Lino Pasta Bar – New Italian Bistro At Shaw Centre Serves Delicious Pastas & Lovely Desserts

I am a fan of Italian comfort food, so I was happy to chance upon the new Lino Pasta Bar at Shaw Centre. This is the latest restaurant to open under the Les Amis Group.

Lino Pasta Bar

Lino Pasta Bar is a casual Italian bistro that specialises in pasta. It opened recently in December 2019 at Shaw Centre along Scotts Road.

If you find the name familiar, it’s because this new restaurant is the offshoot of Lino, a contemporary Italian restaurant located at Binjai Park in Bukit Timah.

Menu (click to enlarge)

As its name suggests, the main focus of this bistro is pasta. However, they also serve appetisers, some mains, and desserts.

The drinks menu offers a small selection of wines, beer, coffee, and tea. Free-flow plain water is available for $0.50.

If you can’t make up your mind, the Tasting Menu ($32) lets diners enjoy sample-size portions of three appetisers and three pastas. A dessert is thrown in as well. This menu is only available for dinner.

The 3 Course Set Lunch ($22) is a value-for-money option that lets you choose from a variety of appetisers, pastas, and desserts. I recommend ordering this set if you visit during lunch.

Nice Casual Ambience

Lino Pasta Bar is located at a quiet corner on the third floor of Shaw Centre.

It exudes a homely charm with its earthy trattoria interiors and unadorned wooden tables and chairs, complete with colourful artworks by famous Filipino artist, Pacita Abad, lining the walls.

The restaurant’s casual atmosphere makes it a nice place to hang out with family and friends over Italian food and wine.

The staff were friendly but seemed a little too eager to clear my dishes – perhaps this was because I visited one hour before closing time.

The food arrived fast, with the first dish served less than 10 minutes after ordering.

Parma Ham, Melon, Argula

The Parma Ham, Melon, Argula ($9) was a nice appetiser to start off my meal. The thin slices of ham were very tasty, and went nicely with the sweet and refreshing cantaloupe.

The fresh rocket salad with balsamic dressing whetted my appetite further with its peppery-tangy flavours.

Deep Fried Calamari with Lemon, Mayonnaise

The Deep Fried Calamari with Lemon, Mayonnaise ($10) was another great appetiser.

The calamari was crispy and not too oily. Drizzled with lemon and eaten with a touch of mayonnaise, this was one delicious treat.

Tagliatelle Bolognese

The Tagliatelle Bolognese ($16) is a classic Italian pasta dish that consists of tagliatelle noodles served with slathers of meat sauce.

The highlight was of course the bolognese sauce, which was moist and fragrant with a rich meaty flavour.

The tagliatelle was cooked al dente with a smooth texture. It tasted wonderful with the bolognese sauce and cheese!

Spaghetti Aglio Olio with Prawns, Squids, Bird’s Eye Chili

I also tried the Spaghetti Aglio Olio with Prawns, Squids, Bird’s Eye Chili ($18.50).

The spaghetti was perfectly al dente with just the right amount of bite. It had a strong garlicky-briny taste, which was fine with me but may not appeal to some people.

The dish comes with generous amounts of prawns and squids, which tasted very fresh and succulent!

Surprisingly, the bird’s eye chili (or Thai chili), was not too feisty and provided just a small tinge of heat. Therefore, you can safely order this dish even if you can’t really take spicy food.

Tiramisu

The wife and I ended our meal with the Tiramisu ($6).

It had a dreamily soft texture and a rich creamy fragrance, while the coat of cocoa powder provided just the right amount of bitterness.

I also loved the lingering alcohol aftertaste, which gave the dessert an endearing richness but did not overwhelm.

Conclusion

I had a very satisfying meal at this new Italian bistro. With its delicious pastas, pleasant ambience, wallet-friendly prices, and convenient location, Lino Pasta Bar is a quaint little restaurant with much potential.

Lino Pasta Bar
Address: 1 Scotts Rd, Shaw Centre #03-23, Singapore 228208
Opening Hours: Daily 11.30am to 3pm (last order 2.30pm), 6pm to 9.30pm (last order 9pm)
Phone: +65 6235 4653