Probably the best Sunday Champagne Brunch in Singapore.
Raffles hotel has always struck me as one of Singapore’s pioneer exquisite hotels. The birthplace of the now world renown Singapore Sling Cocktail, Raffles Hotel has sunk deep into the roots of Singapore culture.
Lots of open space and a high ceiling, wooden teak furniture with provincial designs, no restaurant other than Bar and Billiard Room fully expresses the premium colonial Raffles brand better.
Finding the restaurant was a bit of a pain though, located deep within Raffles Hotel with not much signs to this secret paradise. Ask the hotel staff, they’ll gladly point you towards the holy grail of brunches.
Upon entering, you’ll immediately feel the grand yet laid-back vibe, then proceed to go into a drooling seizure at the buffet spread. The food spread is quite inexhaustive to list completely, so I’ll just highlight some of the items that deserved praise.
Bar and Billiard’s Sunday brunch buffet can be categorized into several stations, first up at the entrance being the Salad Compose station, as well as the Antipasti, Cheese selection and desserts.
Over at the Antipasti and salads, help yourself to a smorgasbord of delights. The Beef Carpaccio with Tapenade and Shaved Cheese amongst other lovelies like the Maine Lobster and Terragon Mayo can be enjoyed in petite portions so you get a bit of everything.
A grand plethora of fine cheeses are also available at the cheese section, serving varietals from all over the world along with condiments.
The Bread Station also serves amazing homemade bread baked in the hotel. The Chocolate Danish and French croissants are superbly fluffy and creamy, which you want to lather with generous amounts of Echire Butter, the gold standard of French Butter which has a higher butterfat content than normal.
Pastry Chef Desserts station.
Get intricate desserts like Poached Apple in Aged Banyuls, Mascarpone and Black Tea, as well as the Catalan Cream, Pineapple and Vanilla Chantilly. Both extremely decadent and creamy desserts bound to impress.
After appetizers, you want to hit the Carvings and Live Station. BBQ Iberico Pork ribs are a must try which had a tinge of smokiness and that distinctive soft, juicy Iberico meat. The ‘Omaha Beef Tenderloin “Bordelaise” Sauce, Potato Fondant’ was also very tender, paired with the classic Bordelaise French red wine sauce that added sweetness to take away some of the heavy beefy flavor.
The meat carving station is every carnivore’s dream.
You know what I recommend after having loads of carved and roasted meat? More meat.
Here we have the Cold Cuts Station with mad amounts of ham. Parma, serrano, chorizo, proscuitto, salami, they have it all. There’s also a whole leg of jamon iberico ham that is shaved precisely by a chef.
Next we head to the Seafood Station for our fix of fresh seafood.
Imported oysters are rotated seasonally and you get a mix of Irish, Canadian Oysters or French ones, some pretty common like the fine de claire but occasionally there’s new introductions too. Oysters are snapped are really fast, so you want to go straight for oysters first before you miss out.
Mix in some raspberry vinaigrette and lemon if taking it raw is too much for your palate, as the combined taste can also be quite pleasing.
The Maine Lobsters and Tiger Prawns are also fresh and savored for their sweet seafood flesh.
Sea Urchin, crab, avocado cream, kristal caviar. Fresh uni with avocado works surprisingly well for a thick blend of seafood flavours with creamy avocado.
Blinis with caviar, vichyssoise and quail egg. Another very ‘atas’ dish in a miniature version, these are dishes that really makes one feel like a royalty.
Hands down my favorite station of the day; the Live Seared Foie Gras Station. I lost count but I think I ordered at least 6 plates. Approach the station or ask any of the waiters to help you order this seared delicacy, and the chef will prepare it a la minute then served to your table. Comes with a bit of Celery cream butter. If you can’t take too much awesome in one bite, you might want to utilize this accompanying condiment.
Before we left, I couldn’t resist but order the famed Singapore Sling. Although invented in Long Bar upstairs, the original recipe is known well throughout the bars in Raffles Hotel and are of equal quality. Although I’m more particular about my cocktails, this version has an excellent tropical flavor with that aftertaste of Bénédictine Dom and cherries. The original Singapore Sling definitely lives up to its standard as an international cocktail.
We also never had a moment without an empty glass of Billecarte-Salmon bubbly, as if our champagne glasses had an auto-refill function. You can opt for either the rose or brut brunch, which comes at different prices.
Stunning service with attentive staff that ask about your day more times than your own mom, Bar and Billiard waiters also recommend wines with each dish, as well as change your dirty plates faster than you can say ‘I would love another plate of Foie Gras’.
I was thoroughly impressed with Bar and Billiard. It’s a steep price, but you will no doubt get what you paid for at Bar and Billiard Room, Raffles hotel. Arguably the best overall Sunday Champagne Brunch I’ve had.
Classy dishes in small portions, this one is for those who want to really treat yourself.
Expected Damage: $158++ with freeflow wines, beers, cocktails | $198++ with freeflow Billecarte-Salmon Brut Champagne | $218++ with freeflow Billecarte-Salmon Brut Rose Champagne
Bar and Billiard Room: 1 Beach Road, Raffles Hotel (1st floor), Singapore 189673 | Tel: 6412 1816 | Website
Brunch hours: Sundays 12pm – 3pm
