Cicheti

Good service, good food and ambience. What more can you ask for really? Only issue with this place is as per any restaurant in this area — parking which can get rather frustrating circulating and increasing your carbon footprint. We had 3 antipasta i. e the octopus, asparagus and the burratina and they were all wonderful. Octopus nicely grilled and well seasoned with a wonderful charr. asparagus simple yet tasting the freshness of it and of course the creamy burrata. The pastas were also wonderfully done al dente and tasted wonderful. We finished off with wonderful desserts tiramisu (not the best) and profiterole. So really a unpretentious place for a nice simple Italian as long u come early — 5:30pm for the parking.

Was a bit disappointed because I arrived too late for dinner last night as they were closing at 10pm (after finding them on Unilocal) and was craving Italian but the Manager/​Part owner was nice and asked me to come back the next day and showed me their menu so I would know what I’m coming back for
I decided to come back for lunch and was glad I did! They remembered me and advised the manager I was here. They allowed me to order off the dinner menu at lunch (thank you for that!) and thank god. yummy!!!
Im having salad and gnocchi and it’s definitely filling and perfectly seasoned. When I’m back in Singapore I will be definitely coming back for more! Fresh. Tasty. Great service. It’s a 5!

Why didn’t I know this place earlier? This is to me, a perfect Saturdate venue for a new couple trying out good food! The ambience is warm, inviting yet casual.
We had Polpo, the grilled octopus tail as a starter and it tastes delicious. It is a special menu for the day, thus look out for it!
We ordered the Margarita Bulfala as I see that many people have ordered and raved about it. I like the fact that is an stone fired oven pizza. It is also fun to watch the Chef making the dough and putting the pizza toppings.
Lastly, we had the squid ink tagliatelle with crab meats. It is actually tomato sauce, not black squid ink sauce, just so you know what to expect.
Service was good. Nothing to complain about. There is a good selection of red and white wine. No draught beer though.
I will be back for sure!

Based on rave reviews about the brick-​oven pizza, I finally got a chance to visit Cicheti. You should definitely call to make a reservation, which can get difficult if you’re looking to come at a peak time on the weekends.
I came with a friend and shared a Pollo (almond pesto chicken) Pizza as well as a Squid Ink pasta (with crab meat). Both dishes were excellent, well-​portioned and a great combination for sharing. I would say that the only thing to make the dinner more excellent is if the Pizza had been hotter when it was served. I’ve been to restaurants where the brick oven pizza is so fresh that it hurts to hold it in my hand (ie: Alt Pizza at Suntec).
For a party of 2 on a Friday night, the bill came out to just over $ 60 including 10% service charge and GST. Not bad, but considering how busy this place seems to get over the weekends, I think I still prefer to go to Alt for my Pizza!

My favourite pizza place in Singapore. Tried Bismarck diabola margarita pizzas, all superb! Squid ink and vongole also really nice. I gave big thumbs up for the chef. He gave me a big smile!

If you’re craving authentic Italian pizza from a wood fire oven, Cicheti will be your place.
This cosy spot has an unassuming shop front on Kandahar St and you could even pass by it if you’re not looking for the shop number. Once you enter, you’re transported into some (fancy) hole in the wall Italian spot with some legit offerings.
I had the margherita bufala, and after looking at all the Unilocal photos post-​meal, I realised it’s a very popular choice! As bufala mozzarella is a soft cheese, it did make the pizza slightly watery, but the tomato sauce and chewy, slightly charred crust made up for it.
Not sure if I was just hungry or if it was just THAT good, but I was able to eat the entire pizza myself. I noticed other people were splitting their pies, haha.

Great place ruined by the service level. In fact, it was the GM, Ravi who ruined it for us. It was a great night until he tried to «chase» us away by accusing us of drinking too slow; 2mins before his staff told us it’s ok, we can take our time and asked nicely that we try to finish it in the next 30mins because they are closing (1^st notification). Ravi told us shortly that we only have 5mins to leave (when we both had a full glass of wine) in the most abrasive attitude that I have ever encountered and invited us to leave a comment because he is the GM and co-​owner of the restaurant. The food was not too bad to be fair but not good enough to want to come back to this arrogance. There are too many great options in Singapore to bother abt this place.

Had a good time until the last minute. Towards to the end, the general manager came in rude attitude to push us to leave in five mins altogether we still had one glass of wine to finish each. We were not communicated earlier with closing. This is the worst service ever I had in Singapore. Would not recommend to anyone.

As far as pizza goes, I don’t think there is another choice here. This is my second visit. Last visit left a very good impression, esp. the pizza so we decided to venture back for some good crust which is such a rarity on this island before heading to the Projector for some german films. We had the burratina and the bismark and they were as good as I remember — the burratina was fresh, and I’m not just talking about the cheese but the arugula as well which is such a pleasant surprise. There were too many times when I had not-​so-​fresh salads here. The other thing I find restaurants tend to do here is being too generous with the dressing or perhaps it’s reflective of local preference but I definitely prefer my salad fresh and with just a tinge of olive oil and/​or vinegar, which Cicheti has executed perfectly. The figs were delightful as i love the fruit and adds some interesting texture and flavor. Now the pizza came fresh from the oven and I still love the crust — right thickness, right amount of chewiness. I will definitely recommend this place if you are looking for some authentic pizza.
The place seems quite busy and we were lucky getting a seat walking in. We sat at the patio, which I didn’t know about. It’s a fairly small area with three small high tables but quite atmospheric sitting in the open air and munching the dough while listening to the call to prayer. Service was friendly and efficient. Also just a stone-​throw from all the action around hajilane or if you like movies, the projector across beach road. Perfect starting point to a good night out.

I really like the food here. I have always been looking for authentic non-​pretentious Italian fare in Singapore, and I have to say, this quite hits the spot. I had both the uni pasta (a special, and not always on the menu) and the scallop and prawn capellini, and they were both excellent. The home-​made capellini soaked in the saffron sauce completely, and it was a very well-​balanced delicate sauce that I totally love. This place is good, and they have the hoards and hoards of patrons to prove it. Will definitely be back!

Soooo much love this place. BUT better make a reservation if you want to eat here because it is very popular! Could not get same day reservations for Thursday but secured a reservation for a Saturday night.
Cicheti is located near Arab Street and parking can be a challenge.
Since we were driving, arrived early to find parking on the street. Bought parking passes at 7 – 11. There is a covered parking over at Landmark Hotel if you cannot find parking on the street.
The restaurant is a rustic but sophisticated dining room that has both upstairs and downstairs seating. Enjoyed dining downstairs much better since that’s where all the cooking and action takes place. Plus it had a cool vibe to it. Music was cool as well… kind of a Buddha Bar Euro sound.
Uncomfortable Seating alert! I am kind of a skinny minnie (it’s «all about the bass» they say) so I don’t have a bass for the stool I sat on. It hurt my rear really bad. Bring a pillow to sit on if you are here more than an hour.
Service was terrific. Our waiter was really welcoming and very helpful. Our water glasses were always full.
To start, ordered the pumpkin salad. It was excellent. Pumpkin was perfectly seared and greens were fresh, fresh, fresh!
Next was the spaghetti with New Zealand clams. Sad to say, that dish was a thumbs down. Clams were just too sandy. Would never order this dish again.
Of course, the star of the show, and the reason we were here, was the wood fire pizza.. We ordered the Bismark… And it was brilliant!
I will definitely will return for the pizza for sure. Oh, and I will bring a pad to sit on. Those chairs are the worst.
.

We ordered calamari and roasted asparagus for appetizer. The calamari was too heavily breaded but the asparagus, while pricy ($ 11) for four stalks, was delicious.
The cioppino that I ordered arrived piping hot. The broth flavorful, full of rich seafood flavor. The tomato base did not overwhelm the flavor. The fresh calamari, clam, and jumbo prawns were fresh and succulent. One of the better cioppino I’ve had.
The ambience is good although the pizza oven tends to smoke up the restaurant, causing our eyes to water and become irritated by the end of the night.
Overall, a very nice neighborhood restaurant that serves up a wonderful selection of Italian food.

The service was absolutely spot-​on (which is a big deal in Singapore!) and the food was downright amazing. Pizza crust was cooked to perfection and the deserts were divine (the panna cotta was perfect). Lovely atmosphere, family friendly although not teeming with crying babies.

Real food. Period.
This is one of the best Italian restaurants in Singapore, as told by many before me. They have a wood-​fired oven that makes the pizza really authentic and just so fresh.
Everything we’ve ordered was excellent. I’m a huge fan of those places where their integrity in food shows through from the bread they serve on the side — they were so well-​baked to be crips on the surface and textured just right on the inside.
I’ve had the prawns (⁴⁄₅) for appetizer — again very fresh and loved the bread on the side. (good food just don’t require much words.)
Carbonara pizza (⁵⁄₅) – excellent, excellent, excellent. I definitely would agree that pizzas are Cicheti’s greatest strength. Despite the misconception that carbonara is some creamy, alfredo-​like saucy anything, this was an authentic carbonara creation with egg in the middle with caramelized onion that complemented the rich pizza so well.
Gnocchi (³⁄₅) on the other hand, was a bit dull. It was good, but not to the standard that was shown through with pizza and the appetizer. I really liked the ricotta bits that were dropped on gnocchi but that was about it. Nothing spectacular.
Panna cotta (⁵⁄₅) — THE best I’ve had in Singapore. Generous portion of really well-​made panna cotta
Chocolate fondant (²⁄₅) — disappointing. Just overly sweet without much sophistication. Would not recommend.
Service was okay. I’ve been told that I wouldn’t be able to grab a seat as a walk-​in that easily. So I did make the reservation. However, they really need to work on the speed. I am not talking about the slowness in general (as I do understand that good food can take some time) but the interval at which they brought us our food just left us in a very awkward eating & stopping cycle that did not create a good meal experience.
All in all, pizza was super impressive and I loved the restaurant. Will definitely be back.

I was ecstatic to find this little gem in a country where truly great non-​Asian cuisine is hard to come by. I’ve had the pleasure of trying the pizza, the clam pasta, as well as the prawn starter plate, and all the dishes exceeded my expectations. Absolutely delicious and the staff is friendly to boot.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t cut it as a 5 stars only because of the wait/​reservation system. As one other reviewer noted, even when making a reservation, they basically say you have to be out of the restaurant by a certain time and make it a point to re-​emphasize the fact while you’re there. While this might be a cultural norm in Singapore, I find that incredibly off putting. It’s like, hey, I’m a paying customer too. But I’ll be back, because their pizza is

I absolutely adore this place! I came here as one of the first guests last year right after it opened and I immediately felt in love with it and so did my friends whom I invited afterwards. This place is great in every single aspect you can think of. The location in the Arab Street is very convenient, the ambiance is very friendly, staff is super friendly and polite and the food is just awesome! I can highly recommend their pizzas. It is great to come here with a group of friends and order various items from the menu to be shared. The prices are very reasonable and as such it is a great choice!

Came here for lunch with a friend who lives in the neighborhood. I had been craving wood oven pizza and she said recommended Cicheti. We ordered 2 pizzas — Bismark and Carbonara. The former is a favorite of other reviewers and the latter was recommended by the waitress. The Carbonara totally blew us away. We absolutely loved the caramelized onions that formed part of the topping and we soacked up all the egg yolk with our leftover crust. Perfection! We were sad that the pizzas got cold after awhile.
We shared the salted chocolate cake for dessert. Fantastic choice! I am a big fan of molten lava cakes in general and this one did not disappoint. The portion is quite big — perfect for 2 ladies to share. The melted chocolate oozed out once we dug in. There was just the right amount of salt added to boost the flavor, and the generous scoop of vanilla gelato accompanied with crumbles complemented it perfectly. Heaven in a mouthful!
Only gripe is that the kitchen is small so once the place hits capacity service can potentially get slow. Hopefully they have more help for peak hours.

Some restaurants deserve reviews, and others like Cicheti deserve love letters. Cicheti is my new favorite pizza in Singapore. They impress me, which is hard to do given my probably unreasonably high standards for pizza. We have gone here once a week for the past month. Here’s why:
The mozzarella was fresh and perfect on both the salad and the pizza. The vegetables were all fresh. The char on the crust was there but not excessive. The Cioppino has so much seafood in it that I wonder how they can make a profit off of it. The tagliatelle carne is probably better than you would get in most restaurants in Rome. The gelato is very flavorful and the polenta cake pairs well with it.
The only somewhat reasonable competition I know of in terms of Napoli-​style (i.e. the best style) pizza is Operetta. I think Cicheti has a better ambiance than Operetta. While the quality of the ingredients are probably equivalent, Cicheti has better execution. The toppings were more evenly spread out on the pizza. The salad was also slightly larger.
Cicheti is also cheaper than most other pizza places in Singapore, in part because they don’t charge GST (yet?). It’s a weird feeling to come here and get a salad, a pizza, a pasta, and the Cioppino for 90 SGD total. Comparing that to Operetta, which is nonetheless a great restaurant, it’s like getting one of those dishes for free.
If I were to think of anything to dock points for, it would be that their upstairs seating area is so cold that it gives me a headache. Lately we have been calling and asking to sit downstairs or outside and they have been accommodating.
All-​in-​all, this is a rare Italian restaurant in Singapore that doesn’t seem like mostly a cash-​grab. They seem to care about the details, making great food with authentic ingredients, and making people happy.

I loved it. To the point of sitting there giggling with happiness! I first heard of it via a fellow blogger who went to Cicheti and loved it. I looked up the menu and saw they had pizzas, including with buffalo mozzarella. Searched a bit more and found they had a wood fire burning oven. And that the pizzas are Neapolitan style. So I had to go! My blog post here is the result
Both my fiancé and myself adored it! We were just so happy! We sat outside looking into the lovely shop house (love the Venice map on the floor, nice touch) and listened I the wine list, picked a lovely one, ordered starters (bruschetta and a take on caprese salad), a bufala margherita pizza for me and the pasta of the day (squid ink with crab and squid) for the other half (al dente, proper al dente) and desserts (the heavenly salted chocolate fondant and affogato) and rolled home content.
Check it out! But book first as I tried for one night and couldn’t get a table, so went the next evening. They open during the week at lunch and do pizza, panini and salad
Full review with pictures here

The décor and ambiance is outstanding. High quality, but not overdone. Very comfortable, antique style with a few outdoor tables.
Food is also top notch. One of the best Neapolitan style pizzas I’ve had (and I’ve had many, it’s an obsession of mine). I had the bufala margarita, the dough was perfectly cooked in the wood fired oven, which is visible and also adds to the ambiance.