What’s better than champagne at breakfast? Especially when said breakfast begins at lunchtime, proceeds at a languorous pace and includes lashings of the finest meats, seafood and other mouthwatering morsels. Here are just a few worth getting out of bed for.
LUCE by Davide Giacomelli
InterContinental Singapore
Sunday brunch at InterContinental Singapore is uniquely Italian, with its charcuterie room, hand-tossed pins, and Chef Davide’s well-loved Italian classics like Gazpacho Di Pomodori. The seafood table, heaving with freshly shucked oysters, Boston lobsters, snow crab legs, and assorted fruits de mer, is the natural centrepiece of the airy, light-filled restaurant. But the real highlight, we think, is the live pasta station tucked in the back: freshly made Mafaldine cacio e pepe tossed in a wheel of Parmesan.
80 Middle Rd, Singapore 188966
And this is possibly the only brunch we’d suggest skipping champagne in favour of Franciacorta, the Italian sparkling wine made using méthode traditionnelle, which makes it closer to champagne than prosecco could ever dream of being. Our Berlucchi 61 Extra Brut was dangerously quaffable, velvety and fresh – pairing perfectly with everything we had.
End things on a high note with the LUCE-misu, the restaurant’s signature take on the iconic Italian dessert. A live jazz band provides an elegant soundtrack to the afternoon of indulgence.
Colony
The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore
This is the grande dame of champagne brunches, regarded for its highly anticipated once-a-year SuperBrunch, where breakfast spills out into the lobby in an extravaganza of free-flowing bubbly, roving performances and live music. Its classic edition is just as opulent, featuring beautifully turned-out food from no less than seven conservatory kitchens. The gleaming Ice Bar, stacked with king crab, langoustine and black mussels, not to mention four varieties of live oysters, also houses the live station for lobster eggs Benedict.
Marina Bay 7, Raffles Ave., Singapore 039799
It’s well worth a stop (or more) before you turn the corner for the gourmet carvery, serving slow-baked Onyx beef tomahawk and spatchcock Bresse chicken; rotating chef’s tables showcase seasonal specials such as Tulang Merah-inspired lamb rib with saffron mashed potatoes.
The exceptional service means the flutes never run dry. The vintage champagne offerings start with The Ritz-exclusive Baron de Rothschild Millésime 2015, but those looking to splash out should go for the pricier Dom Pérignon option. In terms of sheer decadence, it’s hard to beat unlimited pours of Cristal champagne; the S$998 price tag also includes a serving of Oscietra caviar.
Nobu
Four Seasons Singapore
Celebrity chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s eponymous restaurant now offers its inaugural ‘Taste of Nobu ’weekend brunch in its elegant, wood-filled dining room. Diners have their pick of spectacular handcrafted sushi, sashimi and other cold dishes from the live counter, including the iconic Yellowtail Jalapeño, a Nobu-original that encapsulates its distinctive Japanese-Peruvian cuisine. Signature hot dishes, such as the famous Black Cod Miso, can also be enjoyed à la minute.
Make sure to order the not-quite-pasta Squid Pasta, a deceptively simple dish of squid sautéd with a medley of vegetables. For something with a little wow factor, the sizzling F1 Japanese Beef Toban Yaki adds flourish and flavour to the table. Chateau D’Esclans ’crisp Whispering Angel rosé complements the seafood beautifully, but the Hokusetsu sake, especially the Nobu-exclusive Junmai Daiginjo, truly pairs with everything. For wine lovers, there’s the more classical option of Taittinger champagne.
190 Orchard Blvd, Level 3, Singapore 248646
Oh, and leave room for sweets. The exquisite dessert room is worth a visit, if only for a bite of the fluffy Nobu cheesecake. But the chocolate goma mousse is also delicious. PS: request a table by the window to view the sculpted Japanese garden, a Nobu world-first.
15 Stamford by Alvin Leung
The Capitol Kempinski
Housed within the historic, neoclassical Capitol Building, The Capitol Kempinski’s Tropical Sunday Champagne Brunch combines the genre’s greatest hits with modern Asian live stations, such as laksa, pork belly char siew and assorted dim sum. A sprawling charcuterie-board-slash-sushi-counter takes over the restaurant’s sterling cocktail bar for the afternoon, but guests can (and should) order an Old Fashioned or Jungle Bird if they fancy.
The brunch-requisite seafood on ice, which includes baby lobster, seasonal oysters and tuna akami, goes swimmingly with the sparkling Telmont, 15 Stamford’s official champagne partner. The made-to-order foie gras is pan-seared to crisp perfection and topped with banana rum marmalade.
15 Stamford Rd, Singapore 178906
From the carvery, the Wagyu beef hanging tender and Angus beef ribeye, rose-hued and succulent, are definite highlights. Still, it’s much harder to pick favourites from the extensive dessert room. With over 20 pastries, cakes and cookies, and dark and white chocolate fondue, there is something for everyone.
Estate
Hilton Singapore Orchard
You’d expect the Grand Sunday Champagne Brunch to be, well, grand, but Hilton more than delivers with its newly refreshed menu. Let’s begin with the impressive cheese station, home to 32 varieties of artisanal cheeses, including Morbier, Saint-Nectaire AOP Fermier, and 16-month aged Comté. The seafood bar, now expanded to include Maine lobsters and snow crab, also serves plump scallops, Fine de Claires, and a tidy array of sushi and sashimi.
With its many intersecting corridors, the all-day buffet restaurant can feel vaguely labyrinthian, but it also makes every turn a discovery – like finding out that the bar cart is also making fresh, off-menu Moscow Mules. Another noteworthy find? The unique Avocado Bar serves the brunch-favourite fruit in several ways: gazpacho, hummus and bruschetta, to name a few.
333 Orchard Rd, Singapore 238867
There are two new live stations, however, that are worth hunting for – the homemade Orecchiette with locally grown mushrooms, Cèpe sauce and white truffle oil, and the more indulgent Wagyu Beef Rossini with pan-fried foie gras, potato purée, and Périgourdine sauce. Wash it down with copious Laurent-Perrier champagne and Whispering Angel rosé.
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