Institution Sistina is well known for serving some of Singapore’s best pizzas. When we arrived for a Saturday lunch, we were surprised to find this staple empty except for one family, and the menu streamlined to just two pages, with the pizzas renamed as cars and girls. We found the eight-inch Vespa pizza ($21) with rosemary-infused lamb, eggplant, olives and feta tasty and hearty; we had to request a takeaway box to enjoy the rest of it. The classic BBQ chili calamari ($16) was another generous serving that was delicious but the tomato sauce of the penne carciofe ($26) was overwhelmingly robust. The grill special of the day—a fresh tuna loin with tomato ragout ($35)—was beautifully char-grilled on the outside and a moist pink on the inside; excellent. From the rather uninteresting dessert selection, we shared the tiramisu ($9)—it was good but not extraordinary. Although the cozy decor is inviting we found the atmosphere and service flat, thankfully the food remains largely very good and the pizzas some of the city’s best. We will return for sure.
