While we love indulging in bubbly buffets and afternoon teas every once in a while, good and affordable lunch sets are a great midday pick-me-up, too. From hearty Italian fare to alfresco diners with fab views, here are 10 restaurants perfect for lunch catch-ups with the girlfriends.
Jamie’s Italian
Available from Monday to Friday from 12pm to 3pm, Jamie’s Super Lunch deal ($24.90 for two courses, $29.90 for three courses) is a value-for-money option. Start light with a caesar salad or indulge in a portion of truffle tagliatelle, which features signature handmade pasta served in truffle butter, aged Parmesan, nutmeg and shaved black truffle. For mains, we recommend the penne carbonara. If that’s too carb-heavy, try the Venetian fish stew, a delicious mix of sustainable fish and shellfish cooked in a rich tomato and white wine sauce with fregola, crostini and crab aioli. Still feeling peckish? Indulge in a well-deserved dessert – we’re dying to try the raspberry rippled pavlova, which comes with macerated raspberries and smashed honeycomb.
Psst… Planning a get-together? Indulge in a pizza and prosecco party! It’s available from Monday to Thursday at the VivoCity outlet only, for group bookings of six to 20 people ($48 per person; two glasses of prosecco each).
#01-165/167 VivoCity, 1 HarbourFront Walk | 6733 5500
583 Orchard Road, #01-01/04 Forum
jamiesitalian.sg
Stellar
With its stunning city-view and classy space, the Stellar experience is one to savour over and over again! Located right in the heart of the CBD, this fine-dining restaurant offers scenic views of the city skyline at 282 metres above ground level. Helming the kitchen is executive chef Christopher Millar, who delivers progressive Australian fare at this sky-high spot. The set lunch menu changes every month based on the seasonality of the ingredients.
Tuck into a three-course ($48) or four-course lunch; appetisers include tuna tartare with pickled cucumber and samphire, while mains feature heartier options like braised pork belly with burnt onion puree, pickled baby cabbage and green apple. Feeling healthy? Get creative by creating your own salad at the salad station, filled with a variety of seafood, toppings and dressings. End your meal on a sweet note with a diving dessert – we pick the almond chocolate with sea salt caramel and sponge orange mousse!
Level 62, 1 Raffles Place
6438 0410 | 1-altitude.com/stellar
Baba Chews Bar and Eatery
If you’re a fan of all things Peranakan, visit the Katong neighbourhood, a Peranakan enclave where you’ll find rows upon rows of colourful conservation shophouses and Peranakan eateries. Housed in the former Joo Chiat Police Station, Baba Chews Bar and Eatery offers mod-Peranakan dishes in a charming colonial setting. Must-tries include the ayam buah keluak burger ($18), a fusion burger consisting of a chicken patty doused in a signature sauce of buah keluak (a type of nut), served between two ciabatta buns and with a side of archar (pickled spicy vegetables).
Lunch-wise, there are three Asian sets available from Monday to Friday: two courses ($18), three courses ($20) and four courses ($24). You’ll be treated to hearty mains such as ikan goreng –sweet and spicy fried fish with rice – as well as oh-so-popular Nonya laksa. Don’t miss dessert, too; a crowd favourite is chendol, which consists of shaved iced with fresh coconut cream and gula melaka.
#01-01 Katong Square, 86 East Coast Road
6723 2025 | facebook.com/babachewssg
Me@OUE
Sitting on the 19th floor of OUE Bayfront, this stellar spot is blessed with unobstructed views of the city’s skyline. Snag a seat at the alfresco lounge and you’ll be rewarded with the best sights of Marina Bay Sands, the pier and the surrounding skyscrapers, provided the skies are clear. For lunch, the resto offers an executive bento box ($35) that’s a hit with the office crowd. Only 20 sets are available, so you’ll need to act fast! There’s also a two-course set lunch ($48), which gets you an appetiser and a main – go for the Kumamoto A4 wagyu beef risotto or wok-seared Iberico pork chop. Then, wash it down with the one-for-one beer promotion (Steinlager Pure, $12), available from 12pm to 2pm.
OUE Bayfront Rooftop, 50 Collyer Quay
6634 4555 | me-oue.com
House at Dempsey
Tucked in a quiet corner of Dempsey Hill, this cosy restaurant offers a home-away-from-home dining experience. The atmosphere is relaxed and casual, with naturallight peeking through and lush greenery surrounding the alfresco area. Tuck into a four-course set lunch ($27), which gets you a starter, a main, a slice of cake and coffee or tea. We’re eyeing the blackened snapper, dry-rubbed in a South American spice mix and grilled to tender perfection, then paired with grilled cauliflower, sugar snaps and kale. Afternoon tea ($30 per adult) on Fridays from 3pm to 5.30pm, is a hit with both locals and expats, too.
8D Dempsey Road
6475 7787 | dempseyhouse.com
Disgruntled Brasserie
Housed in a heritage shophouse along buzzy Ann Siang Road, this cosy 40-seater brasserie offers a classy yet relaxed environment perfect for both business lunches and intimate celebrations. Moss green armchairs and wooden tables adorn the modern space, while fresh plants add life to the roomy interiors. For lunch, there are two-course ($28) and three-course ($38) meals available; highlights include Spanish mackerel – with dill-scented hollandaise, cucumber pomegranate salad, hazelnut vinaigrette – and, for dessert, orange terrine – kumquat, pomelo, yuzu gelée and pistachio crumble.
28 Ann Siang Road
6808 2184 | disgruntledchef.com
Atlas
Housed in Singapore’s very own “Gotham Building”, otherwise known as Parkview Square, the 690-square-metre space is adorned with furnishings synonymous with the era – think lavish and luxurious brass plating and art murals. The restaurant bar offers European cuisine by executive chef Daniele Sperindio, previously of Open Door Policy, so you’re in good hands if you arrive hungry. Go for the two-course ($38) or three-course ($48) lunch set, and tuck into delicious dishes (also available à la carte) like seared homemade gnocchi, butter sage, sundried tomatoes ($24) and baby calamari, spicy inferno sauce, cured Iberico ham ($20). Supplement your meal with a wine pairing; two glasses ($24) or three ($30) if you’re feeling indulgent!
Parkview Square, 600 North Bridge Road
6396 4466 | atlasbar.sg
Summerhouse
Open for dinner and weekend brunch, this is one pretty spot you can’t miss. Located in a beautiful colonial bungalow in the redeveloped Seletar Aerospace Park, The Summerhouse is a multi-faceted dining enclave that offers nature-inspired cuisine prepared with home-grown ingredients. For lunch (12pm to 3.30pm on weekends), tuck into a series of unique eats like the smoked butter ribs with harissa, honey and nasi lemak hash brown ($32). There’s also an onsen egg breakfast bar available, with decadent dishes like the croissant with homemade truffle butter, onsen egg, brie cheese and mushroom ($19). While you’re at it, go ahead and top up $58 to enjoy three hours of free-flow prosecco – we won’t judge!
3 Park Lane
6262 1063 | thesummerhouse.sg
Mitzo
Located on the fourth floor of Grand Park Orchard, this progressive Canto spot hosts up to 82 people in its dining area and 18 in the bar section. The interiors are grand yet modern: think neutral furnishings with bright yet tasteful décor all around. The three-course set lunch ($28 per person) entitles you to a soup of the day, over 10 types of dim sum – including charcoal barbecued pork bun, escargot cheese puff and prawn dumpling – and a dessert to end off. If all that isn’t enough, order a portion of braised vermicelli with lobster claw and prawn ball ($10). Visiting on a weekend? Indulge in Mitzo’s weekend brunch ($68 per adult), where you’ll get unlimited servings of signature dim sum, and have the option of imbibing free flow bubbly (top up $60)!
Level 4 Grand Park Orchard
270 Orchard Road
6603 8855 | mitzo.sg
Audace
Taking over Cocotte’s former space, this newly opened French restaurant is helmed by Michelin Star-awarded chef Jeremy Gillon from Le Montana in the French Alps. Priced at $28 (two-course) and $34 (three-course) per person, the set lunch menu will change three to four times a week. Highlights from the à la carte menu include steamed Mediterranean seabream ($26) with broccoli, salted lemon paste and black olive powder. Don’t miss the calamansi sorbet ($10) dessert, too; served with pumpkin seed praline, orange cream and berce (a type of herb) candy, this light and refreshing dish is a must-try!
Wanderlust Hotel, 2 Dickson Road
6298 1188 | audace.com.sg
There are tons of fab restaurants, cafes and bars across the island! Check out New Nibbles, our monthly column that gives you the inside scoop on what’s buzzing in the wine and dine scene.
