My partner dragged me to this place cos I was craving for squid ink pasta and he heard that the squid ink pasta here was good. Alas when we came there was none on the menu. They were nice enough to create a dish specially for us with the squid ink sauce, which I thought was very nice of them. However, the pasta turned out to be quite disappointing.

The scallop starters we had were good though. We also ordered the duo ravioli with lobster and king salmon. So-so as the skin is a tad too thick and hard. Their tiramisu is not too bad though.

Service was good and attentive. To the extent of a little bit intrusive. Nice ambience though.

The beef carpaccio as an antipasto was delizioso!

All the main dishes on the menu looked so tempting. I just couldn't make up my mind. A lobster pasta dish I had read about in past reviews was looming at the back of my head, but it was no longer on the menu as advised by our waiter. But I decided I wanted lobster - no matter what. The chef was more than happy to prepare a grilled lobster. I also desired the risotto but not as a main but as a side dish. This request was acceded to with no problem either. Mmmmmm... the risotta was orgasmic to say the least!

The service was pretty impeccable - attentive but not intrusive.

Everything was going great guns, the food, the wine, the company till we decided to round off the dinner with a shot of .... Zambuca - what else?? Big mistake - for me, anyway. I HATE LICORICE! Anyway, no fault of the restaurant whatsoever. It was a wonderful meal, albeit a little pricey.

I must admit I am not a huge fan of Italian food (still very much a hawker centre girl!). But I do like the occasional pasta. I think the biggest problem with Zambuca is that it is neither here nor there. It is located in a hotel (Pan Pacific), so naturally you would expect a rather classy restaurant. Surprisingly, I found the food to be of rather good value. Starters and pasta dishes range from $15-30. The portions are ample too. According to my wine-loving other half, they have a great wine list (a few types of Shiraz from St Hallett's which is hard to find in Singapore).

I would say the decor is pleasant, kind of modern but nothing to really shout about. Lights were a little bright so not too romantic. We went on a Saturday night but it was fairly empty so I didn't get a great feeling about it.

I ordered a spaghetti vongole and a soup of the day (cream of mushroom). Both were good but forgettable. Maybe I didn't have enough wine :0, but I was just kind of neutral about the whole dining experience. The service as well was average. The waiters were not consistent in topping up the wine glasses (they topped up some glasses more than others), and were not very attentive or friendly.

All in all, I would say it was good but I doubt I would remember it next week!

I remember dining here a few months ago with a newfound friend. Having expressed my love for good pasta and fresh salads, he brought me here for a private dinner to just chat and enjoy food. (Have always wanted to eat at Zambuca too!)

The setting of the restaurant's simply beautiful and breathtakingly romantic. Dim lights will make anyone look dewy-beautiful and soft. I was impressed, needless to say. We were seated by the window, a romantic table tucked at a corner. :)

We had a complimentary tasting portion from the chef. I couldn't remember what it really was other than a pastry with shredded duck meat. Ate that with gusto - it was nice! Shared a warm spinach salad for starter... the parmesan shavings were generous. Loved it.

For main course, I had rabbit-meat tortellini (can't remember the whole fancy-smancy name!). My partner had a duck-meat ravioli or something like that. It was exquisite. Delicate taste, and of course - not usual for me to eat rabbits!! But it seemed to be the one that stood out. :) Only 4 tortellinis, so plenty of room for desserts!!

Shared a bottle of red wine (no idea what it was - he ordered for it -_-_) and the wine went so well with the food served to us. Ended up not having desserts, but we both had cappucinos to linger through the night.

*

Service-wise, it was spotty. Our waiter actually asked my friend, "Sir, is she your wife?" which shocked my friend a lot. I was like, "err...". To my friend, it seemed like a rude question, way beyond the line. I thought it must've been because we seemed to be getting along with our conversation so happily. I wasn't offended, but I can see why my friend was upset by that remark. Hopefully the management will pick this up, and maybe assist in making the guests' experience even better. :)

Other than that, we had such a good time dining at Zambuca and it will be the ideal place to celebrate anniversaries and special occasions. I am just hoping to dine there for my 20th birthday!! (Hopefully my boyfriend will!) And I will surely take pics of the food then... Dunno how much the dinner cost us (cuz I didn't pay for it) but I bet it was a bomb. The pasta itself was about $36++ each...

If you are celebrating an anniversary of any sort Zambuca Itlainan Restaurant in the Pan Pacific Hotel (3rd floor) is for you. Even if you do not hve an anniversary its ambiance will capivate you as well as the fine dining and excellent wines.
well as charm of the staff and the good service.
One cannot wait to go back.....
Their Exec Chef Dennis manages to make all the food look so fabulous on the plate - in fact a work or art, & so extremely tasty that one cannot wait for the next course....Excellent evening...Cannot wait to go back..

Louise Crawford