15 Dim Sum Buffets in Singapore For You To Eat Until You’re Bao
For the rare few who have never tried them, Dim Sum are small plates of beloved Cantonese snacks. There’s a vast array of these bite-sized delights to choose from — some savoury and steamed, others sweet and fried — making Dim Sum a real crowd-pleaser.
The only trouble with Dim Sum lies in their small portions. Each serving of Dim Sum commonly comes in a steamer basket of three to four pieces, meaning you might only get to eat one miserable piece of your favourite Dim Sum if you’re dining with a group. That’s a real travesty to me, as I alone can easily wipe off fifteen dumplings in a sitting.
Thankfully, many Dim Sum restaurants have long recognized this problem and come up with an ingenious solution: Dim Sum Buffets. For all the big-eaters, Dim Sum devotees and buffet-lovers out there, I’ve compiled a list of 15 Best Dim Sum Buffets in Singapore, because who doesn’t love a dumpling or two? … Or fifty?
Do take note that this list only includes the buffets’ adult prices, and it usually costs less to bring your child.
15. Ban Heng Pavilion Restaurant
Stepping into Ban Heng Pavilion Restaurant feels like you’re attending a Chinese wedding banquet, because of the size and grandeur of the dining hall. For just $18.80 on weekdays ($21.80++ on weekends), you’ll have access to their All You Can Eat Dian Xin Lunch menu with more than 37 items to choose from.
I personally find their Dim Sum items alright, but Ban Heng’s allure lies in their affordable price and extensive spread. Definitely a quantity more than quality situation here. They do impose a 4 person minimum requirement in order to have buffet, so make Dim Sum a whole-family affair and get a table.
Ban Heng Pavilion Restaurant: 1 Maritime Square, HarbourFront Centre, #04-01, Singapore 099253 | Dim Sum Buffet available Mondays to Sundays, 1130-1430 | Tel: 6278 0288 / 6278 1354 | Website
14. Hai Tien Lo
At Hai Tien Lo, Master Chef Lai Tong Ping presents a Weekday Dim Sum Buffet priced at $56 per person. Nestled within Pan Pacific Singapore, you can expect a sophisticated dining experience with expertly hand-crafted Dim Sum items and a complimentary serving of Chilled Homemade Beancurd with Bird’s Nest to boot.
Do note, however, that Hai Tien Lo imposes restrictions (i.e. Three Choices Per Table/One Serving of Any Two Items Per Person) on three out of four categories in their buffet menu. Pragmatically, I understand these limitations. Still, I can’t help but feel slightly irritated.
Hai Tien Lo: Pan Pacific Singapore, 7 Raffles Boulevard, Marina Square, Singapore 039595 | Dim Sum Buffet available Mondays to Fridays, 1130-1430 | Tel: 6336 8111 | Website
13. Swatow Seafood
Good old Swatow Restaurant at Toa Payoh is a reliable place for Dim Sum. Located within walking distance to our office, I’ve been there on a few occasions to grab a bite and they didn’t disappoint. Their Dim Sum Hi-Tea Buffet ($19.80 on Weekdays, $22.80 on Weekends) is pretty good, and even includes one serving of Shark’s Fin Soup with Crab Meat per person.
Served on traditional pushcarts instead of via an order sheet, you gotta be quick to snap up your desired dishes before other diners do.
Swatow Restaurant: Blk 181 Lorong 4 Toa Payoh, #02-602, Singapore 310181 | Dim Sum Buffet available Mondays to Sundays, 1500-1700 | Tel: 6363 1717 | Website
12. Peach Garden Restaurant
Situated in the enrichment-centre-riddled Thomson Plaza, Peach Garden is a family favourite dining spot that serves quite a popular Weekend Hi-Tea Dim Sum Buffet ($22.80). They don’t have a particularly expansive selection of Dim Sum items, but there are are some interesting items to try. The flavourful Vinegar Pork Trotter is worth some stomach space, in my opinion.
Peach Garden: 301 Upper Thomson Road, #01-88, Thomson Plaza, Singapore 574408 | Dim Sum Buffet available Saturdays and Sundays, 1500-1700 | Tel: 6451 3233 | Website
11. Yan Ting
If you fancy yourself an epicurean, then plain old Dim Sum won’t cut it for you. Yan Ting has the most extravagant Weekend Dim Sum Brunch buffet on this list, coming in at a cool $108++ ($168++ with complimentary flow of champagne, beer, wines and other beverages).
$108 is rather steep, but rest assured you’re paying for quality. This Dim Sum Brunch boasts ultra luxe ingredients like Abalone, Black Truffle, Black Garlic and Boston Lobster, all of which contribute to the hefty price tag but taste so, so fine.
Yan Ting: 29 Tanglin Rd, St.Regis Hotel (Level 1U), Singapore 247911 | Tel: 65066887 | Website
10. Man Fu Yuan
Intercontinental Hotel’s Man Fu Yuan is bright and charming, making it a lovely place for a brunch gathering. Their Dim Sum Buffet Brunch ($58++) runs only on weekends, but each Dim Sum morsel is executed with finesse and served to you by attentive service staff.
As Man Fu Yuan’s buffet is done in an Ala Carte style, you can dine comfortably instead of being at the mercy of constantly-moving push carts or subject to buffet-line queues.
Man Fu Yuan: Intercontinental Hotel, 80 Middle Rd, Singapore 188966 |Dim Sum Buffet available Saturdays and Sundays, 1145-1530 | Tel: 6338 7600 | Website
9. Si Chuan Dou Hua
For a fine-dining Chinese restaurant, I was surprised to find that Si Chuan Dou Hua serves a quality Dim Sum Buffet at a relatively reasonable price. Si Chuan Dou Hua does justice to classics like the fragrant, savoury Pan-fried Carrot Cake and soft, sweet Char Siew Buns, but their newer items like Fragrant Yam Cake with Waxed Meat are also equally delicious.
I hear Si Chuan Dou Hua is currently running a promotion on their daily Dim Sum buffet. Originally priced at $32 per pax, you can now savour their buffet for just $50 nett for two persons on weekdays (and $50++ on weekends), with a minimum of 4 persons per booking.
Si Chuan Dou Hua: 181 Kitchener Rd, Singapore 208533 | Dim Sum Buffet available Mondays to Fridays, 1130-1400 |Dim Sum Buffet available Saturdays, Sundays & Public Holidays, 1130-1500 | Tel: 6428 3170 | Website
8. Cherry Garden
Cherry Garden, I will say, is a cut above their Peach counterpart in terms of the quality of their food. This is made quite evident by the plethora of premium offerings in their Weekend Dim Sum Brunch ($68++) spread such as double-boiled Cantonese soups, Honey Glazed Kurobuta Pork Char Siew and Wafer-Wrapped Cod Fillet with Black Pepper and of course, as well as the disparity in prices.
Cherry Garden is also rather unique because its Dim Sum Buffet comes with one-of-a-kind desserts. Have you seen Cherries in Wine Cocktail Jelly with Refreshing Lychee Sorbet on the menu anywhere else?
Cherry Garden: 5 Raffles Ave, Singapore 039797 | Dim Sum Buffet available Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays, 1100-1300 and 1330-1530 | Tel: 6885 3500 | Website
7. Jade Restaurant
Jade Restaurant’s Delightful Weekend Dim Sum Gourment Brunch ($39++) is slightly mid-range pricing, but for a hotel restaurant-standard Dim Sum Buffet, I’d say it’s quite worth your dollar. I like that their menu is quite extensive and features classic items that have been tweaked slightly to breathe new life into old flavours — the Steamed Osmanthus Char Siew Pau and Steamed Green Tea Custard Bun to name a few examples.
Jade Restaurant: 1 Fullerton Square, Singapore 049178 | Dim Sum Buffet available Saturdays and Sundays, 1100-1245 and 1315-1500 | Tel: 6733 8388 | Website
6. Yum Cha
Yum Cha has been around since 2000, and used to be my family’s number one Dim Sum spot. Their Weekday Dim Sum Buffet ($23.80++) serves decently yummy items, with more than 60 different options to choose from. My old favourites are their Baked Mini Egg Tarts, Prawn & Mango Sesame Fritters and Crystal Mushroom Dumplings.
With a long history in the Dim Sum business, I think Yum Cha has managed to strike a satisfactory balance between the pricing of their buffet and the quality of their Dim Sum.
Yum Cha: 20 Trengganu St, #02-01 Chinatown, Singapore 058479 | Dim Sum Buffet available Mondays to Fridays, 1500-1800 | Tel: 6372 1717 | Website
5. Peony Jade
Located quite deep in Keppel Club, Peony Jade offers a lesser known gem of a Weekday & Weekend Dim Sum Buffet Lunch (#33.80++ on Weekdays, $32.80++ on Weekends). The buffet is real value for money with freshly made items like Deep-Fried Prawn in Creamy Yolk, Fried Banana Fritters and even Roasted Duck.
I’d recommend their Dim Sum Buffet to people living or working near the Telok Blangah area and are looking for a good quality Dim Sum meal, but you should definitely drive there because the walk in was no fun at all.
Peony Garden: Keppel Club, 10 Bukit Chermin Road | Dim Sum Buffet available Mondays to Fridays, 1100-1430 | Saturdays and Sundays, 1100-1300 and 1300-1430 | Tel: 6276 9138 | Website
4. Empress
Situated in the stately Asian Civilisation Museum, Empress is a swanky dining room serving up contemporary fare. Their Weekend Dim Sum Brunch ($58) has a decidedly smaller spread than I’ve seen at other establishments, but they compensate for this with modern, unusual items.
Such as the Not-So Portugese Egg Tart, served with Milk Gelato and Local Milk Tea Caramel and the Crispy Battered Sea Grouper with Yuzu, Spicy Ginger Flower Glaze. This is a great place to dine if you’re looking for Dim Sum that is chic, modern and delicious.
Empress: 1 Empress Place, #01-03, Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore 179555 | Dim Sum Buffet available Saturdays and Sundays, 1130-1500 | Tel: 6776 0777 | Website
3. Coffee Lounge
The dignified Goodwood Park Hotel’s Coffee Lounge is the ideal location for an elegant Dim Sum meal. They serves a variety of exquisite Dim Sum, which they have recently combined with their afternoon tea menu to produce the Local High Tea ($39++) on Fridays and weekends. Expect classic Dim Sum fare like the Shrimp Dumpling (Har gau) and Chicken Siew Mai, as well as mainstays like DIY Kueh Pie Tee and Chicken curry.
This is better news for hungry folk, who can now have an even greater spread of items to choose from — all for the price of $39++, which is what other restaurants charge for just Dim Sum alone.
Coffee Lounge: 22 Scotts Rd, Goodwood Park Hotel, Singapore 228221 | Dim Sum Buffet available Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, 1500-1730 | Tel: 6730 1746 |
2. Tung Lok Seafood
Alright, don’t let the ‘Seafood’ in Tung Lok Seafood throw you off the Dim Sum scent here. Tung Lok may specialise in cooking seafood, but that hasn’t stopped them from crafting excellent dumplings and delicate pastries.
I find it all the better that the restaurant has plenty of fresh seafood around, because it goes into creating quality Dim Sum items like the Royal Shrimp Dumpling, Fresh Salmon Sashimi and Fish Maw Broth with Four Treasures. At $26.80++ per person, this Ala Carte Dim Sum Lunch Buffet seems reasonably priced to me, although, like some other establishments, they require a four person minimum attendance.
Tung Lok Seafood: The Arena Country Club, 511 Upper Jurong Road, Singapore 638366 (Opposite SAFTI Military Institute) | Dim Sum Buffet available Saturdays 1130-1500 and Sundays and Public Holidays, 1000-1500 | Tel: 6262 69961 | Website
1. The Clifford Pier
Overlooking Marina Bay, The Clifford Pier boasts not only a beautiful view, but also a location rich with historical significance, being the landing point of Singaporean first immigrants. In line with preserving the hawker culture once bustling along the pier, The Clifford Pier presents local flavours that represent Singapore’s diverse cultures, and it just so happens that Dim Sum is one of its highlights, and a good one at that.
The Heritage Dim Sum Brunch ($49++) is a nostalgic dining experience, with authentic dishes and elaborate furnishings to recreate the bygone era. I’d recommend The Clifford Pier if you’d like a memorable Dim Sum meal. The menu is neither expansive or life-changing so you’d essentially be paying slightly more for the overall atmosphere and experience but it is, admittedly, quite lovely.
Clifford Pier: 80 Collyer Quay, Singapore 049326 | Dim Sum Buffet available Saturdays and Sundays, 1100-1400 | Tel: 6597 5266 | Website
Related Guide: Best Dim Sums in Singapore history
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