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Restaurants for post-vaccination date lunches or dinners in Singapore

SINGAPORE – For those who are actively dating, it's probably time to move the conversations offline and into the physical realm, especially with the easing of dining-in restrictions. For both men and women in long-term relationships, when was the last time you planned and brought your other half out on a date night? Before vaccination, you can still use the pandemic as an excuse, but with 80 per cent of the population achieving vaccinated status, date nights simply cannot be relegated to the back burner anymore.

Plus, our restaurants need a lot of support to get back on their feet during these times, so going out for dinner dates is a win-win situation for everyone, really.

If you or your other half (or potential other half) has been dropping hints, or you're receiving hints but feel a little lazy to plan (yep, we see you), here are some date-worthy menus, restaurants and deals you'd want to have in your pockets.

Pro-tip: Brunch or lunch is a cost-effective way to suss out the food in restaurants, before you decide if you want to shell out for a more luxurious dinner experience!

Heart of Darkness Singapore

What better way to show that you're super in the know than to catch a time-limited event in an exciting gastropub? To mark their first anniversary at Keong Saik Road, Heart of Darkness Singapore is brewing something exciting for guests on Saturday & Sunday, 4th and 5th September. Join in the festivities and indulge in Vietnamese-inspired dishes, while washing it all down with all-you-can-drink specials from 12PM on both days, plus exclusive anniversary specials!

Saturday, 4th September: For S$99, enjoy free-flow drinks for two hours including house pour spirits, wines, cocktails and core range beer. This also comes with a choice of one dish from their brunch menu. Happening all day from 12pm – 6pm.

Sunday, 5th September: Take the partying up a notch and enjoy their free-flow package for 3 hours at S$125, available anytime from 12pm – 10:30pm. Customers who purchase this package are entitled to a Heart of Darkness-themed flash tattoo, entirely free of charge!

Address: 1 Keong Saik Rd, Singapore 089109

Hours: Daily, 2pm - 10:30pm

CÉ LA VI Singapore

There's always something exciting happening on one of the most popular attractions in Singapore. Situated right on top of Tower 3 of Marina Bay Sands, enjoy life with your other half with these entertainment lineup happening in September.

1. Monday – Friday: 2 Hour Free Flow

2. Every Wednesday: Ladies Night

3. Wednesday - Friday: 1-for-1 Aperol Spritz

4. Every Saturday & Sunday: Breezy Brunch

5. Every Sunday (from 12 Sep): Sunday BBQ

Address: 1 Bayfront Avenue Marina Bay Sands, Hotel, Tower 3, 018971

Hours: Weekdays, 4pm - 10:30pm. Weekends, 12pm - 10:30pm

Artemis Grill

Artemis Grill (Photo: Artemis Grill)
Artemis Grill (Photo: Artemis Grill)

Artemis is a sky-high venue in the heart of the CBD offering Mediterranean-inspired flavours. Go there for the view, or for its 2-course (S$47++) and 3-course (S$55++) set lunches from Monday to Friday. If you choose to, you can also get the full range of ala carte options, which conveniently caters to dietary preferences such as vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, keto-friendly and more.

Choose from seven starters, including Burrata with Cherry Tomatoes, Fremantle Octopus, Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Consommé. With nine main courses available, you can enjoy Spiced Cauliflower Cake, Atlantic Halibut with Mussels and Clams, or Angus Beef Striploin. In addition to the tasty main affair, side dishes (of which there are four) include Roasted Baby Carrots, Crispy Fried Artichokes, Asparagus or Greek Salad.

For your sweet finish, pick from these three desserts: Dark Chocolate & Caramel Torte, Coconut Rice Pudding or a Cheese Platter.

Address: 138 Market St, #40-01 CapitaGreen, Singapore 048946

Lunch Hours: Monday - Friday, 11:30am - 2:30pm

Bistecca Tuscan Steakhouse

May your romance burn as bright as this grill. (Photo: Bistecca Tuscan Steakhouse)
May your romance burn as bright as this grill. (Photo: Bistecca Tuscan Steakhouse)

Bistecca’s iconic award-winning steak isn’t just for dinner. Take advantage of the set lunch served Tuesday – Sunday (yes, weekends are included too), which boasts of a 150g pasture-fed Striploin, available as a two course (S$45++) or three course (S$55++) as well as a la carte.

Lunch begins with a choice of Zuppa – currently Winter Vegetable Soup with Focaccia, Insalata Mista Chopped Salad and Veal Carpaccio with Crispy Ox Tongue. For your second course, alongside Striploin you can opt for Braised Beef & Tomato Ragu Pasta, Roasted Chicken Breast or Norwegian Salmon on a bed of Cauliflower Rice. All main dishes come with a choice of Mesclun Greens or Steak Frites. Vegetarian main courses are also available on request.

Room for a sweet finish? Enjoy their signature Tiramisu or Panna Cotta dessert, or tuck into your choice of Gelato. The Brown Butter Pecan and Pistachio come highly recommended.

Address: 26 Mohamed Sultan Rd, Singapore 238970

Lunch Hours: Tuesday - Sunday: 12pm - 2:30pm

Rén Lounge

Photo: Ren's Lounge
Photo: Rén Lounge

A dynamic destination with dual counter dining and gastrobar experience, Rén Lounge is welcoming diner back for a cozy Japanese Omakase experience.

Meticulously prepared by the talented young Executive Chef Samuel Lau, expect value-for-money Edo-style Omakase including seasonal appetisers, exquisite sashimi and sushi. Be blown away by the fresh and bold flavours of Japanese ingredients such as tomatoes, chi ayu sweetfish, anago salt-water eel, sweet ruby ‘red apple’ mango from Miyazaki, and more.

Accommodating up to just 16 diners at a time for lunch and dinner, lunch menus range from S$80 for the 12-piece Tsuki set, to S$100 and S$180 for Omakase. Dinner menus range from S$150 for the 15-piece Sushi Edomae set, to S$180, S$250 and S$350 for the signature Omakase.

Address: 30 Beach Rd, #01-01, Singapore 189763

Lunch Hours: Monday - Saturday, 11:30am–2:30pm, 4:30–10:30pm. Closed on Sunday.

Zouk's Capital Club

Photo: Zouk's Capital Club
Photo: Zouk's Capital Club

Zouk is not just a place for party-goes. The dance club has since graduated from the basic (but yummy) mash and bangers of Jiak Kim years to a well established Capital Club, where food and cocktails now party together. And if you and your date are party creatures, check out Zouk's involvement in Singapore Food Festival 2021 happening from 27 August to 12 September.

The culinary event will be bringing together the local gastronomic scene and promising a cocktail and food menu infused with nostalgic Singaporean flavours. The Queens Cocktail Bar’s Head Mixologist, Ashwin Raj – two-time Young Bartender of the year nominee – will be presenting three cocktails that revisit the nostalgic flavours of a ‘90s childhood with traditional drinks like the Kopi-O Fashioned and Pineapple Tart Cocktail.

Delicious drinks aside, the food menu will also feature exciting reinventions of well-loved Singaporean dishes such as the iconic Kaya Toast and Tze Char favourites like Har Cheong Gai and Kong Bak.

Address: 3C River Valley Road, Clarke Quay, #01-05 to #02-06, The Cannery, 179022

Lunch Hours: Tuesday - Sunday: 12pm - 2:30pm

Knock Knock Cafe

There’s a new café in Kallang in its soft launch phase, a quaint little cafe with Insta-worthy floral-themed décor, local fusion eats and picture-worthy lattes. Think tacos with chilli crab and salted egg yolk prawns; East-meets-West pasta such as the Just Like Grandma’s ‘Hae Bee Hiam’ Aglio Olio; Western staples with an Asian touch like the Otak-Otak Burger; desserts like the Ondeh Ondeh Tiramisu; and finally, foamy lattes topped with adorable frozen teddies! Everything is made for the 'gram!

Address: 101 Geylang Rd, Singapore 389211

Lunch Hours: Daily, 9am - 9:45pm