Most of the world’s wealthy folks like to flaunt their riches by patronising expensive hotels and restaurants. These places always have a higher price tag than those that serve average citizens, but they’re also more likely to provide customers with a high-end experience.
In Singapore, some of the city’s top hotels and restaurants cater almost exclusively to this high-income clientele. For example, Raffles Hotel is known as one of the finest luxury hotels in Southeast Asia. It’s also one of the most expensive—so it only makes sense that it caters to the richest of the rich folks in Singapore.
If you are looking for some swanky new spots, bringing a date or entertaining clients, read on. Here are our top picks for the latest and greatest where money is no object when dining out in Singapore!
Bistecca Tuscan Steakhouse
If you’re talking about fine dining, you can’t go wrong with Singapore’s favourite and world-class Italian steakhouse, Bistecca!
Featured and ranked no. 21 in the World’s 101 Best Steak Restaurants of 2022, Bistecca offers fine dining like no other. As a Tuscan steakhouse, the Fiorentina is their hallmark steak, which is a 1.1kg Porterhouse steak that is suitable for sharing. However, because Bistecca is still an Italian steakhouse, you must first finish the appetizers and pasta before moving on to the steaks! It’s totally up to you but trust us, what you will have is the most pleasant gastronomy journey from one delicacy to another. You wouldn’t want to miss it!
Bistecca offers an out-of-this-time experience. The century-old shophouse’s heritage features, such as exposed and authentic red brick walls and wood panelling, give it a pleasant Italian farmhouse vibe. It almost seems like their doors bring you to Italy!
Treat your guests to a sophisticated Tuscan feast at the Chef’s table while your eyes feast on the bespoke original artwork lining the walls or relax in a soft leather booth and enjoy unrivalled, intimate dining by candlelight with outstanding service.
Don’t just walk past the Bistecca the next time you’re around 26 Mohamed Sultan Road!
The Halia
When you go to Singapore, you can’t not go to the Singapore Botanical Gardens. Who can resist the allure of a UNESCO World Heritage site?!
To make things even more interesting, you will find The Halia perfectly placed at the heart of the Ginger Garden. The Halia (halia is the Malay word for ginger) combines Euro-centric tastes with Asian ones, and with the Ginger Garden so close by, it’s no surprise that the restaurant’s meals feature certain parts of the spice.
Like most restaurants these days, The Halia is inclusive and caters to a wider dining audience—earning a Hala certification in July 2017.
As mentioned, ginger occurs often in their menu, perfectly utilized to bring out the best flavours. One example is their Lemongrass & Ginger Prawn Salad. Fresh, plump and marinated in lemongrass and ginger, the prawns are then grilled giving the dish the crunch that compliments well with the noodles.
And oh you will love their rendition of one of Singapore’s iconic dishes—chilli crab. The name might not sound extraordinary but don’t let that fool you! Order the Chili Crab Spaghettini and what you will get is an explosion of flavour delivered by the sweet and tangy sauce made out of chunks of crabmeat. Friendly warning though to those who can’t handle their spice, this dish packs a punch!
Are you a dessert person? The Halia has a collection of heart-melting desserts for you! The most recommended might just be their Yuzu Gateaux and the Die Die Must Have Chocolate. If you ask head chef Chef Ciaran Armstrong, however, his answer might just be their Sticky Toffee Pudding made of dates, butterscotch sauce, sea salt and vanilla ice cream.
At the end of the most satisfying meal, you might wanna wash it all down with herbal concoctions! After trying their bar’s exclusive drinks packed with nutritional goodness, you’ll be convinced healthy food doesn’t have to taste healthy.
The next time you’re in Singapore, check this place out and enjoy Singapore’s first-ever UNESCO World Heritage site with a gingerific meal!
Wan Hao Chinese Restaurant
The award-winning Wan Hao Chinese Restaurant ticks all the boxes for one of Orchard Road’s best dining locations, and every foodie should pay it a visit. Think familiar and comforting Cantonese delicacies that are refined and superb with the use of quality, fresh ingredients; a comprehensive wine list; an Oriental sanctuary of charm; and four private dining rooms for ultimate exclusivity and luxury.
Housed in Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel, Wan Hao offers the best Chinese dining experience. Chilled Duck Wings with Spicy Passion Fruit Sauce, Chilled Duck Tongue with Spicy Sauce, Spicy Hong Kong Style Bi Feng Tang Deep-fried Iberico Pork with Fried Garlic and more are among the appetizers available.
Some of Wan Hao’s most recommended is Stewed Bird’s Nest with Egg White, Crab Meat, and Superior Soup; South African Dried Abalone with Japanese Shiitake Mushroom in Chef’s Secret Sauce; Deep-fried Prawn with Black Truffle Mayonnaise & Broccoli; Wok-fried Local Lobster with Deep-fried Garlic in Spicy Hong Kong Style ‘Bi Feng Tang’; Wok-fried Iberico Pork with Home-style Spiced Sauce!
And if you love a good wine to wash it all down, Wan Hao has an impressive collection to choose from!
Origin Bar
Origin Bar, tucked away in a corner of the Shangri-La Hotel Singapore’s lobby, basks in its old-world elegance with its mahogany wood and peacock teal blue décor. Their vast menu offers the best and highly unique mixes, which include alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions.
Friday night may look like a glass of Nashi and Matcha—a highball, with nuances of tea, nashi pear, and caramel cordial on a base of G&T with floral Roku Gin and tonic—or a Crystal Moj!to, a classic mint and lime concoction attained by cold distillation extracting the purest flavours without bitterness.
If you want a rum-based cocktail, try out Tropez—a mixture that uses a seven-year Chocolate Matusalem Rum and Mancino Rosso Amaranto vermouth.
The thing is, Origin Bar has everything and even if you’re the hardest to please drinker in the world, there’s something for you at this little corner of the Shangri-La Hotel.
The Black Swan
Now, this last section might just be a tribute to the gilded bar that could’ve been the perfect setting for the most Gatsby-esque of celebrations. The Black Swan opened in 2013 where the Kwangtung Provincial Bank used to stand and, due to unfortunate events, closed down in 2021.
The Black Swan had a lot to offer. If you were up for some Jazz night with your friends, The Black Swan was there with its Tuesday Jazz Night. This elegant Roaring-Twenties-themed bar in the CBD was the perfect place to reminisce those years of rapid economic growth and social change.
Its gilded facade might have been discouraging but hey, the food was all worth every penny. The most recommended from The Black Swan were the steaks. To wash down the grease, people loved the Flying Swan. Their Truffled Egg & Bacon Confit as well as Gillardeau Oysters were also loved by the patrons.
The Black Swan was famous for its world-class service and hospitality. They say you wouldn’t ever have a dirty plate for too long as staff swept across the floors whipping up dishes and cutlery and replacing them as the course continued.
With all the glamour of The Black Swan, it’s obvious the rich loved the place.
If you’re looking for fine dining in Singapore but without the price tag of the above restaurants, then check out our post The 7 Best Fine Dining Restaurants In Singapore.
