Unlike our Western counterparts, Singapore’s dining scene is not threatened with a lockdown during Christmas.
After all, food is essential to all our celebrations and this Christmas, Singapore is brimming with merry flavours. Moving the spotlight from Christmas gifts and festive activities, the time is nigh to treat our bellies right. The festive season this year has inspired restaurants to innovate beyond the usual Yuletide delicacies, whipping up deals and dishes that are nice, or naughty.
Check out our list with some of the best Christmas dining options in Singapore to treat yourself and your loved ones.
Happy feasting & happy holidays!
The Floating Donut Company
This Christmas, give the gift of good tid(e)ings! Hailing from Phuket, the Floating Donut Company (Flodoco) now sails along the coast of Marina Bay with long-time taxi river cruise operator, Water B. If part of your childhood was spent playing with inflatable floating tubes, then this is an indulgent grown-up treat, decked with a built-in table cum ice-bowl, cooler, LED lights, Bluetooth speaker, and enough space for eight friends.
Partnering with perennial favourite Italian restaurant MONTI for a fuss-free dining experience out in the waters, this option is definitely more budget-friendly than booking a yacht or day cruise for the same amount of thrill and intimacy. For Christmas, there will be a specially decorated celebration cruise serving seafood or cold cut platters (or both together) and Panettone for dessert. With excellent food, fantastic company, and an unforgettable ride, you are well on your way to sleighing Christmas this year.
When? 22 — 25 Dec
The Floating Donuts @ Clifford Pier, Collyer Quay, Singapore 049326
Sinfonia Ristorante
We get it, Christmas might not be all that fun when restaurants start serving paltry portions for outrageous prices. However, you might want to arrive with an empty stomach for Sinfonia Ristorante’s free-flow Omakase Christmas and New Year Eve’s special menu. Nestled inside the grand Victoria Concert Hall, the stunningly elegant restaurant will be transformed into a buffet haven with seasonal dishes, live stations, and an assorted dessert table with a rather naughty macaron surprise.
Curated by Head Chef Simone Depalmas, the festive highlights include Roasted Turkey in Etruscan style— marinated with Mediterranean fresh herbs and coated with golden acacia honey so that the skin is exceptionally crispy; the heartwarming Truffle Risotto with Parmesan Cheese; and the chef’s speciality: Spanish Suckling Pig, available for order separately from $350 onwards.
The buffet itself will also feature the restaurant’s signatures, such as the decadent Truffle Chicken Liver Brûlée, seafood options from tiger prawns to French oysters, and a platter of cheeses to chase everything down.
When? 24, 25, and 31 Dec, 12pm — 3pm for lunch, 7pm onwards for dinner
Sinfonia Ristorante, #01-01, 11 Empress Place, Victoria Concert Hall, Singapore 179558
$98 onwards per person for the omakase buffet menu
Botanico at The Garage
Spending time in the woods takes on a whole new connotation at The Garage, especially when you consider the refined dining affair residing within Botanico. It is easy to be enthralled by the rustic cabin-themed building in the midst of lush greenery and Nature’s crooning, but the true surprise lies in its food.
The Christmas menu, helmed by Head Chef Sujatha, is inspired by images of cosy fireplaces and smoked meats, and this is evident in her Turkey Roulade dish. Her rendition of the ubiquitous turkey is carefully constructed as a roulade, wrapped in bacon, smoked in 64 degrees with the infusion of Oak chips and placed above a bed of curried mash. The other dish to look out for is the Crab and Chestnut Soup, which is a masterful displacement of familiar flavours to remind us of the holiday spirit.
When? 23 and 25 Dec
Botanico, 50 Cluny Park Road (Level 2), Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore 257488
$68 onwards per person for a six-course brunch menu, $88 onwards per person for a seven-course dinner menu
One Sushi 一口寿司
Here’s an alternative that will appeal to those who consume their food, phone first. The newly opened One Sushi 一口寿司 is almost like if Genki and Sushi Express had a baby: the sushi offerings are value for money, delicious, and delightfully innovative. For starters, their Christmas creations are wonderfully festive without being too whacky.
The Big Sushi Donuts taste as good as they look, probably because of the ingenuity by Chef Wong Eng Chun, the former Grand Hyatt Chef and the mastermind behind Sushi Airways, to incorporate tuna mayo within the rice. The savoury trick complements the thick slices of salmon sashimi and creamy avocado slices, and keeps the rice from being too bland.
The Special Platter, which houses six attractive orbs with savoury surprise in their centres, is also a perfect replacement for the atypical pralines. The liberal amount of mayo only accentuates the various cuts of seafood and meat, from salmon to smoked duck to mock abalone. The result is an uncomplicated, unpretentious attempt to serve up sushi that is tantalising to both the eyes and palate.
When? Now till 31 Dec
One Sushi 一口寿司, 3 Northpoint Drive, Yishun Town Square, #01-04 Singapore 760925
Caffé B
Also Japanese but of the upper-tier with Italian influences, Caffé B still remains one of our best-kept secret for visiting friends. Tucked at the corner of Club Street, the three-storey restaurant greets guests with an impressively long and well-stocked bar on the first floor, before ushering them to an intimate dining area on the second.
Their Christmas menu features a few exclusively conceptualised delights, in particular, the Yuzu marinated Foie Gras Terrine, which has an incredibly rich and smooth mouthfeel, balanced by the fruity notes of the fruits and a dash of balsamic vinegar on the side.
The Porcini Risotto with Maitake and Shiitake mushrooms also hits all the right notes. The generous portion unveils each spoonful of creamy, al dente rice to be completely infused with the earthiness from the mushrooms. Warning: you might succumb to food coma after polishing off this course, so be sure to keep your spirits up with a nice glass of Maceratino from their wine pairing menu.
When? 18 — 25 Dec
Caffé B, 64 Club Street, Singapore 069438
$69 onwards per person for a four-course dinner menu, $95 with wine pairing
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