A reconstructed Saint Pierre is very good news for corporate planners, says Raini Hamdi
French fine-dining minus the stiffness, lower pricing than before, resort location in Singapore, corporate-friendly – a reconstructed Saint Pierre has made the restaurant more relevant to MICE planners.
Since moving to Sentosa Cove from its previous location in Central Mall, Saint Pierre has dropped its classic, brooding, romantic ambience, for a more approachable, relaxed, open look-and-feel that is more amenable to groups and befits the resort location.
Excellent French food – the pillar which made chef/owner Emmanuel Stroobant a household name among Singapore’s gourmands – has not changed one bit. There are also more group seating options and menus to suit corporate needs and budgets.
MICE application
Because of its modular, open layout, various configurations for a group dinner are possible, from as small as 28 pax, to 58 pax with a chef demonstration table or a dance floor/display space and DJ console. It has even hosted a 120 pax dinner although restaurant manager David Bregere advised this is a bit of a stretch for the client and kitchen/service staff. A good maximum is around 80 pax, he said.
There are also private rooms that can accommodate six, eight or 14 pax.
I love the middle section as it showcases the kitchen and it’s fun watching a famous chef and his team at work.
In another occasion, during Relais & Chateau’s anniversary celebration, I saw the first section of the restaurant transformed into a cocktail area accommodating around 60 pax. At around 18:30, the views of the quayside were simply marvellous – you might want to start dinner earlier to enjoy the sunset, although Bregere said most corporates usually start dinner at 19.30 due to their time constraints.
The location is a bit far for me, although arguably nowhere in Singapore is too far. It’s right in front of W Singapore – Sentosa Cove, so it is especially ideal if the group is staying at W or any of the hotels in Sentosa and wants something outside a hotel environment. The restaurant will arrange for a Sentosa entry fee of S$2 (US$1.60) per person (S$3 on weekends) to be paid in advance if the application is made at least five days before the event.
F&B concept
The F&B concept is modern French and chef Emmanuel’s creativity and skills turn out exquisite dishes that make it worthwhile to travel all the way to Sentosa for. His modern French is Escoffier with a dash of today’s marvellous ingredients – think Angus beef with Japanese bean barigoule or black cod with white miso. Both are flavourful, melt-in-the-mouth dishes that I savour slowly and make every bite count – when food is this good, eat just the way the French do! His chocolate cake with earl grey ice cream alone is a reason for me to come back.
Planners can choose one of two prepared menus, priced at S$85++ and S$100++ (minimum 20 pax and must be taken by the entire group). At one look, both feature high-quality ingredients.
Planners can tailor their own menu if these do not suit their needs.
Service
Attentive and charming.
Contacts
31 Ocean Way #01-05 Quayside Isle, Singapore Tel: (65) 6438-0887
Email: info@saintpierre.com.sg
Opening hours
Tue-Sun/PH: 17:30 to 21.30 (last order)
Sat-Sun brunch/PH: 11:30 to 14.30 (last order)
