I was fortunate enough to have visited Bologna, which is located north of Italy. The food was truly unforgettable but what I remember and miss most were those “così è la vita” moments - sipping a relaxed aperitivo at the piazza while people watching in the middle of the afternoon. So you can imagine my excitement when I found out that recently established Italian restaurant, Bottura, introduced an all-Italian Happy Hour. I was now able to reenact those beloved moments right in Downtown Singapore (in air-conditioning!)
Bottura’s all-Italian Happy Hour, Mondays to Fridays, 4 to 6pm
From Mondays to Fridays, 4pm to 6 pm, you can now experience life as the Italians do. For just $14++, you can delight yourself in either a glass of Italian fine wine, a hand-shaken cocktail or a craft beer accompanied with a slice of piadina and an arancino.
Luca Bottura, owner of Bottura who hails from Bologna, had carefully curated the Happy Hour drinks menu, which he believes is most representative of Italy. He ensures that the alcohols are all directly imported from Italy, and does not compromise on their quality or authenticity.
Bottura uses all-Italian alcoholic beverages and liquors for its Happy Hour menu
From the wines, one may appreciate a red fruity Chianti classico, which has a wonderful fruity flavour, poured from an oak barrel. Perhaps, take a sip of the sweet Spumante - a sparkling white with floral tones. Or try my personal favourite, the Lambrusco - a sparkling fruity red with relatively low alcohol content
One may also enjoy from the cocktail selection. Savour a classic Americano – made with bitter Campari, red vermouth and soda water. Relish the taste of a refreshing Aperol or Campari Spritz – comprised of Prosecco, soda water and Aperol and Campari bitters respectively. Or indulge in another of my favourites, the iconic Bellini – a mixture of Prosecco sparkling wine and peach nectar.
And lastly, for something more refreshing, take pleasure in a bottle of Menabrea’s Birra Bionda (Blonde Lager), an Italian pale lager with a complex malty, hoppy taste, fruity and floral aromas with citrus undertones.
With every drink purchase, enjoy a slice of piadina and an arancino
To complement my drink as part of the Happy Hour, the restaurant served a slice of piadina and an arancino. Piadine is an Italian flatbread made with flour, water, salt and olive oil. Each slice is stuffed with premium parma ham, salad rocket and creamy Stracchino cheese. Despite serving cold cuts with a creamy cheese in the piadina, the flatbread was still warm and crisp which made this antipasto extremely satisfying. Arancini are stuffed rice balls that are coated with breadcrumbs, and then fried. Bottura fills each arancino with risotto, ragù and saffron. It is served on top of a lush pomodoro sauce, which leaves you wanting more.
I am glad to have found out about Bottura’s Happy Hour promotion, as I believe it’s really worth a visit. Regular Happy Hours elsewhere only offer you peanuts with your drinks, literally. Bottura does not offer the typical, like olives or breadsticks, but authentic Italian fare such as the aforementioned arancini and piadine. Most à la carte cocktails go for at least $15++ but at Bottura, one can get an alcoholic beverage and two sides for less.
Bottura being a 5-minute bus/train ride from the CBD and town makes it an ideal place to have casual work meetings or to unwind with colleagues over drinks and antipasti. The ambience is open, well-lit and sophisticated yet simple, which is perfect if you need to impress guests on a budget.
If you are uncertain about alcohol pairings with food, fret not! Most Italian drinks are built and balanced for food especially those from Bottura’s selected Happy Hour drinks. Find out which ingredients/tastes appeal to you or ask any of the friendly waiting staff for suggestions.
To find out more about the food available at Bottura, click here to view our archived post regarding their menu!
*This was a media tasting
3 Temasek Boulevard #02-472/473/474
Suntec City Mall (North Wing, between Tower 1 and 2)
Singapore 038983
Monday - Friday: 10am – 10pm
Saturday -Sunday, PH: 11am – 10pm
Happy Hour:
Monday-Friday: 4pm – 6pm
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Love, Kenneth
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