Affordable French restaurants in Singapore
Pamplemousse's baked eggs in a cocotte. It wasn’t too long ago that a French meal in Singapore would cost the better half of a weekly paycheck. And it still does -- at fine dining institutions and the growing crop of celebrity chef restaurants operating at the two Integrated Resorts.
Fortunately, the French dining landscape has morphed to include more value for money options. When Le Bistrot opened at the National Stadium in 2004, they introduced a reasonably priced prixe fixe menu of classic French dishes that neither scrimped on quality or ingredients: for S$50 you get a choice of two courses, with a S$10 top-up option to add another course.
"A menu like this presents value to the diner," says Le Bistrot's owner Thaddeus Yeo. "Now almost all our guests go for the prix fixe menu. It's just better value."
In these financially unstable times, a reasonably priced menu is certainly being appreciated by diners everywhere. Here are a handful of French eateries in Singapore who are embracing the affordability motto.
Pamplemousse
Named after a grapefruit-scented handwash, Pamplemousse serves modern European cuisine with a twist; think sheets of beef carpaccio topped with sliced Chinese pears drizzled with yuzu and sesame oil dressing and other French classics such as steak frites and duck confit.
The seasonally inspired prix fixe menu (S$58) lets you pick from an extensive menu of eight starters, nine mains and six desserts, some of which are affixed with an additional price supplement.
Our recommendation? The well-salted duck confit, crisp on the outside and fork tender on the inside, which ranks among one of Singapore's best.
How much? S$35 for a three-course set lunch (includes coffee) and S$58 for
a three-course set dinner (excludes coffee).
7 Dempsey Road. Tel +65 6475 0080; http://www.pamplemousse.com.sg
Le Bon Marche
For residents of the Stevens Road enclave, a bowl of heart-warming French onion soup is now a quick walk away at Le Bon Marche bistro in Alocassia (next to the future Stevens Road MRT station).
Proprietor Stephen
Hevre and his wife, Shirley Tang, have crafted a menu of
well-executed French classics and Mediterranean fare at close to heartland prices.
From our
dinner tasting, an autumn warm mushroom timbale and the flavorsome steak with shallot jus and french fries stood out, as did the light-as-air Grand Marnier soufflé.
How much? S$30 for a four-course set lunch (includes coffee) and $48 for a four-course set dinner (excludes coffee).
383 Bukit Timah Road. Tel +65 6226 3269.
Cocotte
Little India may be an unlikely venue to spot a rustic French brasserie but that is exactly where lawyer-turned-hotelier and restaurateur Loh Lik Peng decided to root his traditional French restaurant.
Located at the lobby of the newly opened Wanderlust hotel, the restaurant's centerpiece -- a jet black Moooi Dear Ingo lamp -- may be a head-turner but it is the wallet-friendly hearty French classics made for sharing that are the biggest draw.
Head chef Anthony Yeoh's star dishes include tripe slow-cooked in bouillon then breaded and deep-fried; roast pork collar served in a creamy Dijon mustard sauce with brussel sprouts and crushed potatoes; and an apple tart tartin topped with a dollop of velvety vanilla ice cream.
How much? S$34 for a four-course set lunch (includes coffee) and about S$30-S$50 per head for a three-course dinner (no set available for dinner).
Ground level of Wanderlust Hotel, 2 Dickson Road. Tel +65 6298 1188; www.restaurantcocotte.com
Le Bistrot
Its location at the Indoor Stadium is a little off-beat but this charming bistro which recently celebrated it's sixth anniversary still draws a regular set of customers with its heart-warming French prix fixe menu.
Besides the hearty portions of inventive French cuisine by chef-proprietor Lee Chin Sin, we also love the hospitable service by co-owner Thaddeus Yeo, who runs the floor.
Favorites include the robust and savory French onion soup, the fork-tender beef burgundy on a bed of mash potatoes and a trio of crème brulee all for S$60.
Try to come with an empty stomach as the portions are huge.
How much? S$50 for two-courses (includes coffee) and S$60 (includes
coffee) for three-courses for both lunch and dinner.
#01-03 Kallang Indoor Stadium, 2 Stadium Walk. Tel +65 6447 0018;
http://www.lebistrot.com.sg/
