The buzz: Founded by Alex Chew and Raj Datwani—who made a name for themselves hosting raucous pop up meals as part of the Bacchanalia Brunch Series—this restaurant is housed in the historic Masonic Club building.
The vibe: Inspired by a glass of Champagne, the space includes 400 hand-blown glass bubbles hanging from the ceiling imported from the US. The atmosphere at the 150-seater is pretty mellow most nights, but the restaurant is well equipped to host their high energy blowout brunches. There are even special in-seat compartments for ladies to store their heels (when they dance on the tabletops).
The food: On the menu are sharing plates (categorized as vegetable, seafood or meat) like fennel and Tahitian vanilla salad ($15), mackerel with beets ($24), and steak and eggs ($38), care of chefs who used to work at The Fat Duck. Desserts are comforting classics with a twist such as the rice pudding with morello cherries ($14).
The drinks: There’s plenty of Champagne (from $26), which you can also order up in a range of Champagne cocktails for a $3 supplement. Sip up options like the Kir Bacchanalia (with framboise) and the Old Cuban, with rum, lime and mint. The rest of the wine list (from $15/glass, $38/bottle) is diverse, international and pretty affordable, plus there’s a range of sakes (from $90) too.
Why you’ll be back: For a surprisingly good value meal in a swish, underrated space that’s far from the maddening crowd.
Bacchanalia has relocated to 39 HongKong Street. For more info, head here.
