Regent Singapore recently relaunched its popular Regent Foodie Staycation package. Applicable across all room categories, the package includes a S$200 dining credit for redemption at any of the hotel-managed dining concepts during your stay:
- The acclaimed Manhattan Bar, recently ranked 9th on the Asia’s 50 Best Bars list;
- The Michelin-starred Cantonese restaurant Summer Palace;
- The Italian restaurant with famed cheese room, Basilico;
- The cosy afternoon tea destination Tea Lounge; and
- The Italian gourmet pasticceria Dolcetto.
Any dining amount that is not utilised during the stay will be forfeited and cannot be reimbursed for cash. The Regent Foodie Staycation is only applicable for stays with two adult guests. You are not able to apply IHG One Rewards dining discounts to redemption meals under the package. Requests for early check-in and late checkout are subject to availability. Guests are encouraged to make restaurant reservations ahead of their stay to ensure availability.
The dining credit cannot be redeemed at tenant restaurants Tenshin, Seoul, Taiga Dining and The House Bar.
REGENT SINGAPORE
Opened in 1982, the hotel (which previously served as the The Pavilion Inter-Continental Singapore before converting to a Regent Hotel in 1992) has since become known as one of the city’s most glamorous destinations, in part because of its confident and award-winning F&B programme. The property’s architectural design bears all the hallmarks of the distinctive style of its neo-futuristic architect John Portman, known for the dramatic skylights, glass elevators and soaring atria featured across his projects. (He also designed Mandarin Oriental, Singapore , Pan Pacific Singapore and PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay, with which this hotel shares substantial design DNA.) Past the property’s front doors, guests are greeted by a lushly-landscaped lobby with elegant swirling staircases, water features and four Art Deco-style bubble elevators in the middle of the atrium which ferry guests to the restaurants and guest rooms on the upper floors. The terraced guest floors are vertically stacked in manner of a pyramid, with open corridors oriented towards the towering, skylit atrium. A shimmering sculpture “Singapore Shower” by Japanese sculptor Michio Ihara suspends from the 9th level, adding a dash of glamour to the open, airy proceedings.
In terms of wellness, the hotel has on its 2nd level a fitness centre and an outdoor swimming pool which goes as deep as 2.1km. Notably, the hotel is pet-friendly, offering special room packages across select room categories with accompanying pet amenities for those who want to bring their furry, four-legged friends with them during their stay.
PREMIER ROOM, HIGH FLOOR
Overlooking the peaceful Tanglin residential neighbourhood from the hotel’s highest three floors, the airy and spacious 38sqm Premier Room High Floor retains much of the classic hotel flourishes of its time with a combination of antique furniture, oversized lampshades as well as a combination of dark woods and neutral colours, whilst simultaneously being up-to-date with modern day technological essentials such as the 55-inch LCD satellite TV with Android streaming capabilities and the abundance of bedside and work station power points. The bedroom has sizeable couch seating, a window-side work desk and a pantry equipped with both sachet coffee and Monogram tea-making facilities along with a mini fridge. The comparatively tall-standing bed is made for comfortable moments under the sheets (might be the 400 thread count bed linen), while the window-side antique dresser has a strategically-located power socket for the use of the hairdryer.
The cosy marble bathroom features a single vanity and a partitioned combined shower and bathtub area, with lemon verbena-scented L’Occitane bathroom amenities dispensed from large containers.
THE REGENT FOODIE STAYCATION
Situated on the 3rd floor, the Michelin-starred Chinese concept Summer Palace serves sophisticated Cantonese cuisine and dim sum delicacies in an Oriental-style setting which overlooks the swimming pool. During my stay, I applied some of my Foodie Staycation dining credits towards my choice from the two Chef’s Tasting Menus created by Executive Chef Liu Ching Hai (S$72++ per person for lunch, S$106++ per person for dinner). The Baked Avocado stuffed with Crabmeat and Baby Abalone tantalised with its supple, fleshy vessel with luxurious secrets within, while the Stewed Ee Fu Noodle with Lobster, Ginger and Spring Onion was suitably luxurious in its crustacean joy. In an interesting twist, there is a choice between the two soups available – ladies would be recommended the lightly nourishing Nutritious Bird’s Nest Broth with Fish Maw, Dried Scallops and Ginseng (For Ladies), while male diners are advised to try the decidedly more intensely herbal Essence of Deer Tendon with Abalone, Sea Cucumber and Chinese Herbs (For Gentleman). A perfunctory Google search did not entirely confirm my assumptions as to what the latter is, although search results suggested the meal may have just boosted my strength and virility.
Ranked 9th on this year’s Asia’s 50 Best Bars list, Manhattan Bar is one of the country’s – and indeed the world’s – most popular drinking destinations, having graced the upper echelons of the World’s 50 Best Bars list for many years. Headed by bar manager Rusty Cerven, the sexy and sophisticated bar pays tribute to one of the world’s greatest cities, playing it all old world New York glamour with leather Chesterfield sofas, velvet armchairs, rich drapery as well as black marble textures. The recently-launched cocktail menu is the second instalment of their New York Personified series which showcases a series of drinks inspired by Big Apple luminaries – think pop art legend Andy Warhol, actor and comedian Whoopi Goldberg, singer and peace activist Yoko Ono and actor-songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda (who created the soundtrack of Disney’s Encanto).
Refreshing options from the New York Personified menu include the Whoopi Goldberg-inspired Stellar (Rooibos Tea-Infused Red Wine, Mezcal, Laird’s Applejack, Fresh Lemon Juice, Orange) and Andy Warhol-based Marilyn (Maker’s Mark Private Select, Osmanthus Tea, Kaffir Lime And Pomegranate Cordial, Java Apple, Ginger). Those who prefer their cocktails spirit-forward can opt for the Hamilton (Westland American Single Malt, Remy Martin 1738 Cognac, Lustau Px Sherry, Muyu Vetiver Gris, Mozart Chocolate), named after Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hip-hop musical about Alexander Hamilton, or the judicially potent Notorious R.B.G. (Westland Peated Whiskey, Nikka Miyagikyo, Cocchi Rosa, Mathilde Cassis, Black Cardamom, Angostura Bitters), which pays tribute to the legacy of Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Basilico is an Italian all-day dining concept located on the 2nd floor which serves an extensive range of antipasti, mains and desserts across its different a la carte and buffet menus, including their weekday buffet lunch, weekend brunch as well as Basilissimo dinner menus. It is also the venue where buffet breakfast is served.
Located on the ground level, the colonial garden-styled Tea Lounge serves afternoon tea on weekdays as well as supersized sessions upgraded with a full buffet with more premium offerings during the weekends. Examples of their afternoon tea themes include their ongoing Korean theme (think Spicy Chicken Dak-Bokkeum-Tang, Housemade Organic Cabbage Kimchi Pancake with Spicy Octopus and Quiche and Honey Soy-glazed Chicken) and their special Italian Week menus which run from 30 May to 5 June 2022.
After afternoon tea service, the Tea Lounge transforms into Park90, a wine bar by night which offers up to 1000 labels of wine paired with sharing plates from both Basilico and Summer Palace. (Note that your Regent Foodie Staycation dining credit is not redeemable at Park90.)
Ground level gourmet pasticceria Dolcetto by Basilico serves Italian pastries, cakes, gelati and paninis which can be paired with either coffee or tea (or, alternatively, an Italian craft beer or Aperol Spritz if you’re in that kind of mood). Takeaway arrangements or leisurely dining-in are both possible, with both indoor and outdoor seats available.
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
Regent Singapore offers very distinct dining experiences, and the customisable and versatile Regent Foodie Staycation gives you the opportunity to either sample different dining concepts during your stay or indulge in one epic meal. Definitely worthy of consideration if you are looking for a food-themed staycation.
Regent Singapore
1 Cuscaden Road
Singapore 249715
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