Expat Choice Digital Lifestyle Magazine | Il Toro Woodfire Grill Singapore Ignites Italian Passion with Australian Flair

In a city known for its ever-changing culinary environment, a new rival is likely to raise the bar even higher. AC Concepts, the renowned team behind Cenzo and Chicco Pasta Bar, presents Il Toro Woodfire Grill, a modern Italian restaurant with a distinct Australian flair. Il Toro, which opened in September 2025, offering an experience focused on fire, flavour, and craftsmanship.

At the heart of Il Toro is a deep respect for tradition and the primitive beauty of open-flame cooking. The restaurant takes a modern approach to the Italian tradition of grigliata, or grilling over an open fire. An astounding 90% of all dishes are made on the woodfire grill, utilising Australian ironbark wood combined with apple and orange wood to create layers of aroma and depth. The end result is a cuisine that honours simplicity, boldness, and the profound relationship between ingredient and flame.

Chef Drew Nocente leads the kitchen, drawing inspiration from his Italian background and Australian upbringing in Stanthorpe, Queensland. For Drew, Il Toro is more than just a restaurant; it's a homecoming to his roots, where the spirit of the land meets the passion of Italian workmanship. Il Toro—Italian for "The Bull"—is a tribute to his family's property, where a lone black bull previously roamed the orchards, representing power, tenacity, and respect for nature. This timeless icon pervades every part of the restaurant, from its culinary philosophy to its design language.

Upon entering Il Toro, guests are immersed in the primitive theatre of live-fire cooking. The open kitchen serves as a stage, with the sizzle and smoke from the grill captivating the senses. Every dish conveys a story of precision and passion, from flame-kissed meats to shellfish with a hint of smokiness.

A Menu Forged By Fire

Highlights include the Blackmore Wagyu Tri Tip (MS9), an Il Toro special sourced from Australia's best full-blood Wagyu producer, known for excellent marbling and melt-in-your-mouth softness. The Sea Bream, served raw with sauce produced from its smoked bones, is accented by blood orange gel, pickled Amalfi lemons, and caviar for a remarkable blend of raw, cured, and smoked flavours. The Mint Slice, a reimagining of Chef Drew's favourite Australian biscuit, combines nostalgia and creativity, with smoked chocolate ganache, mint semifreddo, and mint meringue served tableside with an antique cast-iron press.

Beyond flavour, Il Toro adds a theatrical element. Guests can see molten beef fat streaming over oysters and marshmallow meringue melting dramatically over the Mint Slice dessert, blurring the line between exquisite dining and live entertainment. These flourishes reflect Il Toro's philosophy, which states that cuisine should not only satisfy but also inspire, thrill, and stay in memory long after the last mouthful.

Bold Cocktails and Thoughtful Wine

The beverage menu reflects the kitchen's fire-driven character. Signature drinks feature rum, whisky, and gin, all flavoured with fire-roasted spices that capture the restaurant's elemental spirit. The wine list focuses on low-intervention wineries from Italy and Australia, chosen for their ability to accompany flame-cooked cuisine. Every pour is thoughtful and crafted, from robust reds that pair well with smoky meats to crisp whites that cut through rich textures.

Raw Beauty and Refined Hospitality

Il Toro's furnishings are a visual reflection of its culinary concept, with a warm, grounded, and raw elegance. Leather chairs and ancient columns reduce the contrast between dark wood panels, exposed brick walls, and textured concrete. A strong oak chef's counter grounds the area, inviting customers to engage with the skill at the heart of the experience. The lighting changes throughout the day, from vivid intensity to a mellow amber glow, matching the rhythm of the flames in the kitchen. A private dining room with seating for up to eight guests provides exclusivity and subtle sophistication for small gatherings.

Il Toro Woodfire Grill is set to become one of Singapore's most exciting new culinary places, combining Italian artistry with Australian authenticity. Each visit is a celebration of fire and taste, produced with soul and delivered with style – a must-see for those looking for a sensory-rich dining experience.

a. 18 Gemmill Ln, Singapore 069255

e. dine@iltoro.com.sg

w. www.iltoro.com.sg

fb. www.facebook.com/iltorosingapore

ig. www.instagram.com/iltoro.sg

t. +65 8259 1021

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Comments

Rebecca

31 Oct 2025 , Fri

177 comments

CONNOISSEUR

RATED 8 / 8

My girlfriends and I haven't stopped talking about Il Toro since our meal there last week. This is the kind of restaurant that immediately earns a place on your "must-return" list—the sort of dining experience that lingers in conversation long after the plates are cleared. Tucked along Gemmill Lane, this wood-fired Italian newcomer represents possibly the finest restaurant opening Singapore has seen this year.

Behind it all is Drew Nocente, the Aussie-Italian chef whose impressive credentials include the long-standing Cenzo on Club Street. What sets Drew apart isn't just his culinary expertise—it's his genuine engagement with diners. He moves seamlessly between commanding the impressive wood-fired grill and connecting with guests, bringing warmth and personality to what could easily rest on technical prowess alone. This is a chef who understands that memorable dining experiences require both exceptional food and authentic hospitality.

And what food it is. Our meal proved outstanding from the first theatrical flourish: focaccia bread served with a beef fat candle. Yes, an actual flame flickers atop rendered beef fat that you scoop up with pillowy bread. It's showy, delicious and sets the tone perfectly for what follows.

The Coffin Bay Oysters with yuzu kosho and smoked beef fat were simply the finest oysters I've encountered all year—briny, silky, with that whisper of smoke elevating them beyond the ordinary. The Foie Gras with fig and pistachio delivered exactly the richness promised, while the Sea Bream with Amalfi lemon, bone reduction and caviar showcased Drew's ability to balance indulgence with freshness. The Iberico Pork Belly and Sausage Skewer brought comforting, rustic flavours and those Tiger Prawns with garlic chilli—enormous, succulent, perfectly cooked—had us fighting over the last one.

This selection of starters alone could have defined the evening. We were already raving, already planning return visits. Yet somehow, despite approaching capacity, we couldn't stop when the mains arrived.

The Blackmore Wagyu MS9+ Tri Tip exemplified everything wood-fire cooking should achieve—tender, deeply flavoured, with that impossibly perfect sear only live flame can produce. The Turbot, wallowing luxuriously in fermented tomato dashi, offered delicate contrast to the meat's robustness. But the Baby Potatoes with hot honey and ricotta? Unexpectedly brilliant—the kind of side dish you'd happily order as a main.

Then came dessert and suddenly that small iron we'd noticed heating in the fire made sense. The Mint Slice al Fuoco arrives at the table where Drew personally sears the marshmallow topping with the mini hot iron until it achieves sticky, charred perfection. It's theatrical without being gimmicky, delicious without relying solely on showmanship—exactly what distinguishes truly exceptional restaurants from merely good ones.

Il Toro succeeds because it never chooses between substance and spectacle. Drew has created a space where serious Italian technique meets Australian confidence, where open-flame cooking becomes both craft and performance, where diners leave satisfied yet already anticipating their return.

If you're maintaining any sort of dining list for Singapore, Il Toro demands a spot at the very top. This is the kind of restaurant that reminds you why this city's culinary scene remains world-class—and why discovering somewhere genuinely special still feels thrilling.