It would be unfair to say that this restaurant exists purely because of its location and amazing views. It has a lot more going for it than that.
Firstly lets talk about the location and that amazing view. The restaurant/bar is located on top of the gigantic Marina Bay Sands Hotel complex. The 57th floor has the famous infinity swimming pool that seems to flow over the edge of the building. Ce La Vi is located at the other end of the surfboard shaped rooftop linking these three towers.
The views are stunning and just give you an idea of how developed Singapore has become. My God, for a country not much bigger than a city that has a population of 5.6 million people with no natural resources at all there are tall buildings that go on for ever…. But back to the topic.
Ce La Vi has a very cool laid back feel. There are no table clothes or pretentiousness while the mood successfully blends the bar feel with fine dining. The ambience is dark and the chilled lounge music is loud. We are lucky and get an outdoor table right on the edge with the views.
The menu is modern Asian and offers sufficient choice with starters, a selection of Sushi and Sashimi and a smaller selection of mains.
The wine list is good with great choices but my eye goes straight to my perennial favourite Cloudy Bay Sav Blanc ($130++).
Our choice for starters are Korean De-bones Chicken Wings and Tempura Prawn Sushi ($26++ each). Both are large servings and very tasty. good choices. The wings are a bit fatty but nicely spiced.
Our choice of mains sounds exciting- Braised Short rib of Beef Rendang and Nyonya Spiced Lamb Chops (both $48++each). The spice levels on both are quite underwhelming. The Lamb consists of three quite fatty chops that are really flavourless. They are not afraid of decent layer of fat on their meat cuts here. I struggled to find some meet on the bone in the darkness. I just gave up in the end. The Rib was nicer but again quite fatty rich. Curiously, the mains seemed smaller that the half priced starters?
The desert menu arrive complete with fitted book light (I told you it has a really dark ambience). the choice is good with all the favourites. We choose to share a simple chocolate ice cream selection ($18++). Luckly we chose to share it. It was huge. Two scoops the size of cricket balls of luscious chocolate ice cream covered in candies and strawberries arrives. Very nice and we couldn’t even finish the shared amount.
I would definitely recommend a visit to Ce La Vi. Try to book well in advance and get an outside table. Book for 7pm so you see the view in daylight, at dusk and at night. The mood is chilled and best dealt with with a nice wine or cocktail. The chef has bravely re-invented some Asian dishes for a very tough audience. I believe North Korea’s Kim Jong Un ate here during his recent summit with D Trump and he is a big foodie. I would definitely try ordering a number of starters and avoid the more expensive and less interesting mains. It is definitely an enjoyable and memorable experience and comes very highly rated by Kim.
ClaudeSays – Do It
Food 15/20
Service 17/20
Ambience 19/20
Tips
- Book weeks in advance and ask for an outside table on the edge
- Order a number of Starters rather than mains. Cheaper and better
- You notice the “++” in my prices. These added up to an additional $50 on top of the listed prices. Ouch