Al Forno East Coast - Wood-Fired Pizza and Squid Ink Pasta Since 1995

Thirty years is a long time in Singapore’s restaurant business. Concepts come and go, neighbourhoods gentrify, and dining trends cycle through faster than ever — yet Al Forno East Coast has barely flinched. Founded in 1995, owner and chef Alessandro Di Prisco has kept the restaurant’s character intact across three decades, holding firm to a philosophy so simple it almost sounds like a dare: use the best Italian ingredients, cook them properly, and trust that the food will do the rest. At 400 East Coast Road, that bet has paid off every night since.

Wood-Fired Pizza

The wood-fired oven is the heart of Al Forno — and the reason regulars make the trip. Every pizza here comes out thin-crusted, its base made crispy and lightly smoky by the wood fire in a way that a conventional oven simply cannot replicate. The result is a pizza that manages to be cheesy without turning greasy, and charred without turning bitter.

The Pizza Ai Formaggi — layered with tomato sauce, mozzarella, gorgonzola, and parmesan — is a case in point: four cheeses that could easily overwhelm each other, but cooked in the wood oven, they settle into something balanced and deeply savoury. The Prosciutto e Funghi ($22), a bestseller, keeps it equally unfussy: mozzarella, tomato, delicate ham, and fresh mushrooms on that signature blistered base.

Spaghetti al Nero di Seppia

This is the dish that separates Al Forno from the Italian-restaurant crowd. Squid ink pasta is a test of restraint — too little ink and it’s cosmetic, too much and it overwhelms — and Al Forno threads that line with confidence. The spaghetti arrives deeply black, carrying the clean, oceanic brininess of the ink through every strand, finished simply so the seafood flavour reads clearly rather than being buried under cream or excess sauce. It’s the kind of dish that earns its reputation quietly: ordered once, then ordered every time after.

Spaghetti Cartoccio

Wrapped and steamed in aluminium foil, the Spaghetti Cartoccio lets the natural fragrance of the seafood permeate the pasta directly — a technique that keeps everything moist and aromatic without reaching for tomato sauce as a crutch. The portion is generous, built for sharing across three or more, and the restraint in seasoning lets the seafood carry the dish. It’s old-school Italian cooking in the truest sense: technique over theatre.

Risotto Pescatore

The Risotto Pescatore is Italian rice cooked with mixed seafood and a dash of chilli in a pink sauce — a tomato-cream blend that brings warmth and depth without tipping into heaviness. It sits in the same register as the Spaghetti Cartoccio — seafood-forward, generously portioned, and built around restraint rather than richness. The chilli lifts the sauce just enough to keep each spoonful interesting, while the rice absorbs the seafood stock as it cooks, carrying the flavour of the ocean through every grain. For diners who want something more substantial than pasta but not as heavy as a meat main, it fills that gap with quiet confidence.

Lamb Chops

For diners who skip pasta and pizza entirely, the lamb chops make a compelling case. Grilled over wood fire, they carry that same smoky depth that defines the rest of the menu — a consistency that speaks to how seriously the kitchen takes its primary heat source. The meat is tender, properly seasoned, and served without unnecessary embellishment. In a restaurant built on Italian simplicity, the lamb chops are exactly that.

Pesto Gnocchi

The gnocchi at Al Forno are small, pillowy potato dumplings served with a sauce of your choice — pesto, four-cheese, or mozzarella and tomato. The pesto option is consistently recommended, delivering a herby freshness that cuts through the richness of the dumplings cleanly. Portion sizes are honest and filling — very much in keeping with the trattoria spirit that Al Forno has always leaned into.

Tiramisu

The homemade tiramisu ($9) is moist, moderately sweet, and worth saving room for — a proper Italian finish to a meal rather than an afterthought. In a restaurant that resists shortcuts at every turn, it’s the kind of dessert you’d expect: made in-house, priced accessibly, and good enough that regulars treat it as non-negotiable.

Al Forno East Coast is the rare restaurant that has earned its longevity on merit. While competitors have come and gone over the decades, Al Forno has endured by sticking to fresh Italian ingredients, time-tested recipes, and a menu that delivers what it promises — no reinvention required. The atmosphere reads like a true Italian trattoria: warm, bustling, and unhurried, with service that knows when to check in and when to leave well enough alone. Whether it’s a first visit or a thirtieth, the wood-fired oven is still burning, and the food is still worth the trip to the East.

Address: 400 East Coast Road, Singapore 428996
Tel: +65 6348 8781
Website: alfornoeastcoast.com.sg
Facebook: @alfornoeastcoast