Il Cielo is a rather small restaurant and the private room which can sit about 10 diners already occupies about 1/3 of the entire space. Fortunately, there is a large al-fresco dining area next to the hotel's swimming pool. However, diners should stick to the actual restaurant for food.
Although the restaurant is rather small, but it is still quite spacious and roomy to a certain extent. Service was prompt and polite without being intrusive.
I guess after being spoilt by so many rooftop restaurants, the view here is really nothing to shout about. But this is the first time I am seeing Orchard Road from the rooftop of Hilton hotel.
Free regular tap water is served to all diners.
We were served the Amuse Bouche - Scallop with rockmelon puree. I cannot remember when was the last time a restaurant actually served a whole piece of scallop as its complimentary amuse bouche. So top marks for Il Cielo.
The Assorted breads with truffle butter and olive oil + balsamic vinegar was rather ordinary.
The soups at Il Cielo were served in a unique way. Here, the Cielo Seafood Soup (S$18) is first served in a hollow and bottomless glass cylinder.
The cylinder is then released and the soup "falls" into place, like how the Cream of forest mushroom and leeks (S$16) looks like now. For the soup, I prefer the Seafood Soup due to the rich seafood taste.
The Il Cielo signature platter (S$28) which had grilled artichokes and mushrooms, smoked salmon, mozzerella cheese, parma ham with rockmelon, fresh and sweet lobster claws plus crispy squid rings. This is meant for 1 person, but I think it is enough for 2 diners to share.
A glass of red wine (S$25)
Another appetizer we ordered was the Three way scallops (S$22) - Saffron sauce and caviar, wrapped in pancetta with parsley foam, truffle & topped with foie gras & wine reduction. It's a joy to sink your teeth into sweet and meaty scallops, and the scallops here are one of their specialty.
Before our main course, we were served this Lime sorbet which I felt was a bit too sour and bitter.
One of their signature main course - Ocean trout (S$32) coated with fine herbs & crushed mixed pepper corn in a saffron sauce and baked on olive wood. The fish is slowly baked on top of the olive wood to absorb the flavours. The outside of the trout is pretty dry due to the baking, but the inside flesh is rather moist.
This is the star dish of the day, our Pizza Bosco (S$42) - Porcini, home cured Italian sausage and truffles. Not only were the generous with the black truffle shavings, but the entire pizza base was made with this truffle cream sauce. The crust is crisp but the base is thin and not too crusty. Because of this excellent pizza dish, I am going to make it a point to return to Il Cielo again.
We were very full after the whole pizza, but still ordered the Dessert Sampler (S$16) including tiramisu, strawberry panna cotta, lemon mousse and saffron ice cream. I find that the desserts were really nothing to shout about.
From the open doors, you can watch the laser lights show from Marina Bay Sands. I would say this is quite a quiet and cosy restaurant to have dinner in the midst of the forever buzzing Orchard Road.
Il Cielo
Level 24,
Hilton Singapore
581 Orchard Road