One-Ninety is a great place for a quick, good value buffet lunch in the chic surroundings of the Four Seasons Hotel. The buffet boasts a variety of good fresh food, from dainty canapés and hors d’oeuvres to a nice variety of mains and desserts, along with made-to-order food such as creamy milkshakes and tenderloin burgers. I went for one of each – the finely hand chopped tenderloin patty in a soft floury bun with a generous slab of gooey seared foie gras was almost sickeningly indulgent

A seafood counter is laden with oysters in their shells, waiting to be shucked to order; thickly sliced maroon-coloured smoked salmon lies on a platter, the fat on its surface shining, and bizarre looking (but delicious) slipper lobsters, still alive, nervously wait for someone to order them. Sushi chefs industriously slice fresh sashimi from glassy pieces of hamachi and hirame

Perched on the 70th floor of Swissotel The Stamford, there is no better view in Singapore. On clear days, you can get a good view of the Singapore skyline with a good chunk of Indonesia thrown in — and this will surely save the dinner conversation should it ever falter. And this is a good thing, because the food probably won’t.

Global Kitchen offers a modern dining experience with contemporary cuisine amidst a cosy, private setting.

Comprising of a palate-pleasing medley of ingredients and cooking techniques, the culinary concept is geared towards the cosmopolitan-gourmet who is discerning about the quality as well as the origins and seasonality of the culinary details.

Serving up fresh, seasonal and authentic Italian cuisine, both a la carte and buffet. Highlights include a rotisserie, traditional wood-fired pizzas, an espresso bar, walk-in wine cellar and hand crafted desserts. The restaurant seats 183 guests indoors and 32 alfresco style at the terrace overlooking the pool.

At lunch, the place swarms with black suits worn by both men and women alike. This is a visual testimony to the popularity of the restaurant’s offerings —billed as a ‘business’ buffet — with the corporate types. This is a place designed to impress head honchos: a bright, airy, sombre dining room that boasts a high ceiling, glass walls that offer panoramic views of the lush greenery of the surrounding seven acre gardens, an impressive selection of Old and New World vintages, and above all

Hotel Intercontinental,80 Middle Road
Tel: 68251061 / 6338 7600 Operating Hours: Lunch: Noon – 2.30pm Dinner: 6pm – 10.30pm 
The Olive Tree is a good choice for a good value, reliable dinner out. Go on a Friday or a Saturday – these are their ‘Seafood Nights’ and attract the biggest and best crowd, ensuring a quick turnover [...]

The Sentosa Resort & Spa, 2 Bukit Manis Road, Sentosa, Tel: 6371 1414
Operating Hours: Lunch: Noon — 3pm Dinner: 6.30pm – 11 pm
Another of those fantastic restaurants with which the Sentosa resort abounds, this one situated on a hill overlooking jungle greenery and the glinting, tropical sea beyond. The ambience is laid back and charming, [...]

Le Meridien Singapore, 100 Orchard Road, Tel: 6739 8133 / 6733 8855
Operating Hours: Lunch: Noon – 2.30pm (Mon – Fri) Noon – 5pm (Sat-Sun)Dinner: 6.30pm – 10pm (Mon – Sun)
At Cafe Georges, Friday is a very popular seafood buffet extravaganza, while on Wednesdays, a local favourites buffet is offered. But no matter the theme, it [...]

With the tropical sea lapping onto a white sandy beach and fairy lights twinkling in the distance, it is highly likely that most people come here simply for the romantic resort setting, but the food is pretty good too: a starter of saffron-scented Norwegian seafood soup was delicious…

Buffet-driven restaurants are so ubiquitous in town that it is rather difficult to differentiate one from the other. Plaza Brasserie at the Plaza Parkroyal, however, differentiates itself from the rest with its better-than­ average food and relaxed atmosphere….

Tucked within the tropical idyll of a hotel that is the Shangri-La, is Rose Veranda, a thickly carpeted, sun-filled room with deep armchairs and low tables, perfect for that most British of institutions, the high tea. There is a staggering 101 cups to select from – from fruit infusions to floral blends to Chinese teas, all served in expensive Wedgwood teapots and cups. For me, being British, this wasn’t a problem…

The décor of this restaurant fits in well with the resort hotel that houses it – relaxed and Mediterranean in style, with cheeky explanations for its name in the form of turquoise mosaics, inlaid with silvery mother-of-pearl. Catering mainly to tourists, the buffet spread is understandably international and generously-portioned, with Indian, Japanese, Chinese, Malay and Italian cuisines all well represented, but mystifyingly, no abalone. The main attraction is the shawarma rotisserie: well-marinated spicy skewers of chicken are slow roasted until moist and smoky, and served in pitta bread with cous cous. Service is cheery and efficient.WINE: The hotel wine list offers a decent selection by the bottle and by the glass.

Set amidst a breezy al fresco pool deck, Brunch is an urban lifestyle culinary concept restaurant serving brunch throughout the day, daily. Adjacent to the hotel’s swimming pool, gymnasium and spa, a designated smoking area is available.

Enjoy classic breakfast favourites, healthy salads, burgers and grilled platters or indulge in delectable wok-tossed items and gourmet wood-fired pizzas. In the evenings, relax with a cocktail or beer while watching live sports broadcasts.

Level 1, Conrad Centennial Singapore, 2 Temasek Boulevard, Tel: 6432 7481 / 6432 7463
Operating Hours: Lunch: Noon – 2.30pm Dinner: 6pm – 10pm

Brisk, breezy and fun, the newly renovated Oscar’s now boasts a ‘kitchen library’ from which diners can look into the kitchen proper, and from which comes a spread of cold seafood, Continental cooked [...]

Lobby Level, Sheraton Towers Singapore, 39 Scotts Road, Tel: 6839 5621 / 6737 6888
Operating Hours: 6am – Midnight (Mon – Thu, Sun & PH) 6am – 1am (Fri, Sat & eve of PH)

The Dining Room’s service, though impeccable, attentive and efficient, is, I feel, far too formal for the casual coffeehouse fare that they serve. [...]

Level 1, Swissotel Merchant Court Singapore, 20 Merchant Road, Tel: 6239 1848
Operating Hours: Lunch: Noon – 2.30pm Dinner: 6.30pm -10pm

Now this is my kind of place: whilst Western dishes are available for the uncultured plebeians, the focus here is on local dishes. I would say “when in Rome”, except that most Singaporeans, it seems, are [...]

Level 7, Novotel Clarke Quay Singapore, 177A River Valley Road, Tel: 6433 8790 / 6338 3333
Operating Hours: Lunch: Noon – 2.30pm Dinner: 6pm – 10pm 

Bright, casual and quiet, The Square at Novotel Clarke Quay Singapore is a good place to head for lunch if you just want some peace and quiet – its light and [...]

Under the masterful hand of Executive Chef Frédéric Colin who has vast experience from working in acclaimed two and three-Michelin-star restaurants in France along with the sophisticated interior design by Wilson Associates, Brasserie Les Saveurs brings destination dining to a new level – the menu and setting for each meal evolves throughout the day. Illuminated by a splendid wall of windows overlooking a sparkling pool during the day, Brasserie Les Saveurs is transformed by night under the magical glitter of three enormous hand cut crystal chandeliers and chromatic ceiling art complemented by a symphony of water, light and music by the glass facade.

Here there is a compact a la carte menu offering Western and local standards, but the draw of this coffee house is definitely its daily buffet. To start with I went for some freshly shucked oysters and thinly sliced smoked salmon, and then proceeded on to the ‘live’ stations