Chef Denis Lucchi of the one MICHELIN star restaurant Buona Terra is launching his latest venture Assaggi.
Assaggi is located at Neil Road and opens on 10 August 2026.
Assaggi only offers set menus for both lunch and dinner.
Having achieved a MICHELIN star helming Buona Terra, and conquered crowds with Locanda, Denis Lucchi’s new restaurant Assaggi settles somewhere in between.
Ask chef Denis Lucchi which dish is most emblematic of Italian cuisine, and he may just say it’s pasta. At his new restaurant Assaggi, opening 10 August, one of his set menus allows diners to feast on three or more pasta dishes all in one sitting. This new joint completes chef Denis’ trifecta of restaurants, including the one MICHELIN star Buona Terra and the cosy, casual trattoria Locanda.
Driven by its philosophy “imperfect by choice”, the idea here represents how Assaggi’s dishes are conceptualised by way of culinary intuition and focuses on ingredients that check the boxes on flavour, seasonality and balance. Along with chef Denis on this new venture is much of his former staff from Buona Terra, who bring with them the expertise and refinement expected of a MICHELIN kitchen, without the rigid formality of a fine dining setting.
The tidy offerings at Assaggi feature just one three-course set menu for lunch, and two set menus consisting of five main courses — the Signature Journey and the Pasta Journey — for dinner. With the absence of à la carte options, diners need only pick one of the journeys for tasting, and the restaurant will handle the rest. Meals here are also accompanied by a theatrical bread course — a soft roll with a rich glaze of balsamic reduction, duck fat, and acacia honey, served table-side with a freshly portioned helping of whipped salted butter.
Stars on the menu on the Signature Journey include a Veal Eye Round, brined for seven hours and finished via sous vide for three. This starter is paired with a creamy tuna sauce, quail egg, umami-rich capers, and artichoke chips. Mains include a 14-day dry-aged Roasted Duck or a charcoal-grilled Stone Bass plated with a parsley-yoghurt purée, vinegary zucchini scapece and a lemon-tinged brown butter sauce.
And for those who yearn for a pasta-only feast, there’s the Pasta Journey to pursue. This set menu features a trio of pasta dishes — Tubetti, Linguine, and Tagliatelle — with a diner’s choice to add a supplement of Ravioli, prepared with an ossobuco made with saffron and bone marrow.
Drinks, on the other hand, are crafted by the team behind the acclaimed Bar Kakure by Kazuhiro Chii. Similar to Assaggi’s approach to prize seasonality, the cocktails reflect the best ingredients available during service. Standouts include the eponymous Assaggi Negroni and the Basilico Smash. Also for consideration: the restaurant’s wine list, sourced from small-scale producers, is displayed in handcrafted clay vessels reminiscent of Roman winemaking traditions.
If anything else, Assaggi is primed to draw attention with its association with chef Denis and Buona Terra — at just $58 for lunch and $88 for dinner, the menu itself makes for a compelling reason for the seasoned foodie to drop by and taste a meal held to MICHELIN standards.
Where: Assaggi, Neil Road, Maxwell, Singapore
When: Tuesday to Saturday from 12pm to 3pm and 6pm to 10:30pm
Contact: @assaggi.sg