6 restaurants in Singapore for the best-value festive feasting with friends and family

’Tis the season for feasting and eating with your loved ones this Christmas!

Thanks to special dining promotions from Citi Gourmet Pleasures, festive spreads and seasonal treats don’t necessarily have to break the bank.

Head to any of these six restaurants, and pay with your Citi credit card for the best-value dining deals in town. Plus, enjoy 6 per cent cash back when you pay with your Citi Cash Back Card.

Asian flavours

1. Hanare by Takayama

Takashimaya Shopping Centre, 03-07, 391 Orchard Road
Nearest MRT station: Orchard
Opens: Mondays to Sundays (12pm to 10pm)

Opened in November last year, Japanese restaurant Hanare by Takayama focuses on kamameshi (kettle rice). 

This is a traditional rice dish that is slow-cooked in a metal pot with a variety of ingredients, including vegetables, seafood or meat, and seasoned with soy sauce, sake or mirin. 

The result: A meal that is hearty, warm and comforting to the tummy.

The restaurant prides itself on using Japan’s best koshikari rice — a premium short-grain with low GI (glycaemic index) — in its kamameshi. Besides that, it uses fresh, seasonal produce, so diners may find ingredients such as Tottori snow crabs on the menu.

Lunch sets, which include chawanmushi, salad, seasonal sashimi, miso soup, pickles and dessert, are available from S$37. 

What to order: Wagyu kamameshi (S$58), salmon and ikura kamameshi (S$50), grilled yellowtail cheek (S$38)

Citi Gourmet Pleasures offer: 
10 per cent off with a minimum spending of S$100, as well as a complimentary portion of salmon or amberjack sashimi (U.P. from S$13) with any a la carte order of kamameshi. Valid until Dec 30, 2022 from Sundays to Thursdays, from 5pm onwards.

2. New Ubin Seafood

New Ubin Seafood Chijmes
Chijmes, 02-01, 30 Victoria Street
Nearest MRT station: Raffles City
Opens: Mondays (5.30pm to 10pm), and Tuesdays to Sundays (11am to 3pm, 5.30pm to 10pm)

New Ubin Seafood @ Zhongshan Park
Ramada by Wyndham Singapore at Zhongshan Park, 16 Ah Hood Road
Nearest MRT station: Novena
Opens: Mondays to Sundays (12pm to 3pm, 6pm to 10pm)

New Ubin Seafood MYMCA Stevens
Metropolitan YMCA Lobby, 60 Stevens Road
Nearest MRT station: Stevens
Opens: Mondays to Sundays (11am to 10.30pm)

Homegrown zi char restaurant New Ubin Seafood is serving up festive platters for family feasts, but with its signature Singapore twist.

Meat lovers, look out for the Merry Meat Platter (S$118 for four people), which includes a half-rack of Canadian pork ribs, crispy pork jowl, New Zealand premium lamb rack and lime leaf chicken.

Meanwhile, the Santa Claws Pot (S$118) will truly hit the spot if you’re craving shellfish. It includes Boston lobster, white manila clams, black mussels, lobster bisque as well as “live” tiger prawns and mud crabs.

If you’re looking for something more traditional, a house-smoked turkey (from S$178) and Christmas stollen (S$48) are also available.

What to order: Merry Meat Platter (S$118 for four people), Santa Claws Pot (S$118), curry chicken pie (S$58)

Citi Gourmet Pleasures offer: 
Complimentary Brinjal Delight dish (U.P. S$26) with every pre-order of the Merry Meat Platter. Valid until Dec 11, 2022.

Afternoon tea

3. 1864

Sofitel Singapore City Centre, 5th floor, 9 Wallich Street
Nearest MRT station: Tanjong Pagar
Opens: Mondays to Sundays (8am to 10.30pm)

Situated in the heart of the Central Business District, 1864 is a short jaunt from the scenic Marina Bay area.

The restaurant is chic, comfortable and convivial — great for leisurely afternoons with friends and loved ones. This is especially so with its latest slate of festive offerings.

Christmas classics, such as the mini-roasted turkey sandwich and pecan cinnamon cheesecake, as well as fusion creations including crabmeat with pumpkin in a pie tee shell (thin pastry cups), are served as part of the Festive Afternoon Set.

What to order: Festive Afternoon Tea (S$128 for two diners, S$64 for each additional diner)

Citi Gourmet Pleasures offer: 
30 per cent off afternoon tea, including Festive High Tea. Valid until Dec 30, 2022. Discounts are not applicable from Dec 24 to Dec 25.

4. Lobby Bar

Sheraton Towers Singapore, 39 Scotts Road
Nearest MRT station: Newton
Opens: Mondays to Sundays (11am to 9.30pm)

Take a break from bustling Christmas crowds in Orchard with an afternoon stop at the Lobby Bar.

Treat yourself to a three-tiered afternoon tea set with decadent delights such as lobster vol-au-vent (puff pastry) with citrus cognac, chunky crab tartar and avocado in crispy golden cup, raspberry upside down cake, and more. 

In addition to a glass of welcome bubbly, there’s also classic tea must-haves, including scones, focaccia sandwiches, sweets and various treats.

What to order: Afternoon tea (from S$58 per person, 2pm to 5pm)

Citi Gourmet Pleasures offer:
Diners will enjoy 25 per cent off afternoon tea. Valid until Dec 31, 2022. Prepaid reservations are required.

All-you-can-eat buffets

5. Food Capital

Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel, 392 Havelock Road
Nearest MRT station: Havelock
Opens: Mondays to Sundays (12pm to 2.30pm, 6pm to 10pm).

Buffets are back! Head to Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel’s Food Capital restaurant for a sumptuous spread to mark the occasion.

What’s Christmas without the classics? Feast on traditional roasted turkey, maple-glazed honey gammon ham, and lamb shank in osso bucco-style. 

Expect a mouthwatering ensemble of seasonal delights, including Food Capital’s Festive Risotto. Diners can also enjoy pasta freshly tossed in a Parmigiano wheel, in addition to premium toppings such as black truffle and foie gras. 

Go all out and top up S$80 for free-flow champagne, wines, beers, soft drinks and chilled juice for two hours.

What to order: Festive buffet (from S$72 for adults, S$36 for children)

Citi Gourmet Pleasures offer:
20 per cent off festive buffet. Valid until Dec 31, 2022. Discounts are not applicable on Dec 24, 25 and 31.

6. Town Restaurant

The Fullerton Hotel Singapore, 1 Fullerton Square
Nearest MRT station: Raffles Place
Opens: Monday to Saturday (12pm to 2.30pm, 6.30pm to 10pm), Sunday (12pm to 3pm, 6.30pm to 10pm)

Take in the sights of the bay with your meal at The Fullerton Hotel Singapore’s Town Restaurant.

You’d be spoilt for choice. Start with fresh seafood on ice — poached sea prawns, half-shell scallops, mussels and clams — and a range of cheeses, charcuterie and salads. 

There’s even a sliders-and-taco station featuring hand-pulled turkey. 

Then move to the meat of it: Christmas carves, pizza, pasta and Asian delights such as sashimi, Singapore laksa and kueh pie tee.

To commemorate the festive season, the restaurant is running a barbecue dinner buffet on Fridays and Saturdays until the end of the year. Besides the usual buffet staples, there’s plenty of charcoal-grilled delicacies to savour. Think Creole spice bamboo lobster, Peruvian spice grass-fed Angus ribeye and yakiniku sakura chicken thigh.

What to order: Festive international lunch buffet (from S$72 for adults, S$36 for children), Sunday brunch (from S$148 for adults, S$74 for children), Sunday to Thursday dinner buffet (S$98 for adults, S$49 for children), and Friday and Saturday barbecue dinner buffet (S$118 for adults, S$59 for children)

Citi Gourmet Pleasures offer:
One dines free with every three paying adults for lunch (Monday to Saturday), Sunday brunch and daily dinner buffet. Valid until Dec 30, 2022. Discounts are not applicable from Dec 24 to Dec 25.

Hanare by Takayama, New Ubin Seafood, and Food Capital are on the GrabFood delivery service. Alternatively, book a ride to these locations.

This article was written in partnership with Citi Gourmet Pleasures. Food information is accurate at the point of writing — check with the eateries for the latest details.