The Glasshouse @ Sindhorn is a glitzy pavilion of soaring, angular glass units populated by high-end restaurants and cafes. Cafe Milano, the development’s Italian offering, trades in satisfying bistro-style dishes that don’t try to rewrite any rules. They call it “home-style” food, but really there’s nothing too domestic about elegant portions of prettily swirled linguine and neatly plated prime-cut proteins.

 

Most of it though is perfectly well-executed, with the occasional dish that exceeds expectations. The crabmeat linguine comes in a beautifully balanced saffron sauce that’s also packed with shellfish flavors—delicious. There are other highlights, too: a veal Milanese (B850) with two tender and perfectly fried slabs of meat sitting beside a richly flavored fettuccine arrabiata; a thickly-set, vanilla-forward raspberry panna cotta (B220) paired with a sharp and refreshing lemon sorbet; a bistro-end-of-the-scale wine list that’s all offered by the glass and never goes above B1,400/bottle.

 

When things aren’t so successful they’re still never truly bad, just nothing to get excited about. The pizza (B350-490) is a wafer-thin, slightly cardboardy affair that would never make anyone’s delivery speed-dial. The burrata (B350) lacks any spilling, gooey butteriness but comes dressed in a rich lemon-and-basil vinaigrette to make it a perfectly pleasant eat.

 

Enough with the complaining, though. The service is efficient and unobtrusive, the dining room polished to an immaculate shine and the seating comfortable, intimate and not overlooked by any other tables. The crisp, red lacquer panels, sculptural contemporary chandeliers and fastidiously kept open kitchen conjure a high-end bistro ambience that fits well with the location—surrounded by the kind of offices where the workers can afford a decent lunch. That’s also when you’ll find Cafe Milano at its most lively thanks to B490 three-course lunch sets. This might not be a restaurant pushing any boundaries, but well-cooked food at the right price in a space that feels kind of special suit us just fine. Corkage B1,000 

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This review took place in May 2016 and is based on a visit to the restaurant without the restaurant's knowledge. For more on BK's review policy, click here.