BEST BRUNCH
(Singapore)
Restaurants listed in order of personal preference under each sub-category.
Best for Groups
The Disgruntled Chefread more here
Pros: Mini portions, great for a group to share multiple dishes or if you're a hungry guy who likes bite-sized eggs benedict all to himself.
Cons: If you're a hungry guy who doesn't like to share.
Address: 26B Dempsey Road, Singapore 247693
Tel: +65 6476-5305
http://www.disgruntledchef.com
Best for Atmosphere
Rider's Cafe
Pros: Beautiful settings amongst the greenery and nature at the quiet Bukit Timah Saddle Club. Watch the horses gallop in the grassy fields around the stables from your seat.
Cons: Very inconvenient to reach unless take a taxi, have your own car or maybe own your own horse.
Address: Bukit Timah Saddle Club, 51 Fairways Drive, Singapore 286965
Tel: +65 6466-9819
http://www.riderscafe.sg/
Best for Hangovers
Suprette
Pros: American fare, American portions, NYC West Village quality. Breakfast/brunch served everyday (until 11am on weekdays, 2:30pm on weekends).
Cons: A pretty compact place, so you'll probably want to call ahead to make sure there's seating available.
Address: 383 Jalan Besar, Singapore 209001
Tel: +65 6298-8962
http://www.suprette.com
Best for Boozing
Bacchanalia Brunches
Pros: Bacchanalia hosts Saturday brunch at a different venue once a month, every month. The menu isn't the draw so much as the boozing. At 2:30pm as diners begin to polish off their plates, the lights begin to dim and the DJ cranks up the music. Socialites and young professionals break out the Moët, Dom Perignon and Belvedere bottles and party until sunset.
Cons: Usually a chance of champagne showers. Don't let your Birkin get wet.
Address: Venue changes every month. Check Bacchanalia Facebook Page or e-mail brunch@bacchanalia.asia for more information.
Best for Champagne Brunch
Brasserie Les Saveurs
Pros: For SG$170++ you get a main course, endless access to the elegant antipasto, seafood and dessert counters, and free flow Perrier-Jouet Grand Brut, Bloody Mary and juices.
Cons: This is the anti-Bacchanalia brunch. The crowd tends to be more mature and the price reflects the atmosphere (ie. if the socialite tai-tai scene isn't your thing, you might feel uncomfortable here).
Address: The St. Regis Singapore, 29 Tanglin Road
Tel: +65 6506-6888
http://www.stregissingapore.com/BrasserieLesSaveurs
Best for Cantonese (Dim Sum)
NB: My experience with dim sum in Singapore is relatively limited, since I fly back to Hong Kong often and eat my fill of dim sum there instead.
Taste Paradise
Address: #04-07 ION Orchard, No. 2 Orchard Turn, Singapore 238801
Tel: +65 6509-9660
Cassia
Pros: There's a reason I wrote a glowing review about Cassia last year. The interior design by Hong Kong designer, Andre Fu, is beautiful and I say without hesitation, the service is phenomenal. Attentive, patient, helpful, warm, gentle and all around professional.
Cons: Transportation is a problem without your own car or taxi. There have been reports on dim sum quality being somewhat inconsistent - I admittedly have only had their dim sum once, so cannot confirm (I've dined there numerous times for dinner).
Address: 1 The Knolls, #03-00 Capella Hotel Singapore
Tel: +65 6591-5045
Pros: Dim sum for the non-traditional. Brainchild between the flamboyant Dick Lee and the reputable Tung Lok Group, a restaurant group long known for their outstanding Chinese cuisine and ingredients. Menu is divided into East (Cantonese dim sum) and West (Spanish-inspired tapas) with a cocktail list concocted by Bar Stories. There is also a nifty retail area that features accessories, toys, and clothing by local Singaporean designers.
Cons: Like most places in Bukit Timah, transportation can be a problem without your own car or taxi.
Address: The Grandstand, 200 Turf Club Road #01-20/21, Singapore 287994
Tel: +65 6466-3303
http://www.modernasiandiner.com
Best for Brunch Buffet
Equinox Restaurant
Pros: Quality spread, especially if you love Sunday roast and Yorkshire pudding -- award-winning Chef de Cuisine Lee Bennett hails from Yorkshire, after all. The crêpe Suzette here is also one of the best I've had in Singapore (Le Saint Julien makes my favorite crêpe Suzette, but that's for another post). The excellent panoramic view from the floor-to-ceiling windows over Singapore's Marina Bay is also hard to beat.
Cons: The offerings aren't as wide or varied, as say, Shangri La Singapore's brunch buffet spread. Also be sure to make reservations for Sunday brunch well ahead of time... request for a seat by the window while you're at it.
Address: Level 70 Swissotel The Stamford, 2 Stamford Road, Singapore 178882
Tel: +65 6837-3322
http://www.equinoxrestaurant.com.sg
The Line (Shangri-La Hotel)
Pros: Is there anything The Line buffet doesn't have? Indian, Japanese, Western, Chinese, dim sum, seafood, roasts, fresh juices, smoothies, desserts -- heck, there is even a candy section with cabinets full of gummy bears and lollipops, and a station for local drinks such as teh tarik. Best yet, buffet is offered every day of the week. Not too shabby for SG50++ (Saturday), SG$78++ (Sunday), SG$47++ (Weekday).
Cons: It gets extremely noisy on weekends when families bring their little ones -- try not to trip over them as you waddle back to your table with your piled-up plate.
Address: Shangri-La Hotel (Lower Lobby), 22 Orange Grove Road, Singapore 258350
Tel: +65 6213-4275
http://www.shangri-la.com/singapore/shangrila/dining/restaurants/the-line/
Best Eggs Benedict
Still deciding. I really liked Baker & Cook's Eggs Benedict though.
Address: (Two locations) 77 Hillcrest Road, Greenwood or 38A Martin Road.
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If you don't see certain places listed it means one or more of the following:
1. I didn't think it deserved to be there.
2. It slipped my mind! Remind me, please.
3. I didn't have the time/stomach space/cash to check it out yet.
If you think a place deserves to be considered, please message me or leave a comment below.