And it’s Italian time when I met up with my Italian-cuisine-loving girlfriends for dinner. Keke. And because I felt my girlfriends and I didn’t conquer sufficient dishes on Pietrasanta’s extensive menu, I headed back with another friend. So yes, I am definitely consuming way too much pasta for someone who is trying to cut down on my carbohydrates. Pout.

Making one’s way to Pietrasanta certainly wasn’t easy. The restaurant was nestled deep within Wessex Estate. I took a cab on my first visit, while my friend drove us in during my second. Alternatively, one may take the train to One-north MRT station and walk 18 to 20 minutes to the restaurant or take bus 191 from the bus stop located opposite Buona Vista MRT station. Bus 191 is the only bus that goes into Wessex Estate.

For a restaurant that’s so inaccessible, Pietrasanta was surprisingly popular. Reservation is a must if one wishes to sit within the air-conditioned space. And I do mean making reservation well in advance. I made mine at least 1 week in advance but was informed we would only be assigned to the alfresco seating area.

And from the menu (pages 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6), we ordered:-

1) Tomato sauce, Complimentary (above) – With 1 (small) cup served to each dining patron, we were told we could either drink this or use it as a dipping sauce for our bread. We went with the latter.

2) Focaccia, $7.99 (above) – During my first visit, the staff asked if we wanted to try their signature focaccia. And because she put it in that manner (ie, signature), my girlfriends and I couldn’t say no. And it was pretty good. We ate it well with our pork appetiser (item 4).

3) Bread, Complimentary (above) – On my second visit, my friend and I decided to give the focaccia a miss. And what we didn’t know was that we would be given (complimentary) pizza bianca. This was really good too. My friend and I finished everything. Including using it to wipe clean the plates of our main dishes. Keke.

4) Tonno del chianti, $18.90 (above) – “Tuna of chianti”. Typical Tuscan pork appetizer.

5) Sauté calamari, $19.50 (above) – And this was not on the regular menu; It was one of the specials. However, if one wants to order a squid dish, I would recommend sticking to the grilled squid from their menu instead.

6) Burrata salad, $40.99 (above) – If one looked at the pictures posted of Pietrasanta on instagram, the salad with burrata seemed to be a dish which everyone was ordering and was raving about. However, my girlfriends and I were puzzled when we couldn’t find it on the menu. So naturally, we asked the staff when we had our orders taken. To which, the staff replied that it’s one of their specials. Er, okie. It certainly didn’t seem like it was a seasonal special. Personally, a menu defeats its purpose if it’s not updated to allow customers to make an informed decision. That aside, I do recommend this dish. But only if one is a cheese lover. A burrata cheese lover to be exact. We were told that the burrata was made in-house. And they sure made it big because the ball of burrata had to be served in a separate bowl from the greens and parma ham. Loved it!

7) Melanzane alla parmigiana, $17.90 (above) – Baked eggplant layered with tomato sauce, parmigiano reggiano and mozzarella cheese. This was pretty good. But eat it warm.

8) Zuppa di pesce, $20.90 (above) – Seafood soup with prawns, squids, clams & mussels. Served with toasted bread.

9) Ravioli rossi con burrata al pomodoro, $20.90 (above) – Handmade red ravioli with burrata served in tomato sauce. This would have been better if they were more generous with the fillings; Just a bit more for a more substantial bite.

10) Ravioli spinaci, $22.90 (above) – Another off-the-menu special. This was good. Although I want to add that after reading older reviews shared by others, I realised the price of this dish had gone up by $5 since 2013. Hmm.

11) Fettuccine con salsiccia e tartufo nero, $27.90 (above) – Handmade fettuccine with handmade pork sausage & black truffle.

12) Tagliatelle al nero di seppia con ragu’ di gamberi, $25.90 (above) – Handmade squid ink tagliatelle with prawns ragu in tomato sauce.

13) Merluzzo al forno con vino bianco, olive nere e pomodorini, $39.90 (above) – Baked cod fish in white wine, black olives, rosemary & Italian tomatoes. This was pretty good. Very nicely executed.

14) Half-half pizza, $24.90 (above) – And we went with quattro formaggi (mozzarella cheese, blue cheese, smoked cheese and parmesan cheese) and tartufo nero (mozzarella cheese, black truffle & truffle oil). My girlfriends and I had couldn’t decide on a flavour, and that was when the staff said we could get a half-half pizza. Best of two worlds? My girlfriends and I were up to it! Although we were slightly unoriginal on our final choice of flavours; The only difference was the black truffle. 1 with, 1 without. Ha. Topping aside, I would recommend getting a pizza!

15) Tiramisu, $13.90 (above) – Give this a miss. I didn’t like the ratio of the ingredients. Failed to impress.

16) Crostata di marmellata di arancia, $14.90 (above) – Homemade orange jam tart.

Pietrasanta has been in the food scene for almost a decade. Since March 2008! So it’s no surprise they have a strong base of regulars. And for customers to become regulars, it would mean Pietrasanta is something right. However, what that reason may be, it is’t strong enough for me to return. Yes, no third trip back.

Not everyone may be comfortable sitting at the alfresco area because of the insects. And the restaurant was also aware of the insects as electronic insect killers were installed. You know, those with ultraviolet ray. And every time I heard a loud zap, I would worry a little because the insect which was zapped to its death may just land on our plates. As for insects on our table， we managed the situation by trapping them under our plates. Insect repellent was also provided as I overheard a family requesting for it for their kids who were getting insect bites.

Service was mediocre. Orders were strictly taken by the longer-serving staff who come across… Slightly insincere? Don’t get me wrong. They know their work. But because they handled most of the work, they had to move fast. And in that sense, I thought it lacked that human touch.

Would I recommend Pietrasanta? Well… To drive out and have dinner at a restaurant nestled amidst greenery, it’s a nice reprieve from hustle and bustle of concrete jungle. But I didn’t like having to worry about insects landing in our food. So if one decided to come for the food which was above average, make sure to get the indoors seats.