Looking for the best brunch places in Singapore with free-flow drinks, unlimited craft cocktails or all-you-can-eat international buffet fare? There are plenty of choices for a weekend or Sunday brunch that Singaporeans, expats and tourists love! So, what are the best spots for breakfast and bubbles on the island? The Expat Living team has tried and tested a few fabulous free-flow champagne brunches to come up with some of our top picks from the hotels in Singapore. (Yep, it was hard work!) It’s a great thing to do – so plan ahead for birthdays and when guests are in town.
Beach Road Kitchen
When: Sundays from 12 to 3pm
What’s popping: Free-flow Moet Grand Vintage 2012 champagne, wines, beer, cocktails, juices and soft drinks included in the $168 brunch price. We love the mobile bar, which makes its rounds with a choice of cocktails!
With over 100 dishes to choose from, we were super impressed by the selection at this champagne brunch. It wasn’t possible to try everything, but we certainly gave it a good try! We particularly loved the fresh seafood selection of oysters, chilled crab, lobster and crayfish.
For the health-conscious bruncher, there’s an abundance of pretty salads, with cold cuts and cheeses to add on from the charcuterie and cheese station. Carnivores will find a great selection of Tomahawk steak and fresh New Zealand spring lamb. Another favourite of mine was the Singapore laksa, freshly prepared from the local noodle bar (you can add ingredients of your choice). Local favourites like chicken and duck rice and an assortment of Indian dishes are also available – yum!
Complementing the delicious food is a great ambience. The space is bright and welcoming, and there’s a natural flow to how the food is arranged. The staff are wonderful and attentive, and great with kids. Additionally, there’s a children’s activity corner complete with cupcake decorating and a fabulous candy wall to keep the kids entertained (brunch is $59 per child, or free for the under-six set). The entire dessert selection itself is amazing, with a lovely assortment of ice cream and toppings, and sweets beautifully arranged in cute jars. It’s an Instagrammer’s dream! – Jacqui Young
JW Marriott Hotel Singapore
South Beach 30 Beach Road
6818 1888 | marriott.com
Wooloomooloo Steakhouse
When: Saturdays and Sundays from 12 to 3pm. Be sure to check before going as some days there are special occasions and brunch isn’t available.
What’s popping: The menu offers three price points, starting at $48 for an alcohol-free brunch. If you want some drinks with your meal, you can add $60 and, for $108, you get free-flow Lanson Black Label Brut NV Champagne, wine, beer and selected G&Ts with your meal. Add $20 more, and the champagne changes to free-flow Billecart-Salmon Brut Grand Reserve. We opted for the Black Label, a bubbly I’d never had before, but really liked!
I often find a lot of the brunches in town are too big and I end up gorging myself because I want to get my money’s worth. That’s why Wooloomooloo was perfect for me. The brunch is four delicious courses, enjoyed while taking in a truly lovely view of the Padang and the skyline – and it doesn’t break the bank! With each course, you get a choice between two items (three for the main course). So, between my husband and me, we tried almost everything on the menu!
As a Southerner from the US, I know a thing or two about devilled eggs, but the Korean devilled eggs with kimchi, bacon and mint were new to me – unusual and downright tasty. The smoked salmon toast had just the right mix of capers, red onions and dill-honey-herb dressing, a delicious upgrade from the bagels and lox I used to eat all the time in New York. You can’t go wrong with the sweet corn chowder: it’s made with blue swimmer crab and crème fraîche. Heck, anything with crème fraîche is a winner in my book – yum!
My husband’s main dish of pan-seared New Zealand king salmon came with cauliflower rice and grilled asparagus. The skin was so perfectly crispy that we asked the chef how he did it (like we’ll ever be able to recreate it at home – ha!). Meanwhile, my IconMS6/7 Wagyu petit tender with garlic mash, mushroom ragout and red wine sauce was simply scrumptious. I ate every last morsel!
The good news? I had room for dessert. I always love a good sticky date pudding, but surprisingly I preferred the Earl Grey lavender, a tea-scented chocolate mousse with brownie “soil” and raspberry sorbet. All in all, we had a lovely afternoon meal. I left feeling happily full, not lamenting I’d spent too much or overstuffed myself. A perfect brunch! – Melinda Murphy
Wooloomooloo Steakhouse
Level 3, Swissotel The Stamford 2 Stamford Road
6338 0261 | wooloo-mooloo.com
Seasonal Tastes
When: Sundays from 12 to 3pm
What’s popping: Optional two-hour free-flow prosecco, house wine and beer at $48 per person. The buffet itself goes at $58 per adult and $29 per child (four to 12 years). Children below four eat for free. For every two adults, one child (four to 12 years) can dine for free.
The Sunday Family Lunch at The Westin Singapore is a casual affair, with a focus on keeping both kids and parents happy during their meal. Located on the 32nd floor, the dining space is pleasantly filled with loads of natural light, and diners can enjoy views of the Marina Bay area. There’s a play space for children with fun activities to keep them entertained, and a child sized buffet of small bites, including fruit cups and sandwiches. During our lunch, balloon sculpting was a huge hit – there were many happy kids running about with balloon swords, butterflies and even unicorns.
You can expect the usual suspects here, from seafood on ice (prawns, crabs, lobsters, mussels and freshly shucked oysters) and a DIY salad station to live stations serving pasta, soup noodles and grilled meat (lamb, beef and pork) that you can get to your preferred doneness. Head down the buffet line and you’ll find a mix of international and local dishes: cheeses, cured meats and pizzas, as well as Asian fare such as pepper crab, cereal prawns and Indian curries. If you enjoy sashimi, right next to the sushi platter, fresh and generous slices of salmon are up for grabs.
For dessert, there’s a dedicated sweets station displaying a variety of cakes, tarts, jellies and a selection of gelato. My favourites for the day? The tangy mini yuzu tarts and crème brûlée. There are also some bite-sized nyonya kueh, and jars of biscuits and candy, including sour belts and jelly beans. – Lindsay Yap
Seasonal Tastes
12 Marina View, Asia Square Tower 2
6922 6968 | thewestinsingapore.com
Colony
When: Sundays from 12 to 3.30pm
What’s popping: Enjoy your brunch with Champagne Barons de Rothschild Réserve Ritz Millésime 2010 or Champagne Barons de Rothschild Réserve Ritz Rosé NV, as well as selected spirits, house pour wines, draft beer, soft drinks and juices for $192 ($96 for children aged six to 12, $48 for children three to five). Keep an eye out for the mobile cocktail cart, too, which whips up all-time favourites (we enjoyed Bloody Marys with a twist!).
Elegant and dynamic, Colony is an ode to Singapore’s colonial chapter. High ceilings, polished champagne flutes and refined service set the calibre while various memorabilia – weathered maps, pictures and postcards – adorn the walls, telling a tale of the British voyage to the East Indies. Seated booths and partitions successfully separate larger parties from the quieter duos, creating an illusion of intimacy, while garden views and sunlight stream in from floor-to-ceiling windows.
The buffet is divided into several conservatory kitchens that showcase epicurean Singapore at its best. Begin with brunch staples, cold cuts and seafood favourites, from chilled crustaceans to an extensive sushi station, keeping one hand free while the chef prepares your lobster eggs Benedict with a 65 degree Celsius onsen egg. The key is to keep portions small, as there are several creative dishes worth sampling – from roasted jerk-rubbed spring chicken with kumquat béchamel to red snapper curry with cilantro chutney. For those pining for English Sunday comforts, the roast beef, rack of lamb and Yorkshire puddings are of true carvery standard. And the Singapore Heritage Corner is a must if you have guests in town! They’ll love the aromatic laksa with homemade lobster balls or the barbecue pork char siew and roti prata fresh from the tandoor oven. Half the fun is watching the “live stations” in action; noodles are hand-pulled and the wok-fried rice is tossed sky-high in front of you.
Our favourite live station was the dramatic preparation of flaming Crêpe Suzettes. Couple that with a scoop of homemade ice cream, and a selection of local nyonya kueh, to end with a sweet melody of East meets West.
– Leanda Rathmell
Colony
Level 3, The Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore 7 Raffles Avenue
6434 5288 | ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/singapore/dining
Edge
When: Sundays from 12 to 3.30pm
What’s popping: Free-flow Veuve Cliquot Brut Yellow Label Champagne, botanical gin cocktails, passionfruit mojitos, house-pour wines and beer with your brunch for $188; or, upgrade to Veuve Cliquot Rosé Champagne for $208.
Edge is a classic in the Singapore brunch scene, and for good reason. This Sunday brunch strikes the balance between being classy enough to make it feel like a special occasion, and relaxed enough so you don’t feel intimidated. The restaurant does a great job of catering to the needs of every single brunchgoer. My personal favourite, this time, was the burrata station with fresh heirloom tomatoes that was conveniently located right next to the raclette. The seafood station was also impressive, and I ate my body weight in fresh oysters. My inner child was beyond thrilled about the cotton candy machine, too!
The bottom of my glass had no opportunity to present itself – the staff were attentive and generous with their pours! There were families with kids of all ages (children aged six to 12 years eat for $64), and everyone appeared to be having a great time.
– Kate Marsden
Edge
Level 3, Pan Pacific Singapore 7 Raffles Boulevard
6826 8240 | edgefoodtheatre.com
Melt Café
When: Sundays from 12 to 3pm
What’s popping: $218 per person for bottomless Ruinart Blanc de Blanc Champagne or $178 for Ruinart “R” de Ruinart Champagne. Both options include unlimited wines, beers and selected cocktails that change monthly. The non-alcoholic option costs $118 per person and includes free-flow juices; it’s $78 for ages 10 to 12, $48 for seven to nine, and free for six and under.
Melt Café’s Sunday brunch left a strong impression on us when we first experienced it last year. The selection was extensive and the quality of ingredients was top-notch. We weren’t let down this time round, either! Arriving on time meant first dibs on the incredibly fresh seafood on ice, which includes an endless supply of oysters, Boston lobster and Alaskan king crab. Have yours plain, or for extra oomph, try the coriander and mint dip. Then, head to the chef’s station, where you’ll find premium cooked-to-order items like pan-seared foie gras, blow-torched wagyu beef and poached live prawns in herbal broth. Whatever you do, don’t leave without having sampling the Indian fare. We had countless rounds of garlic naan and fluffy biryani rice, doused in flavoursome curries. Every bite was heavenly!
Despite being stuffed to the brim, we soldiered on for a taste of the signature Melt Café chocolate cake; an indulgent treat that everyone will love. We also enjoyed an array of dainty pastries including a salted caramel choux and matcha tart, in addition to a naughty slice of Belgian waffle with a generous scoop of matcha gelato.
Those with children in tow will love that there’s a dedicated play area equipped with animated movies to keep the younger ones occupied. There’s even a mini buffet with kid-approved bites like pizzas and cupcakes for picky eaters!
– Anthia Chng
Melt Café
Level 4, Mandarin Oriental, Singapore
6885 3500 | mandarinoriental.com/singapore
This article first appeared in the April 2020 edition of Expat Living. You can purchase a copy or subscribe so you never miss an issue!
