I’ll be honest. I almost talked myself out of going.

Sio Pasta arrived in Singapore with a lot riding on its name. Tokyo origins, a Michelin-recommended pedigree, handmade noodles, and a spot in the basement of Raffles City. That’s the kind of build-up that usually means a long queue and a meal that can’t quite hold the weight of its own story.

So I went in skeptical. I expected another good-looking mall pasta bar leaning on its branding. What caught me off guard was the menu, which read more specific than I’d assumed: Japanese-style pasta, umami-heavy sauces, and prices that don’t do the usual CBD damage.

That last part made me curious enough to stay.

The Vibe: Small, Cosy, and Very City Hall Lunch-Date Coded

Sio Pasta sits at #B1-16, tucked into the basement of Raffles City. If you’re coming from City Hall MRT, you barely step outside before you’re there, which makes it an easy stop on a weekday.

It’s small. Twenty-eight seats, give or take, with counter spots, a communal table, and a handful of little tables squeezed in. I took a counter seat, which felt right for eating alone.

The mood is casual and quick. This isn’t a room built for a three-hour catch-up. It’s the sort of place you slip into for a quiet lunch or an easy weeknight dinner, the kind of meal that doesn’t ask much of you.

The space is compact but not precious about it. You order, you eat, you make room for the next person. There’s an honesty to that.

If this bowl of pasta only wakes up your appetite for more trendy dining spots, save this Influencer Foodie guide to the coolest restaurants in Singapore, where everyone and their mother has been at lately.

The Dish I Kept Thinking About

I started with the one I’d read the most about: the Fried Egg, Cheese, Salted Kelp Pasta ($13.80++). It’s the cheapest pasta on the menu, which made me wonder if it was the safe order rather than the good one.

It landed looking unremarkable. A tangle of noodles, a fried egg sitting on top, not much drama to it.

Then I broke the yolk.

Everything shifted. The pasta turned glossy and warm, the egg loosening into the strands and pulling everything together. The salted kelp gave it that deep, savoury pull underneath, the kind of flavour that sits at the back of your throat in a good way. The cheese rounded the edges so it stayed creamy without tipping into heavy.

It’s a quiet dish. Nothing about it photographs well. But it’s the one I’d reorder first, and the one I was still thinking about on the train home.

The Crowd-Pleaser That Comes Second

I also tried The Best Mentaiko Pasta ($16.80++), which I suspect is what most first-timers reach for. It’s the obvious order, and I understand why.

It’s rich and briny, generous with that mentaiko flavour, easy to like from the first bite. If you already love Japanese-style cream pastas, this will land for you straight away.

But sitting next to the salted kelp pasta, it felt a little more straightforward. Good, yes. Comforting, yes. The one that lingered, though? Not quite. It does one thing well and stops there, while the kelp pasta keeps revealing itself.

The Sides That Earn Their Place

The fig butter baguette surprised me. It’s a small thing, sweet and savoury at once, the fig cutting through the richness of everything else. It’s worth ordering if there’s more than one of you at the table.

The Japanese-style fried chicken or karaage is the crowd-pleaser of the sides. Crisp outside, juicy within, nothing complicated about it. It’s the dish you order when you want something easy to share, and it does that job without trying too hard.

Neither side feels like filler. They’re built to round out the meal rather than pad it.

Portion Check: Filling Enough, But the Flavours Go Heavy

Here’s the honest part. The portions are fair for the price, especially for somewhere this central. You won’t leave hungry.

But the flavours lean salty, creamy, and umami-heavy across the board. Satisfying in the first few bites, comforting through the middle, then a touch tiring toward the end if you’re sensitive to salt or cream.

I wouldn’t order two full bowls for myself, and not because of the portion size. It’s the richness. This is food that rewards sharing. Split a couple of pastas and a side across the table, and you sidestep the fatigue entirely while tasting more of the menu.

That’s the move here. Order to share, not to conquer.

The Damage: Price, Location, Queue, and Best Time to Go

Pasta starts from $13.80++, and a full meal with a side or drink lands somewhere around $18 to $30 per person. For Raffles City, that’s gentle.

Timing matters more than booking. With only 28 seats, the CBD lunch rush and weekend peaks will mean a wait. Go on a weekday during the late-lunch lull, or slip in for an early dinner before the after-work crowd arrives. Check their latest reservation policy before you head down, but honestly, off-peak timing solves most of it.

This is a meal you fit into a gap in your day, not one you build the whole evening around. If your City Hall pasta fix turns into a proper night out, keep this guide to the best bars in Singapore for post-dinner drinks ready for the next stop.

Sio Pasta Is Worth the Queue, But Order Smart

I’d give Sio Pasta an 8.1 out of 10.

The food carries more personality than the average mall pasta spot, which I didn’t expect walking in. The salted kelp pasta alone is worth the trip, the pricing is genuinely fair for where it sits, and the best dishes have real reorder value. It loses a little for the tight seating, the likely queues, and flavours that may run too salty for some.

It’s best for solo diners, CBD workers on a lunch break, students, and couples after a quick, low-key meal near City Hall. The counter seats almost feel made for eating alone with your thoughts.

Skip it, or lower your expectations, if you’re after traditional Italian pasta, large portions, a quiet spacious room, or a long lingering dinner. This isn’t a slow trattoria. It’s a quick, comforting pasta fix that happens to do its one thing well.

I went in doubting the hype. I left thinking about a broken egg yolk and a bowl that understood exactly what it was. That’s enough for me to go back.