Michelin-starred Jag Restaurant serves up exquisite French dining with a river view, and new a la carte selection for autumn

Here’s something that might interest French food fans: Michelin-starred Restaurant Jag now has new leadership.

Those who have made it a point to keep up with fine-dining news would be well-acquainted with Restaurant Jag, a respected establishment that opened in 2018 and has earned itself a Michelin star every year since the Guide’s inception here in 2019.

In a year where we’re seeing more Michelin-starred restaurants closing, this new chapter sees young blood injecting fresh ideas into a stalwart restaurant — definitely something to look forward to!

This revitalisation of leadership will see founders, chef Jeremy Gillon and hospitality maestro Anant Tyagi, take a step back from operations.

Jeremy remains a shareholder, while Anant will still be consulting with the new leadership as a dedicated owner.

In their place, Restaurant Jag is now led by new executive chef Laurence Tan and general manager Maryjoy Lim, who have both been groomed for these roles over the years.

Loyal fans can continue to expect the sophisticated contemporary French cooking that Restaurant Jag has become known for, with a reverence for seasonality and carefully sourced produce, especially vegetables.

At the same time, guests can expect a more youthful, rejuvenated experience, seen through little touches such as signature scents, alongside larger shifts such as in the curation of wine and cheese.

With its elegant decor and a nice view overseeing the Singapore River, it also makes a great spot for those looking to commemorate a special occasion! 

Restaurant Jag’s a la carte menu

As a fine-dining outfit, Restaurant Jag has traditionally offered only a curated, tasting-menu experience, but the team understands not everyone can commit to a full tasting menu.

If you’re willing to take the hit to your wallet, the signature grand experience goes for S$298 — though there is also a more affordable, truncated lunch tasting menu and light dinner tasting menu at S$175. 

Since late 2024, however, Restaurant Jag has offered an a la carte menu (that requires at least one main to be ordered), so you can pick and choose from its hits.

Even if you’re going for the full experience, Restaurant Jag still pampers customers with a complimentary bread course and amuse bouche.

The bread, in particular, was very enjoyable — served with two types of bread, and two types of butter.

Interestingly, while its French in scope, one of the bread is jazzed up with bak kut teh seasoning, giving it a comforting dose of pepper and garlic fragrance.

We love it with the salted butter!

As for the dishes you can find on the a la carte menu, Restaurant Jag is very focused on seasonality and its offerings vary.

Currently, for the autumn season, our favourite appetiser is the pan-seared foie gras and pink guava (S$48).

The foie gras is gratuitously rich and buttery, as good foie gras should be, and is enchantingly balanced with the vivacious tang of the braised pink guava and pink guava sorbet.

Since it’s a French restaurant, conventional wisdom says that ordering the Sanchoku wagyu beef tartare (from S$48) is a must — but Restaurant Jag puts an interesting twist on this French staple.

The luscious chunks of tender, slightly fatty wagyu beef are mixed with oyster sauce and sesame seeds and are imbued with this familiarly Asian fragrance and umami.

Premium ingredients are key

When it comes to the mains, Restaurant Jag’s a la carte menu offers a whole slew of high-quality proteins to best showcase the restaurant’s cooking — these, of course, come at a premium.

There’s a good variety of both seafood and meatier options, ranging from pan-seared sea bream (S$86) to pan-seared Sanchoku wagyu striploin (S$108).

The whole roasted pigeon (S$98) is one of our favourites, featuring some immensely succulent and lightly crispy pigeon.

It comes paired with a rich and gently acidic sauce to complement the bird, and some pieces of soft and earthy beetroot that were equally delicious.

As for seafood lovers, a more luxurious option would be the pan-seared whole Boston lobster (S$98).

Wonderfully bouncy lobster and a fragrant and buttery sauce? Can’t go wrong with that.

But it was Restaurant Jag’s little touches that really made this memorable, with the fabulously pillowy water chestnut gnocchi on the side adding a lot of style points to this dish.

To cap it off, we were recommended the Sollies fig and dark chocolate (S$25) for dessert and it’s a delightful mix of fig tartness and chocolate richness.

Ultimately, it’s hard to judge a fine dining restaurant such as Restaurant Jag based solely on its a la carte menu.

But from what we can see (or taste), chef Laurence has persisted with the style of finessed and elevated modern French flavours that made Restaurant Jag stand out while under chef Jeremy. 

There’s no doubt the prices are steep but it’s a good starting point for those who are looking for a meal in the S$100-200 range, but still want to indulge themselves a bit.

This was a hosted tasting.

For more ideas on what to eat, read our stories on where to go for the best view for F1 weekend and CBD’s hottest new Mexican bar.