Il Lido Restaurant

Address Sentosa Golf Club, Sentosa Island 27, Bukit Manis Road

Opening Hours lunch and dinner daily

Telephone Tel: 68661977

At the age of nine, he knew he wanted to be a professional waiter. Medicine, just like law, education, avionics or technology, did not appeal to him.

As a kid barely ten years old, he worked part time as a cleaner in his childhood ghetto in the small town of Bari in South Italy. But he loved how smart the waiters looked in the local trattorias, was impressed with their style of service and realized that customers depended on them for that unique dining experience they sought.

He wanted to be the man in charge of delivering experiences.

So, by the age of 14, Beppe De Vito was already enrolled to study hotel management in the popular Perotti Institute in Bari. “ I worked in eateries as a kid and knew something about the business before Perotti.” But there was a streak in Beppe that made him wanted to explore, not just learn. And when he graduated three years later, he took a 1200km train ride to Switzerland to apply for a stint on board a love-boat cruise liner. Then came stints in London, Spain and Paris, but the posting to Singapore was a turning point.

“The bosses at Bice Restaurant in London wanted me to go help set up Bice in Singapore back in 1995.. It sounded exotic so I took the offer and never returned.” Bice, located in Goodwood Hotel was one of the more significant Italian eateries here ten years ago. It folded and served its last customer in 2000.

So, their loss became Singapore Italian makan culture’s gain. The ex-managers and chefs went on to set up some of the finest Italian eateries this part of the equator, like Senso, Rossi and Oso.

In 2002, in the midst of the Iraq war and the SARS outbreak, he set up Garibaldi Restaurant in Purvis Street with chef Roberto Galetti and began realizing his dream of selling experiences. It packed them in. Folks were staying away from crowded hotels and public eateries. He recouped his S$300,000 investment within four months.

Later, in dramatic Italian fashion, he got “p—sed off” with management disagreements and itched for bigger challenges. It came in the form of Mr Darrell Metzger, the CEO of Sentosa Island resort. He showed Beppe a corner of the Sentosa Golf Club, the one with the stunning view. Beppe saw it and knew it was showtime.

He envisoned a stunning balcony overlooking the bay that is coloured with bright Philippe Starck furniture. He could see the need for soft and hard dining seats with subtle and clever touches to introduce privacy with sexy translucent ceiling to floor curtains. Come evening, he felt every customer should be able to bask in a bit of twilight as the sun sets. He also believed that it needed a nice clubby and lounge-y bar decked with furnishings created by that same legendary designer.

So, that vision became Il Lido Restaurant two months ago. Assisted by former Pontini Restaurant chef Michele Pavarello, it had been “full house every evening since, and I get a load of earful from unreasonable customers unable to get a table, telling us, – I haven’t come to your restaurant and I already got bad service!”.

Can’t blame them.

If they had the mind to book earlier, they could have swirled with Michele’s Tomino cheese, pan fried at the edges for crispiness and is lava soft inside, served with rosemary crackers and thin slices of ham with a hint of balsamic vinegar on a bed of rocket salad. Or their oh-so-peasant yet oh-so-nouveau sea urchin spaghetti, tossed with olive oil, garlic, chili and parsley flakes with sea urchin sauce. You have to be a sissy to get it wrong with those simple ingredients, although they all came from Italy.

Or you can simply murder yourself with their tenderloin steak with bone marrow sauce, aii yai yai, with potatoes and assorted mushrooms. With wine, it’s an experience that will set you back by about $100. I t comes with designer ambience, a stunning view, efficient service with a laid back atmosphere, all, designed by a boy who just wanted to be a waiter.