Home | Bars & restaurants | Buko Nero restaurant in Singapore

Oscar Pasinato and his wife, Tracy

Buko Nero restaurant in Singapore

"Everything, starting from the name of the restaurant (Buko Nero it is a variation of 'buco nero - black hole in Italian'), is very original and unique here. The menu, the atmosphere, the choice..."

A dinner at Buko Nero is always a special dinner and a unique experience. And it is so for a number of reasons. We will tell you more in this review of Buko Nero restaurant in Singapore.

Oscar Pasinato and his wife Tracy are the heart and soul (and mind) of this successful restaurant. Italian cuisine (Oscar, the owner and chef at Buko Nero, is 100% Italian) but with an Asian 'fusion' flavor. A great choice of wines (of course we suggest Italian wines) and... a very long waiting list, as everybody knows in Singapore.

Pork saltimbocca @ Buko Nero in Singapore

A few words about booking a dinner at Buko Nero. Booking a few weeks in advance is not a bad idea, unless you want to test your luck and call the restaurant hoping there will be a last minute cancellation (very unlikely, but it can happen).

In Singapore everybody knows about the 'waiting list' at Buko Nero, but if you are coming from another country and you do not know about it, you have been warned, book in advance if you do not want to be disappointed!

And disappointed you will not be. Because eating at Buko Nero is a unique 'dining experience'. Everything, starting from the name of the restaurant (Buko Nero it is a variation of 'buco nero - black hole in Italian'), is very original and unique here.

The menu, the atmosphere, the choice and the combination of the ingredients, their quality and their freshness, the presentation of the dishes, every single one of these elements has its share in making this restaurant a very special, and exclusive, place.

Organic pumpkin and spring onion soup @ Buko Nero in Singapore

The restaurant has been a hit in Singapore for the last decade (before that, Oscar has been working as a chef in Tokyo and in Bangkok), and it is - rightly so - mentioned and suggested on all the most exclusive restaurant and food guides about Asia.

Buko Nero is a relatively small restaurant, it can seat about 20 guests (more or less), the interior decoration is very essential, clean and elegant at the same time.

Just like the menu, very 'clean', if you understand what I mean.

Simplicity has always been the secret of a great chef, and Oscar Pasinato seems to have this concept very clear in his mind.

Quality, simplicity and a great selection of wines are for sure some of the secrets behind the continuing success of Buko Nero in Singapore (but there is more, because taking into consideration these elements only would be over simplistic).

Pan fried scottish salmon with squid ink crust in a swet bell pepper coulis @ Buko Nero in Singapore

The menu is very original, and regularly updated, and it is not a bad idea to ask Tracy - who is going to help you at the table - some ideas and suggestions for your dinner (or lunch of course), or about the best wine to go with your choice of food.

When we asked Oscar about the 'most requested dish' his answer was clear and direct "At Buko Nero there is not a 'most requested dish' in general, but I can tell you there are some dishes we cannot take away from the menu anymore... such as 'crema di porcini con olio tartufato' and 'spaghetti con polpa di granchio e gamberi piccanti'.

Average price per person is $65 (Singapore Dollars).

Buko Nero Restaurant
126 Tanjong Pagar Road
Singapore
Tel: 6324 6225

Adversus