Looking for the best Sunday brunch places in Singapore with free-flow drinks, unlimited bubbly, or all-you-can-eat international buffet fare? There are plenty of choices for Sunday brunch (and some do Saturdays too) that Singaporeans, expats and tourists love! The Expat Living team has tried and tested a few of the best champagne brunches (yep, tough job!) so you can plan ahead for birthdays and when guests are in town – eventually.
COVID-19 Update
The restaurants have rolled out plated brunches instead of the usual buffet displays, so you don’t have to leave your seats to get your food! You can expect social distancing, contactless ordering and frequent sanitisation as some of the precautionary measures. In lieu of the ever-evolving situation, please check with the restaurants before heading to them, as there may be unforeseen changes.
Stellar at 1-Altitude
When: Every Sunday, 12 to 3pm
What’s popping: The menu offers three price points, starting at $80 for an alcohol-free Communal Brunch menu. There’s also an a la carte brunch menu available. Add on another $80 for free-flow Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut champagne, cocktails and wine.
A popular spot for a post-work tipple or a birthday blowout, one of my favourite things about this idyllic spot is that it’s one of a handful of vantage points in Singapore that remarkably make Marina Bay Sands look small. At a nail-biting 62 floors up, the panoramic views of the city skyline truly are breathtaking. And with a menu that reaches equal heights, there really is only one word to describe it – stellar!
The experiential flair at this progressive Australian restaurant is always impressive, and their Bubbles & BBQ Sunday Brunch is nothing different. Guests can opt to take their pick from the a la carte brunch menu, with highlights including the croissant ‘Croque Monsieur’ with pastrami, bechamel and gruyere ($18) and the roasted fremantle octopus with lardo and smoked mash ($42). But if you’ve skipped breakfast for a reason, then the Communal Brunch Menu is hard choice to beat. At $80 per person, groups can customise a three-course meal from a selection of 16 starters, mains and desserts to share. The Iberico cold cuts charcuterie with sourdough and onion marmalade is a sure-win starter, whilst forks will battle for the last bite of duck leg confit, perfectly complemented by the pea and clam spelt risotto with beetroot crumb.
Dessert is an edible masterpiece. Served in the form of a metre-long canvas of colour and textures, this sweet ending had it all – a passionfruit and strawberry pavlova with a hint of basil, nine layers of chocolate with salted coffee cream and hazelnut dacquoise, floral-infused marshmallow with kaffir lime leaf curd and mango apricot sorbet. Work your way through this miniature Willy Wonka garden with a coffee in hand and you’ve got yourself winning Sunday.
– Leanda Rathmell
Level 62, 1 Raffles Place
6438 0410 | 1-altitude.com/stellar
MO BAR
When: Saturday and Sunday, 12pm to 2.30pm
What’s popping: $156 per person for two hours of free-flow Ruinart Champagne Brut and selected “Asia’s 50 Best Bars” cocktails (three drinks are chosen by the bartender for each brunch session). Each diner can enjoy two different drinks at a time. There’s also a non-alcoholic option going at $98.
Posh yet laidback, Mandarin Oriental, Singapore’s MO BAR is filled with natural light and looks out to the skyscrapers in the CBD and Marina Bay. Their weekend brunch starts off well with a seafood platter filled with fresh prawns, oysters, snow crab and Maine lobster. After that, you’ll get a choice of three dishes from a variety of Western and Asian appetisers, mains and desserts. For drinks, there’s the Sarimanok, which blends flavours of Lanao with rum, mango and citrus. There’s also Thunder, a thunder tea rice-inspired beverage integrating rice and herbs. If you’re not a big drinker, order the non-alcoholic Soma, a clarified Delhi-inspired drink with yogurt, chutney and spices.
For our starters, we went for the masala mayo prawns and wild mushroom soup. We thoroughly enjoyed the soup – it came piping hot in a generous portion with a slice of crisp garlic bread. The mains were a highlight of our meal – the Hong Kong style steamed cod was cooked perfectly; it was soft and flaky, pairing well with the soy sauce and grainy jasmine rice. We also enjoyed the tender beef short ribs with roasted mushrooms and creamy mashed potatoes. You’ve got to make room for their dessert selection; the sweets come beautifully plated and are absolutely delicious. Go for the Gran Cru chocolate with silky dark chocolate mousse and crunchy hazelnut praline. You should also try the strawberry vanilla cheese mousse, which was quickly polished off at our table.
– Lindsay Yap
Level 4, Mandarin Oriental
Singapore 5 Raffles Avenue, Marina Square
6885 3500 | mandarinoriental.com/singapore
Red House Seafood
When: Monday to Friday, 12pm to 2.30pm ($28.80 per person); Saturday, Sunday and Public Holiday, 11am to 3pm ($33.80 per person). Available at Red House Seafood Grand Copthorne Waterfront and Prinsep Street. A minimum of two diners is required.
What’s popping: Top up $55 for 90 minutes of free-flow champagne, beer, house wines, gin and tonic and soft drinks, chilled juice and ice lemon tea. There’s also another free-flow option that excludes champagne, at a top-up of $28 instead.
It’s been a busy old time for Red House Seafood. Not only did they open a new outlet at Grand Copthorne Waterfront in late 2019, but they also launched a new weekend dim sum and seafood a la carte lunch buffet in October. Since this is one of the oldest Singaporean seafood restaurant names in Singapore, with a stellar reputation for masterful cuisine and fresh produce, I arrive in a big loose dress with a big loose appetite.
There are more than 50 delicious-sounding items on the menu, and despite the seafood moniker there are plenty of non-fishy dishes to enjoy. We began with their famous selection of assorted handcrafted dim sum comprising steamed pork and shrimp siew mai, oriental dumplings with black vinegar and chilli oil and — my favourite — green crystalline wild truffle mushroom dumplings, which were packed with king oyster, shiitake and umami mushrooms. Meanwhile, the fried prawn dumpling with mango was light, tangy, and contributed to my five-a-day.
We followed with some of the eight specialty dishes that are valid for one-time order: pumpkin crayfish, fresh clams with spring onion, stir-fried French beans with minced pork and a side of deluxe seafood fried rice. The showstopper was the deep-fried barramundi fillet with Nyonya sauce; it was chunky and tender, and the sauce had just the right sweet kick for my Western palate.
Custard buns and baked egg tarts were the ideal light dessert to finish, accompanied by a cup of comforting glutinous rice tea, brewed to nutty, earthy perfection.
– Jo Upcraft
392 Havelock Road,
Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel Level 2
6735 7666 | redhouseseafood.com
Kwee Zeen
When: Sundays from 12pm to 3pm
What’s popping: Served on a tower, the Ultimate Sunday Brunch starts at $158 for two to three diners. Two hours of free-flow champagne is at a top-up of $68. In December, the festive brunch costs $128 per person; add on unlimited champagne for $98.
For an escape “away” from the city, Kwee Zeen at Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa is a winner. With its ample space, high ceilings and dark wood furnishings, the restaurant’s resort vibes are enough to transport you to beach holiday mode. Take a seat at the alfresco dining area, which was what we did, and enjoy the sea breeze with bottomless Taittinger champagne over the course of the indulgent tower-style brunch.
As self-serve buffets aren’t allowed at the moment, the restaurant has come up with a different way to present the feast using a massive three-tiered tower. It’s clever, and dare I say, even better for a lazy diner like myself. Oh, and did I mention there’s a separate bucket of seafood on ice? Freshly shucked oysters, Boston lobsters and plump prawns made the perfect start to our meal.
Moving onto the tiers, we were wowed by the well-varied spread, which included an assortment of sushi, breakfast items like eggs benedict, and a medley of cheeses and charcuterie to nibble on. On the local front, we wiped out the slow-cooked satay beef cheek and chilli crab mantou. By the time we reached the desserts, we were stuffed but managed to stomach some pastries and pancakes, which were all delicious. There was a constant refill of bubbly and not once were our glasses empty. Don’t miss the roving cocktail station, too. That was a big highlight of our meal!
The outdoor area looks over the resort pool, so it almost felt like we were on a different island. We can’t travel just yet, but this was the next best alternative to a beach break, especially since there’s direct access to Tanjong Beach for post-brunch sun-seeking.
– Anthia Chng
Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa
2 Bukit Manis Road Sentosa
6708 8310 | sofitel-singapore-sentosa.com
Brasserie Les Saveurs
When: Sunday, from 12pm to 2pm.
Whats popping: Brunch without drinks costs $138 per person and $75 per child. For free-flow wines, the brunch costs $168 per person. Champagne lovers can opt for unlimited Champagne Barons de Rothschild Brut NV ($198), Barons de Rothschild Rose NV ($288), Champagne Barons de Rothschild Blanc de Blancs NV ($338), or Champagne Barons de Rothschild Blanc de Blancs Vintage 2008 ($548).
Plated brunches have never been so much fun and most of the menu is served automatically (depending on dining preferences and any food allergies of course which is asked on arrival). The choice here at The St. Regis Singapore’s Champagne Brunch is amazing and once you’ve selected your accompanying drink package, you’re set to go. First course was a fresh seafood platter (Plateau de Fruits de Mer), which featured beautiful Alaskan king crab, oysters (French, of course), Manila clams and mussels all served with lemon wedges, spicy chilli and Thousand Island sauce. Entrees came next with tasting portions of chicken caesar salad, burrata, Bayonne ham and rock melon, duck rillettes, and chirashi donburi: a rice bowl filled with salmon, tuna, octopus, cucumber, tamagoyyaki and salmon roe.
You choose your main courses too; we opted for the seared beef tenderloin served with mashed potatoes and French beans, plus a pan-seared toothfish with chorizo bell peppers and baby artichoke. Chef’s specials and ‘Entrée Chaude’ items were also served throughout the brunch. We especially loved the marinated salmon buckwheat blinis, the beef tartare and grilled Boston lobster with garlic parsley butter.
Dessert was fab, too. The chef brings out the trolley to your table so you can sample the gorgeous cakes, along with a yum cheese platter, without leaving your seat. The freshly flambeed Crêpes Suzette was a delight as well. A real Sunday treat!
Initially, we weren’t sure what to expect with this different style of brunch. After trying it, we ended up preferring it as all the dishes were served in perfectly sized portions, so we got to try more food than we normally would at regular buffets.
– Jacqui Young
The St. Regis Singapore
29 Tanglin Road
6506 6860 | brasserielessaveurs.com
Xperience Restaurant
When: Sunday, 12pm
What’s popping: Top up $48 per person for two hours of bottomless prosecco, wines and beers, or go for the Spritz Station package (additional $20), which includes spritz and Taittinger Brut.
SO/Singapore’s Xperience Restaurant has launched its Flippin Sundays Boozy Pancake Brunch, featuring Singapore’s first alcoholic pancake stack! It’s called the “Wake Up Call”, where every layer of pancake is soaked in coffee liqueur, and the whole thing is paired with a flight of Nespresso Martinis. As far as the concept of boozy pancakes goes, I’m a convert. The three flavours we tried were salted caramel, espresso and coffee nut – my favourite was the salted caramel.
Some of the other sweet pancakes range from a more traditional fresh berries and cream to a salted caramel banana stack – yum!
If you’re more into savoury, fret not as there are some unreal options. We tried the Farmers Delight ($30), which consisted of caramelised onion, charred spring onion, potato rosti, crème fraiche and buffalo cheese. Another popular flavour is the Eggs Benny ($30), a delicious take on the eggy breakfast staple, but with pancakes, smoked salmon, garlic Boursin cheese, sautéed spinach, onion rings and crème fraiche.
The spritz was a real selling point for us as there are some great options, including a classic Aperol spritz, as well as a watermelon spritz. My favourite was the blackcurrant spritz, which has red wine in it. I’m not much of a coffee person, so my personal recommendation would be to go for the spritz station! But if you love a good caffeinated tipple, get the Nespresso Martini Flight ($35), which includes six mini Nespresso Martinis.
– Michaela Bisset
35 Robinson Road
6701 6800 | so-singapore.com
Beach Road Kitchen
When: Sunday, 12 to 2.30pm.
What’s popping: The brunch is priced at $108 per adult and $48 per kid. Top up $60 for free-flow champagnes, beers and wines. During the festive period (from 29 November to 3 January 2021), the Sunday brunch is priced at $178 per person (with unlimited drinks).
While a part of me misses the Instagrammable expanses of seafood and up-close selection of roast meats at the old-style buffet brunches, there is something leisurely about being brought small plates of food in a regular fashion – and it puts an end to the terrible piled-high plate of “a little bit of everything.”
Beach Road Kitchen is named after the markets that used to stand on this site since the 1870s, and there is a strong focus on local foods as well as fresh seafood and salads. The cold seafood platter was super fresh and the crab (which is normally too complicated for me) was perfectly cracked and accessible. The kids loved the pizza (served by the slice so you don’t over order), handmade wagyu tortellini, as well as local highlights like chicken rice and laksa. We ordered multiple plates of the grilled meats; the pork belly was especially good – the crackling was melt-in-the-mouth crispy.
Trolleys offered items like sushi and sashimi, a whole fish baked in salt, and cocktails. We enjoyed a rosemary gin concoction and a surprisingly zesty twist on a Blue Lagoon. Individual cakes and desserts were served as a sampler platter and the kids loved the soft-serve ice cream while we had some cheeses.
This is a lovely casual brunch with friendly staff in a light and bright location. Definitely a place to bring the kids, enjoy a couple of hours of conversation and relax.
Top tip: If you’re a Marriott Bonvoy member, a 30 percent discount on the non-alcoholic package makes this a very affordable Sunday brunch!
– Danielle Rossetti
JW Marriott Singapore South Beach
30 Beach Road
6818 1913 | jwmarriottsingapore.com
Don’t miss… Oxwell & Clan
Fans of Oxwell & Co. can get a taste of the British gastrobar’s signatures at Oxwell & Clan, a popup at Clan Cafe in Straits Clan. Available until 28 February, the new menu will include staples like the legendary Oxwell & Clan Scotch-Egg and the Insta-famous apple crumble, as well as delicious dishes like the Oxwell & Clan chicken curry with mango chutney, steamed rice and poppadoms.
Visit the pop from Tuesdays to Fridays, where the new menu is offered. On weekends, Brunch and Beats ($78 per person) features set menu with roasts, Bloody Mary pitchers ($58, serves six), and two hours of free flow rosé (top up $65) or champagne (top up $90).
Oxwell & Clan
Straits Clan, 31 Bukit Pasoh Road
6320 9180 | oxwellandco.com
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