Il Bacaro

From behind venetian blinds, Il Bacaro's golden glow beckons passersby. Step into the snug dining room and you'll be welcomed with a ciao. Modelled on a Venetian bacaro (wine bar), Il Bacaro has been the epitome of consistency since it opened in late 1995. Small tables draped with heavy linen squeeze around a horseshoe-shaped bar, a favourite haunt of solo diners. A hubbub of contentment and snippets of Italian provide the soundtrack. Chef David Dellai gently updates Italian classics, turning goat's cheese into foam and serving it alongside heirloom tomatoes or sending out sashimi-style kingfish and ocean trout with lightly pickled cucumber and black grapes, silver-served by polished staff. Duck, a signature, might be served with confit leg and pinkly roasted breast atop parsnip puree, and game makes a regular appearance in rustic dishes like prosciutto-swaddled rabbit or fall-apart braised goat. If it's on, don't miss Dellai's witty Violet Crumble homage, with agave nectar cheesecake, chocolate pop rocks and violet sorbet.