Walk away from the stresses of daily life and into a cocoon of comfort at Da Paolo Ristorante, nestled on the ground floor of old school walk-up apartments in the enclave of relaxed restaurants in Chip Bee Gardens. The breezy white walls and wooden flooring evokes an almost beach cabana feel, albeit a sophisticated one - the distinctive wicker feature wall catches the light and casts a welcome golden glow on the diners.

That warmth carries over into the dishes lovingly prepared by Chef Gleb Snegin. His finely balanced, bright flavours goes to the heart of the Da Paolo family tradition of treating diners to simple but masterfully executed Italian dishes in a warm and sincere environment since the original Trattoria Da Paolo opened in 1986.

The appetisers were fine examples of this time-tested tradition. The Capesante Arrostite con Crema di Cavolfiore - plump fresh scallops deftly seared to a caramel crust and paired with tangy-sweet red onion ribbons which cut through the rich cauliflower sauce. Paired with chilled glass of sparkling Prosecco, this was our clear favourite. The traditional Caprese was given an artisanal turn with three types of sweet heirloom tomatoes from Belgium topped with a globe of delicate creamy mozzarella and sprinkled with fresh basil. Unfortunately, the Portobella a Sorpresa, a whole Portobello mushroom grilled with salty-sharp Taleggio cheese was a little more watery and a touch too salty for our tastes.

The homemade pastas were a resounding success. We each had our favourites but happily tried everyone else's pastas to prove whose was superior. One zoomed in on the Risotto di Spinaci con Argosta - the Carnaroli rice had just enough of a bite and was perfumed with lobster bisque and chunks of slipper lobster. One championed Chef Snegin's light touch on the surprisingly not too heavy tomato cream Tagliatelle al Granchio which had generous chunks of sweet crab studded in the toothsome pasta. It was love at first bite for another with the Ravioli con Guancia di Manzo - plump ravioli glazed with the rich veal jus and stuffed with melt-in-the-mouth tender beef cheeks topped with curls of salty Parmesan. Yet another pointed out the particular use of white pasta for the delicately flavoured Spaghetti al Nero di Seppia, where the generous use of black squid ink was used instead to colour the entire dish, paired with firm, fresh cuttlefish. Black napkins were thoughtfully provided for us!

Those who opted for mains were not disappointed. The Ossobuco di Vitello - braised lamb shank  - was a generous portion of fork-tender lamb, served with fluffy, buttery mash. We divided up the marrow reluctantly (alas for manners), as it was deliciously rich with a zing of pepper and just the right amount of salt to bring out its gelatine goodness. The delicate heady scent of the black truffles wafted up to tease the palate in the Meriuzzo con Purea di Patate e Slasa al Tartufo Nero (cod fish fillet) which complemented the light flavours of the asparagus and the rich cod.

Share or go for a walk if you must, but do not leave without the desserts. The Benet Pietmontese e Gelato was a whimsical contrast of textures - a chocolate brownie base cradled an amaretto crème brulee crust. The Tiramisu was pronounced as the exact way a tiramisu should be: soft but not mushy ladyfinger biscuits with sharp hits from the coffee and the marsala, smooth Mascarpone cheese and egg yolks richly coating your tongue, darkly enriched with curls of Valhrona chocolate. The coconut pannacotta, Pannacocco e Lamponi was light, fresh and tropical while the crepe with orange sauce and blood orange sorbet, the Crespella Agli Agrumi was a good balance of sweet and tart.

Precisely because the food is a reflection of the Scarpa family's heart, dining at Da Paolo will always be a place where we come to be soothed and refreshed. We will definitely be back for another round, especially since we found out the reasonably priced set lunches for $24++.

Da Paolo Ristorante, 4 Jalan Merah Saga #01-56, 6476 1332.

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