To get to the restaurant, we laboriously hiked up the steep and winding Labrador Villa Road. But when we saw how lovely Olive Ristorante was, we decided the walk was worthwhile. Nestled in Labrador Park, this al fresco restaurant exudes escapist rustic charm. There are few restaurants in Singapore with such a raw, back to nature ambiance, and we liked the simple wood furniture and lush surroundings. However, the wait staff was rather clueless, and were dazed even by our straightforward request for a table on the verandah. Looking at the menu of standard Western dishes, we decided to zero in on the ubiquitous deep fried calamari with tartar sauce and the Labrador seafood platter to start. The latter came with bountiful servings of smoked salmon, grilled scallops, large prawns and a spoonful of caviar. The seafood was fresh, and the olive dip was tasty. Our mains, unfortunately, were a more placid affair. The salmon penne with scamorza cheese in light tomato cream was average, with the highlight being the generous cubes of salmon. For dessert, we chose Olive’s warm chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream and peach Fantasia, a delectable creation of real peach gelato with a chocolate center coated with white chocolate. The rich dark chocolate cake came with a generous scoop of ice cream drizzled with peach and chocolate syrup—a very satisfying combination. The peach gelato was equally delicious, and made for a nice end to the meal.
