It was time for another meet up with my gal pals and that predictably translated into another Restaurant review 😊

The one thing I miss terribly from my previous job are my colleagues. Far from being just friends, over the years, they became somewhat like sisters separated at birth! If sharing office space, having lunch together every single day and enjoying coffee breaks was not enough, we would be in each other's company after work frequently too. We would joke, laugh, gossip, share secrets, trade family stories, unload burdens of the mind and generally be there for each other out at every opportunity. As the saying goes, nothing lasts forever and with time, a few graduated, some changed jobs, three of them got married, one may be even relocating but we still make it a point to catch up frequently and remain in each others lives. I can only hope that it stays that way for the years to come. Among these seven girls, some friendships date much longer than the others but when we meet, I am equally delighted to see all of them 😍

I don't know what connection we girls have to Italian restaurants but most of the time we find ourselves at one. All of us like Italian food and there is something for everyone so it is kind of a no-brainer. So, iO Italian Osteria was our pick this time as one of my friends had been there and was sufficiently impressed to recommend it to the rest of us.

Another reason why I was personally keen on visiting this restaurant was its location. Housed in the mall HillV2, this area holds a special place in my heart because I used to live on the same street. Back then the mall didn't exist and there was a vast expanse of lush greenery in its space. When the mall came up, it did break my nature-loving heart but I also secretly knew that me and my husband would have been regular visitors. On the bright side, the greenery is not all gone.

The restaurant embodies the simple and rustic setting of a traditional Italian tavern. Adorned with a selection of fine antique pieces, beautiful copper and real wood furniture, the interiors grabs your attention instantly. In contrast, the ceiling has quite the industrial look!

The ambience is relaxed and cosy.


The restaurant has an open-concept kitchen so you can get a glimpse of the chefs in action. 

You can find fresh in-house bakery products, breads, pizzas and house pour wines.