To the denizens of Raffles Place, Friday is undeniably the favourite day of the week. As the week comes to a close, the work-weary enjoy a slice of paradise as live bands and liquid replenishment replace the humdrum monotony of the concrete jungle. This makes Boat Quay the de facto favourite place to be.
As one might expect of a place where the attraction to the thirsty working crowd is absolutely electric, the entire area was packed to the gills with merrymakers sipping their cocktails, tequila shots, and gin tonics. But mainly, one finds the urban species chugging down towers of beers along the famous strip.
It’s easy to grow weary of the routines, though, so one night, we chose to sip and enjoy some other kind of liquid courage instead. What intrigued us was a bar offering free flows of wine(that’s right, cue free flow bubbly, whites and reds) nestled among bars and restaurants offering liquids of the gold or dark persuasion instead. Not the least bit common indeed!
Panorama: Riverside Lounge is a full-fledged Italian wine bar owned by Pasta Fresca da Salvatore, perched on level 3 right above its parent restaurant at the head of Boat Quay. Overlooking the Singapore River, this bar offers a cosy, classy vibe; pairing free flow wine and Italian gourmet antipasto with raw, hearty conversations (though you’d have to bring that last bit yourself). There is a small veranda with high tables and stools for those who prefer to take in the sights and sounds of the cityscape; indoors, the seating plan can quite comfortably seat 20 patrons.
The gourmet antipasto buffet spread is specially curated from the vast Pasta Fresca repertoire, and the spread is refreshed weekly. Burrata, sundried tomatoes, salami, ham and even a basil-tomato ravioli on occasion. Quite delectable indeed.
But first, wine please.
Being an Italian establishment, the wines on offer were all imported from The Boot. There are always 3 on offer- a sparkling wine, a white, and a red, and one can simply drink to his heart’s desire. We definitely did.
We started with the bubbly –a Brut Antesa wine named Antonini Ceresa hailing from North Italy. This one is a fresh and bright with a mellow taste, easy on the palate. Dry, with a slight grassiness and a touch of grapefruit acidity. We paired this with the cheeses on offer and particularly enjoyed it with the slightly smoky scamorza.
Following the bubbly, naturally, we went for the white – the Moscato Biancospino, from a family estate in Piedmont. On the nose were floral, herbal and refreshing tones. Elderflower, mandarin oranges, rounding off with a crisp endnote of pears. While our opinions were divided on the particular floral nuance, the party agreed that it was one of the better easy drinking white wines and paired well with the artichoke ravioli dish.
Finally, the red – Montepulciano D’ Abruzzo, Vigneti Radica, from the central Abruzzo region. A heady, rich red wine with chocolate, coffee and light vanilla notes and balanced acidity. It didn’t require much airing to do the job and win us over. Paired well with the beef bresaola, salami and prosciutto.
Overall, all the wines were of good quality. While there were no Robert Parker 100 pointers among the three, all have enough distinctiveness and flavour to satisfy wine cravings on a casual night out. At free flow for $39++, we consider this to be of excellent value for the price.
Stepping away from the free flow lineup, the ala carte wine menu was delightful as well, showcasing a whooping 40 variety of reds, whites and bubbly from the North to the South of Italy. From Barolos to Barbarescos, Amarones and Ripassos, there is enough Latin variety here to satisfy anyone. What impressed us was that some of these wines are sourced from family estates and exclusively imported by Carrecci (the sister company supplying products to Pasta Fresca).
All in all, this was a winner for us and we’ll be back for more! We hear that the good folks at Panorama even bring out their Lambrusco – a red, sparkling wine, from time to time…
TGIFFF (Thank God It’s Free Flow Friday)!
Free Flow Fridays are going for S$39++ with 3 varieties of Italian wines and an accompanying gourmet antipasto buffet lineup, refreshed every week. Big hint… Book online to get a 10% discount here. Interested in the wines and Italian products Panorama has to offer? Head over to www.carecci.com to check out more.
Panorama: Riverside Lounge
30 Boat Quay (level 3)
Singapore 049819
Tel: 6532 6283
