No surprises what this place specialises in, but still they managed to conjure up something unexpected with its house favourite Pizza ‘Fabbrica’, a wood-fried, vegetarian dish with sun-dried tomatoes, Fior di latte, broccolini with – get this – pumpkin cream as a base instead on tomatoes. And it works very well actually. And works even better with the beer paired with it – 32 Via Dei Birra Nebra, an amber ale from Italy (but of course!).

That’s almost Pizza Fabbrica in a nutshell: familiar food with an odd twist, and a selection of really good Italian beers to go with it (more on the booze later). So there’s also Fregola con Bottarga, a crafty couscous-like pasta from Sardinia, cooked with roe and zucchini. It settles lightly, and oozes flavours, which are enhanced with a blonde pale ale Birra Amarcord AMA.

Birra Amarcord AMA

Other highlights include the Tortellini in Brodo, with home-made meat tortellini in chicken broth, and the antipasti dish Involtino di Melanzane all’Ortolana, an eggplant filled with ricotta served with marinated vegetables. Definitely pair that with the Fabbrica Della Birra Perugia Golden Ale.

If you’re one of those people who get flustered by strange words in menus, then just opt for the Beer Degustation, which is served on Thursdays (from 5.30pm till late). It’s $85++ for three courses (antipasti, main, dolce) and each is paired with an excellent beer. Yes, the beers are excellent, have we mentioned that part?

Chef Matteo Boifava hails from Cremona, Italy (most famous footballer, Gianluca Vialli, fact fans). He’s done an superb job meshing tradition and modernity, a skilled picked up from his time working in The Fat Duck.

One last word about the AMA beers: the labels are designed by Milton Glaser. You might not know the name, but Signor Glaser is the man who designed the ‘I Heart NY logo’. One more reason to order the beer.

Pizza Fabbrica, 8 Haji Lane, Singapore 199482. Tel: +65 6291-0434

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