I hate buffets. I really do. I hate the uncontrollable urge to stuff myself silly just to make my money's worth as well as the mockery I make of myself in trying to juggle my food laden plates while standing in queue to get more servings of the same food. On the same note, I headed down to Bar & Billiard Room for a buffet dinner with my gf on a Saturday evening. Ironical isn't it?
Exterior
Interior
Located in a seperate building by itself within the Raffles compound, Bar & Billiard Room opened in the mid 1890s to much success. However in 1917, in response to changing lifestyles, it closed down to make way for more guest rooms. With the restoration of Raffles Hotel in the late 1980s and early 90s, Bar & Billiard Room was restored to its original appearance, circa 1910 cast iron porches and all.
Stepping into Bar & Billiard Room is akin to stepping right into a bar of the old colonial period - a scene only witnessed on television. Classic Victorian architecture coupled with magnificent window arches, high ceilings and elaborate hanging lamps make for an interesting history trip. Sublime old world charm at its finesse!
Stepping into Bar & Billiard Room is akin to stepping right into a bar of the old colonial period - a scene only witnessed on television. Classic Victorian architecture coupled with magnificent window arches, high ceilings and elaborate hanging lamps make for an interesting history trip. Sublime old world charm at its finesse!
Some random shots of the buffet spread and the food
Honestly I don't know how I should go about doing a writeup on a buffet because there are just too many things to talk about. Variety wise, Bar & Billiard Room doesn't exactly stand out due to its rather limited offerings. I'm talking about probably 30 different food items, 10 odd dessert items, a few types of cheese and bread. Quality wise, the food is quite acceptable, with more emphasis on finesse rather than taste. I did like the pasta and the lobsters though! The only thing that differentiates this place from other buffet places(the ones that I've been to) is the outdoor BBQ section which grills up lamb, beef, pork, fish and sausages for you, some a tad too burnt though.

Bill
Overall Bar & Billiard Room is a very nice chill back place to have dinner and catch up amidst the twinkling chandeliers and colonial backdrop. But at $150 for 2 pax, you better think real hard.
Likes: Good service, refined food
Dislikes: Limited variety, expensive, food not outstanding
Final Verdict:
Ambience:8.5/10
Service:8/10
Food:6.5/10
Value for money:6/10
Overall:7.25/10
Address: Raffles Hotel
Contact:64121194
Opening Hours:
Cocktails
Daily - 11:30 am to 12:30 am
Lunch
Monday to Saturday - 11:30 am to 2:00 pm
Brunch
Sunday - 11:30 am to 2:30 pm
Afternoon Tea
Monday to Saturday - 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm
Sunday - 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm
Dinner
Monday to Saturday - 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Likes: Good service, refined food
Dislikes: Limited variety, expensive, food not outstanding
Final Verdict:
Ambience:8.5/10
Service:8/10
Food:6.5/10
Value for money:6/10
Overall:7.25/10
Address: Raffles Hotel
Contact:64121194
Opening Hours:
Cocktails
Daily - 11:30 am to 12:30 am
Lunch
Monday to Saturday - 11:30 am to 2:00 pm
Brunch
Sunday - 11:30 am to 2:30 pm
Afternoon Tea
Monday to Saturday - 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm
Sunday - 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm
Dinner
Monday to Saturday - 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm
8 comments:
wow...really steep price for buffet man.. :)
Ya man. For that price, I rather top up a few dollars and eat at The Line at 68++/pax.
no feed at raffles discount?
FAR is applicable, but I was using complimentary vouchers :)
sign up for AMEX then, got 50% off
Signing up for AMEX entitles you to a FAR card, which I already have :)
TRY MELT THE WORLD CAFE IT ROCKS. oriental hotel.
the varitety of food is insane and tastes sooo good.. personally ive tried bar and billiard and carousel and raffles chains of buffet, i rate MELT the best. havent tried The Line. but Melt's food makes you melt literally.. its wayy flavourful. all the flavours just explode in your mouth. especially all the pan seared foods. alaskan king crab is amazingly sweet. seafood section is 10/10 fresh.dont waste your stomach space on the chinese section. we eat tt all the time at home. mm.. the north indian cuisine is flavourPOWERED. they're famous for it. thai section's good too.. the grill however.. is just soso. not bad but in comparison to all the yummy food indoors, u rather not get full on the grill. if u see bacon wrapped huge prawns cooked with garlic and some seasonging. EAT THAT. they can make pumpkin soup taste very delectable too. and OH. they're starter salad-jao-cheese&bread-appetizer section has a very impressive spread. u never knew u could make so many kinds of salads and they all taste fantastic. eat cheese and bread stuff last. u would wanna save space trust me. ok thats all. hope this helps. MELT makes your tastebuds melt.
wow rach thats a very detailed breakdown. I'm not really a fan of buffets else I'll defintitely try Melts. =) ps. Their prices have been rocketing.
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