Protracted Friday lunches (yes, your jig is up) at the CBD just got more interesting with Sol & Luna, 1-Group’s new contemporary Latin-European bistro perched at the 17th floor of the 51-storey CapitaSpring.
Perfect for sharing among fellow idle colleagues, are plates reflecting a breadth of influences from French to Italian, Portuguese and Spanish, and accessible drops. Bottles range from $55 to $150 for the black fruit-forward Churchill’s Estate Grande Reserva Douro. Order their crisp, floral Ombre Pinot Grigio Organic to soften the robust flavours of crustacean dishes. Among them is the Australian Shark Bay tiger prawns drizzled in lime juice, whose sweetness is simply complemented by raw white corn and chopped Roma tomatoes.
We’re partial to the light bites here, including the Spanish-inflected warm prawn and octopus niçoise salad with piquancy from anchovies and cherry tomatoes. Nearly unrecognisable as the classic French entrée – save for the requisite quail eggs – its added char from paprika-spiced grilled seafood and potatoes gives the provincial dish a cosmopolitan slant.
Thankfully, executive sous chef Felix Chong doesn’t take similar creative liberties with the truffle risotto, which isn’t typically a dish that lends well to twists. Cooked in vegetable stock till perfectly al dente, it derives its richness from truffle shavings, mushroom paste and white truffle oil – none of that unctuous, creamy mush in the guise of risotto.
An interesting Mediterranean dish typically served in Sicily and Greece that you won’t find on many menus in Singapore is the wood-fired sardine stuffed with mussel, herbs and pine nuts. Wrapped in earthy parma ham that cuts through the natural fishiness of the sardine, it works well in whetting the appetite.
If you’re after something more substantial to sink your teeth into, the 12 hours slow cooked Welsh lamb served with broccolini is fall-apart tender, although not revolutionary. The restaurant also offers high tea and brunch menus.
Service is brisk, but that’s expected in the thick of the lunch hour scrum. Sol & Luna’s tranquil sky-high setting away from the agitation of traffic below somewhat makes up for this. A quick stroll beyond the high-ceilinged restaurant with towering glass windows and a gusty al-fresco area will take you to a lushly landscaped semi-outdoor space equipped with wooden seating, charging points and free Wi-fi access.
This is open to the public, as are the jungle gyms and work pods. There’s also a sky garden with an urban farm on the 51st level that you will likely be able to access from the second quarter of the year.
Completed in February, the biophilic building is a fascinating prelude to a prototypical work-meets-play environment in the post-pandemic world. Come for a social lunch, and stay for the socially responsive architecture.