Check out one of Singapore’s landmarks before it temporarily closes in December

You’ve seen the hoardings, <a href="http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/raffles-hotel-to-undergo-r… target="_blank">heard</a> about the disruptions and must be expecting imminent temporary closure. Raffles Hotel, declared a national monument 30 years ago, will be entering their second phase of restoration works. This means that the main hotel building, lobby, some suites and a bunch of F&B establishments will soon be closing for refurbishment.
The first phase already begun earlier this year—the Victorian-style Jubilee Hall will be turned into a grand ballroom and the Arcade extension will see new dining outlets and a new spa. The hotel will officially <a href="http://www.rafflessingapore.com/restoration/" target="_blank">close temporarily</a> towards the end of the year when it goes into its final phase and will reopen later in the second quarter of next year. The last time they went through restoration works was in 1989; they were closed for a total of two and a half years and reopened in 1991.
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<figure><img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/u142977/grill.jpg" style="width: 100%;" /> 
<figcaption>Raffles Grill</figcaption></figure>
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You still have some time if you wish to dine at Raffles Hotel before biding temporary adieu. This coming weekend will be the last chance for you to check out award-winning fine dining restaurant <a href="http://www.raffles.com/singapore/dining/raffles-grill/" target="_blank">Raffles Grill</a>’s Sunday Champagne Brunch, where you can have your fill of freshly baked breads, a selection of canapes and charcuterie, complemented by glasses of Billecart-Salmon champagne. However, their lunch and dinner offerings of premium cuts, contemporary French cuisine, and degustation menus that include signature dishes like their crispy king crab, confit wild trout and veal shank blanquette will still be offered daily until Aug 12.
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<figure><img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/u142977/tiffin.jpg" style="width: 100%;" /> 
<figcaption>Tiffin Room</figcaption></figure>
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Over at the <a href="http://www.raffles.com/singapore/dining/tiffin-room/" target="_blank">Tiffin Room</a>, where you can experience what it’s like to dine during the old colonial days, you can sit down for a nice English Afternoon Tea available daily until Aug 12, and enjoy a good selection of teas and coffees to go along with a three-tier stand of savories and sweets like finger sandwiches, warm scones with thick cream and homemade jams, strawberry pistachio tartlets, chocolate praline cakes and even dim sum. Otherwise, you can opt for something a little more solid at their North Indian Curry Buffet. Authentic North Indian cuisine is the focus here, with highlights like chutneys, dal and Tandoori naan complemented by flavor-packed, fragrant curries. Lunch and dinner reservations are open until Aug 12 too.
There’s also a specially curated hotel tour to give you a piece of its history as you walk into the wrought-iron portico and visit re-creations of accommodations of famous writer and Nobel Laureate, Rudyard Kipling, who swung by the hotel in 1889. You can book for a 10am, 11:30am, 2pm, 5pm or 7pm slot <a href="https://goo.gl/DGcnoq" target="_blank">here</a>.