare, gente. Dovete assolutamente sedervi qui. Provate i piatti di cui sopra almeno una volta nella vita. Non ve ne pentirete. BUON APPETITO!!!”
Torno Subito Dempsey Hill Opening Hours
- Wednesday to Sunday: 12pm to 3pm (last order 2pm)
5:30pm to 10pm (last order 10pm) - Closed on Monday and Tuesday
Torno Subito Address @ Dempsey Hill
Is Torno Subito Halal?
Did I mention the copious amount of cocktails and pork and beef sliders? Yes I bloody well did, it is categorically not halal.
What is the Torno Subito Dress Code?
Smart casual I’d say: hey it’s designed around being on a beach. We had lunch and I rocked up in a nice shirt, shorts and flip flops. It seemed OK, all around were dressed the same.
Torno Subito Restaurant Reservation
Torno Subito Dempsey Hill Contact Details
- Telephone: 1800-304-6688
- eMail: reservations@tornosubitosg.com
What is Dempsey Hill
If you’ve never been to Dempsey Hill, just imagine Singapore’s answer to the question: “What if the British Army abandoned a nutmeg plantation and it got invaded by brunching expats armed with Prosecco?” Once the stomping ground of redcoats and wandering cows (probably in formation), Dempsey has morphed into a wild safari of artisanal bread, craft cocktails, and more weekend Range Rovers than the set of “The Crown.” It’s where history buffs meet avocado toast: you’re as likely to stumble upon a colonial barracks as you are an Instagrammable latte with “cloud foam.”
Locals swear you can get lost in Dempsey Hill for hours—and not just because the signage is “vintage.” Don’t be fooled by that lush greenery and chirping birds; beneath those trees lurk furniture stores priced like diamonds and restaurant bills that could pass for small mortgages. Forget the Battle of Hastings—this is the Battle of Who-Can-Book-a-Table-on-Sunday. So loosen your belt, channel your inner explorer, and try not to mistake a yoga retreat for an old ammunition depot. In Dempsey, the only casualties are your willpower and your wallet. Opa, indeed.