Arossa
The five-course meal ($75/person) at this Japanese-leaning Italian restaurant includes Hokkaido scallop carpaccio with caviar and mango sauce; homemade ravioli ripieno beef cheek with potato cream sauce; and a Singapore-inspired red and white dessert made with yogurt and berry semifreddo. Those who book with Arossa’s website for this dinner, running from Aug 1-10, also get a free Singapore Sling.
Bedrock Bar & Grill
Have something a little boozy this time with a five-course Glenmorangie whisky-pairing dinner. At $138 per person, this carnivore’s dream dinner has the likes of NY strip steak, beef carpaccio and Saga-Gyu ribeye, all paired with Glenmorangie whisky.
Brussels Sprouts
A favorite among moules-frites fans, this homey space will serve a two-day National Day menu on Aug 9 and 10. Locally-tinged dishes like prawn and mussels dumpling, pork hor fun and ice kachang ball deviate from their usual traditional European fare, but is a welcome change for Singapore’s 49th birthday.
Casa Verde
For something lush, green and not so indulgent, Les Amis’ casual Botanic Gardens bistro has you covered. The heritage-themed menu includes local favorites like laksa, char kway teow and chicken curry noodles. For a mere $9.80, you get your dish of choice and a soft drink from Aug 4-8.
Dolce Vita
With a new head chef, this Italian restaurant at Mandarin Oriental offers a five-course meal ($168/person) with dishes like seafood and shell fish soup, king crab, scallop, cod and tiger prawns, as well as lamb chops with potato sabayon, artichokes and morel mushrooms. With an option for an additional wine pairing at $268/person, the night is also topped off with a fireworks display from by their poolside on Aug 2 and 9.
Enoteca L’Operetta
Seems like five is the magic number with yet another five-course dinner at this Italian-Japanese place. Expect wagyu carpaccio as an appetizer, a grilled Iberico pork main and Caprese-style sorbet rounding things off for dessert. For $98 per person, we say it’s a pretty worthwhile meal with its Boat Quay location where you may just get to peek at the fireworks.
Forlino
The classic Italian restaurant helmed by Japanese chef Kentaro Torii presents a buffet dinner menu with five different stations. While the cold station has items like cold cuts, ocean trout carpaccio and Mediterannean seafood salads, there are also raw oysters and roast suckling pig at the live station. Locally inspired highlights include wagyu satay and chili crab raviolone. For $208 per person, drink in the view from One Fullerton and watch the fireworks while stuffing yourself silly.
Ku De Ta
Always a hot ticket for National Day festivities, Ku De Ta’s a prime firework-watching restaurant. This year, their Asian-influenced menu includes tuna belly sushi, pan seared foie gras with mango sorbet and miso dulcey, Irish free-range rib eye with chili miso and a Singapore Sling translated as a dessert. Although it’s pricey at $268 per head (and an additional $128/person for wine pairing), the view doesn’t get any better than this.
NOX Dine in the Dark
If watching the fireworks isnn’t your thing (or seeing anything at all, really) then this alternative dining experience should prove interesting. From Aug 4-10, plunge into complete darkness with their menu consisting of European dishes inspired by local flavors and Singaporean heritage. There will also be special desserts and cocktails for the occasion.
The Pelican Seafood Bar & Grill
The seafood-centric four-course dinner on Aug 9 ($120/person) will have raw jumbo scallop salad, home-cured Norwegian salmon, as well as beef striploin and yellow fin tuna loin. Coupled with the fireworks, there’s a complimentary glass of Veuve Clicquot Champagne.
How about some drinks?
D’Bell
This modern Indian restaurant on North Canal Road has a National Day drink promotion for their upstairs lounge. Buckets of beer and selected wines go for $49, while signature cocktails get 20% off from 6pm onwards on Aug 9.
Jekyll & Hyde
If eating’s not your thing then have a tipple or two toasting Singapore’s birthday. Their famous Gluttony drink (fondly known as the tau huey cocktail) is going for 49% off. A concoction with vodka, frangelico, kaya and butterscotch liqueur, this is definitely a local drink through and through.
