Hailed as one of the "Top 100 Most Influential People in Indonesia" by Indonesian Tatler, Chef Luca Pezzera had already gained culinary fame in Southeast Asia prior to opening Bontá in Singapore in 2008. Since then, Chef Luca has continued to impress the most discerning of palettes with his superior culinary talent, creating delectable northern Italian fare using fresh ingredients imported twice a week from Italy. With its bold red hues and sleek lighting beaming from custom-made Italian lamps, Bontá's interior feels chic and modern while its palm-tree lined patio offers a more relaxed ambiance.

Whether diners opt to sit indoors or outdoors, Bontá offers a proper and sophisticated fine dining experience. Although the cuisine is definitively Italian, the menu features more than just your standard pasta and pizza. Chef Luca's interpretation of northern Italian cuisine includes such innovative concoctions as ocean trout and jumbo crabmeat rolls served with avocado and blood orange dressing and homemade goose liver ravioli. But innovation isn't the only reason Bontá has garnered such consistently positive acclaim. Even in creating classics like spaghetti vongole and homemade parpadelle with wild boar ragout, Chef Luca has managed to exceed even the highest of expectations, proving his worth as a Southeast Asian culinary star.

"You may or may not choose to believe fans who claim this is one of the best Italian eateries in town, but there’s no denying the calibre of the cooking." -Time Out Singapore

"Best Restaurant 2009." -Singapore Tatler

"Beautifully rendered northern Italian cuisine is served amidst clean-lined, plush elegant interiors in soothing creams and muted earthy hues." -Asia Tatler Dining

"At the helm of Bontá is chef-partner Luca Pezzera. His passion for cooking shows in his pursuit of excellence in his dishes, which he sees as works of art." -Luxury Insider

When we need to dine in a formal setting (i.e. a dress code of no shorts and flip-flops), we head to Bontá, where the setting is sophisticated, but not overly pretentious. We love the zucchini flower filled with wild mushroom ragu, as well as the homemade black ink tagliolini with jumbo crabmeat, which is served in a spicy basil tomato sauce.

However, one of our favourite items at Bontá is one that everyone has the opportunity to try. The complimentary walnut focaccia bread, served warm and filled with sun-dried tomatoes and feta cheese, is so good that sometimes we wonder why they don't charge for this delectable treat!

"You may or may not choose to believe fans who claim this is one of the best Italian eateries in town, but there’s no denying the calibre of the cooking. The food journey begins with the fluffy, cheese-filled soufflé bread and continues through a menu of pastas, seafood and meats. Marquee attractions include pink salmon wrapped around a tian of sweet crabmeat, a nicely peppered and perfectly seared cod, and excellent basil-infused angel hair showered with chunks of lobster meat. The chocolate fondant is a lush, bittersweet foil for the rum ice cream." -Time Out Singapore