Bontá Italian Restuarant & Bar

First, I am giving an extra star for a kindness of strangers award. Just before we arrived at Bontá, I cut my hand on a metal hand rail. I asked if I could have a band-​aid. The hostess said yes and, that after we were seated, she would bring it to the table. We were seated immediately and, soon after, she arrived at the table.
I reached out to take the bandage but she gently took my hand. Not only, had she brought a bandage but she brought two types of antiseptics. She carefully applied both and cleaned the cut and then securely applied the bandage. 24 hours later, the bandage is still in place.
Now on to the basics. We had an 8 pm reservation. I called at around 6:15 pm to see if we could change it to 7:30 pm. They said that was not an issue.
We still arrived early. They still seated us immediately. When we arrived, it was relatively quiet. However, by the time we left, the restaurant was full.
We were seated in a separate area, near the bar. There were only two or three tables here and it was quite private. It seemed rather intimate. I am assuming we were seated here because we moved our reservation up. While not a part of the main room, the ambiance was still very nice. The energy from the other room made its way here. So, while private, it did not have a disconnected feel to the experience. The area was small but I was not cramped and it did not feel claustrophobic. My only real complaint is that the room was a little on the warm side. This may have been exacerbated by the fact that I was recovering from a bout with a very stubborn cold.
The overall ambiance combines a very modern design with a classic more traditional aesthetic.
Main dining area:
Throughout the meal, the service was impeccable. Anytime we had a need, a server was there. The staff was very polite, professional, and helpful. The food flowed in a very ordered pace.
One another note, they individually divided each or our appetizers and served them on separate plates. Lol, so we did not need to wrestle over the food, I was nice though. Knowing my dinner companion love of mussels, I did save some of mine and, when she finished hers, game them to her.
Stuffed House Bread — I could make a meal of this bread. It has nuts in it. But it is also stuffed with what I think was ricotta cheese. It was also served with an anchovy based dip. Luckily, my friend gave me some of hers also. For the win!
Parma Ham with caramelized stone fruit, Marsala wine syrup and rock melon — Salty, sweet, bitter, healthy crisp greens — this was a very nice plate. It was also a beautiful dish. The portion was generous. The photo only represents my half.
Mussels with white wine sauce — These were amazing. They were small. But there were lots of them. They were so tender. The wine sauce was spot on. It was very flavourful but allowed the natural flavour of the mussels to be the star. I really like the toast/​croûton provided with the dish. It was a most excellent sponge for the broth.
Spaghettini with seafood — This was my friend’s main. For some reason, I did not try it. She certainly enjoyed it. In her typical fashion, she ate the seafood first and then she finished the pasta. She ate it all and thought it was «excellent».
Dutch Organic Milk Fed Veal T-​Bone — This was the only part of the meal that was not excellent. Some of that is my own fault. At the last minute, I changed my mind on my order. I know that I prefer fattier cuts of meat. So, selecting a veal t-​bone was not the best of options. I did think it was cooked slightly beyond the requested medium rare. The steak was a little difficult to cut with the provided knife. However, it wasn’t extraordinarily tough to eat. But, it didn’t have that melt in your mouth appeal that I prefer in steaks.
The small potatoes were out of this world. There really was a perfect balance between the rosemary and the natural flavour of the potato.
«Montessu» fr. Isola dei Nuraghi, Sardinia — Since moving to Singapore, I have switched from drinking Australian, French, and Californian red wines to Italian reds. Specifically, I have been targeting mostly reds from Sicily and Sardinia. This was an excellent wine. Well, for my tastes it was. I really do not have the wine vocabulary to provide a accurate description. I know what I like and we both really liked this wine.
Receipt (Dinner for 2 — $ 354.28 — This is a new feature I am going to start enclosing in most of my reviews.
Overall, this meal combined service that went beyond expectations, a beautiful setting, and very good (some excellent) food. This was a very enjoyable dining experience and I would not hesitate to return.

I went on a nice anniversary dinner with my partner and dressing up was definitely a wise choice albeit being the only patrons for the first half an hour. The interior is dim and certainly intended to be romantic, and has an impressive wine cellar if you’re sitting near it.
The menu left me undecided, and so I chose the Chef Gourmet Menu with 5 courses including a choice of seabass or angus tenderloin. I have to say, the accompanying pannetone possess such a complex flavour of savouriness that it was hard not to finish it while waiting for the each course. While portions may not seem generous enough initially, trust me, they are well portioned given 4 more courses awaiting. I enjoyed every course and the service was impeccably professional, down to the tools to clean the crumbs off your table. It sure keeps the environment pleasing for the dining experience! While the warm melted chocolate cake was a dessert I found rather common, I can’t complain as I do enjoy a good chocolate dessert anyway.
I’d be sure to return, and if I could I might just order a basket of pannetone because it’s just that good!