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A new Mediterranean restaurant is coming to Dempsey Hill, and it’s by big-name chef Antonio Miscellaneo – the man behind pizza palace La Bottega Enoteca and casual Italian joint Casa Vostra.
Chef Antonia Miscellaneo is an Italian-born chef-restaurateur that recently secured the 85th spot on the global Top 100 pizzaiolos ranking. He owns La Bottega, home to Singapore's highest-ranked pizzeria at The Best Pizza Awards 2026, and Casa Vostra (located at Raffles City, Jem, and Tampines Mall), an Italian restaurant that commands long queues on the daily. So naturally it may come as a surprise that he’s moving beyond Italian cuisine with Petra where he’ll take on the role of executive chef-owner, but Miscellaneo says the idea came partly from his craving for the simple, flavourful Mediterranean fare he ate regularly while living in London.
Opening on October 24, the 8,000-square-foot restaurant seats 119. It takes its name from the ancient city of Petra in the Levant, a historic meeting point between cultures and trading routes. That sense of fusion is reflected in the kitchen – executive chef Anas Shami (formerly of Aniba Singapore and chef Dawid Nowosadzki (former head chef of Ottolenghi and current head chef and co-founder of KOMA Japan) bring experience from Japan, Southeast Asia and the Middle East in a broad expression of Mediterranean cooking.
Expect fresh seafood, small plates, grilled meats and fish, legumes, Middle Eastern flatbreads and dishes built around olive oil, herbs, spice and smoke. There’s also an Ottolenghi-inspired salad spread, loaded with seasonal vegetables, contrasting textures and punchy dressings. And look out for a dedicated seafood counter showcasing the day’s catch, while a bread oven turns out warm Middle Eastern flatbreads to go with the rest of the spread.
Four other restaurants are opening (or reopening on the hill): Shirazi, SHAO @ Dempsey, Casa Mori, and a refreshed Margarita’s.
Shirazi is bringing Persian cooking to Dempsey in a semi-fine dining setting. Led by chefs Mohammad Hosseini and Ying, the Muslim-friendly restaurant serves charcoal-grilled kebabs, Persian rice, lamb neck, Iranian caviar and its signature black hummus.
Over at Shao @ Dempsey, authentic Teochew cuisine gets a contemporary twist. Its fourth outlet follows branches in Frankel, Holland Village and Rangoon, with mouthwatering dishes such as marinated roe crab, a signature BBQ roe crab, Hokkaido cuttlefish with squid ink and seafood paofan.
Then there’s Casa Mori, which opened earlier this year with a cross-cultural menu from chefs Willin Low and José Alonso. Singaporean flavours meet Spanish techniques and broader Asian influences in dishes like Kalipoquetas (a fusion between a curry puff and a croquette) and Iberico pork skewers with Indonesian sate glaze.
Meanwhile, longtime Dempsey resident Margarita’s has been refreshed, with revamped interiors and a new menu that gives its Mexican staples a contemporary update. Think pink guava shrimp tacos, carne asada, chicken adobado and leche frita.
With all these new openings, Dempsey is looking pretty different. So if you haven’t been in a while, now might be a good time to go back.
Find out more here.
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