Desserts aren’t just for sweet endings, sometime they’re the whole meal. Riviera Forlino, a fine-dining establishment by the scenic Singapore bay front, has added a four-course dessert flight to its menu. But that’s not the only thing new here—formerly known as Forlino, the restaurant now serves Mediterranean coastal cuisine instead of Italian and has kickstarted its new chapter with refreshed interiors that are at once eccentric and classy.
The entrance features a winding stairway accented by a photo-worthy neon sign that reads “You are f**king perfect” (I found myself muttering “thanks” under my breath) and art pieces by local artist Hafiiz Karim, better known by his moniker The Next Most Famous Artist. His works, featuring Renaissance-style characters in mundane settings like the coffeeshop or the shophouse, immediately caught my attention.
The dessert flight started with the refreshing Riviera Vacherin, where ricotta gelato is topped with blobs of Sicilian pistachio Chantilly, Amalfi lemon gel, and meringue. The nutty sweetness of the pistachio offered a welcoming contrast to the tart lemon and quickly whet my appetite. This was followed by the Caraïbe 66% Dark Chocolate Cremeux, a rich dessert featuring Glenfiddich 15-year old whisky for a hint of booze and a dollop of salted caramel ice cream nestled within chocolate mousse. To cleanse our palates, we were served “Unicorn Barf”, a bottled gin-based cocktail from GudSht which tasted a lot better than it sounds.
Our last two courses were both fruit forward, which was a nice change of pace from the heavier desserts earlier on. The Quince and Bergamot featured juicy slices of poached quince in vanilla syrup, light bergamot parfait, and caramelised walnuts. Finally, the Orchard Citrus Sphere (main image) was presented as a stunning orb of ruby grape suspended in terrine, and paired with vanilla ganache and Codigo Rosa 1530 tequila granita for a nice kick.
Created by executive pastry chef Nicolas Vergnole, who was formerly at three-Michelin-star restaurant Odette, the dessert flight is a thoughtful and well-balanced treat for anyone who fancies their desserts sweet and satisfying, but never saccharine.
More information here.
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