Singapore - Beautiful Garden Restaurants

It took me very long to restart my blogging habit after a prolonged hiatus. Thanks for your patience! As an incurable romantic person, it's impossible for me to resist any garden-themed restaurants/cafes. Sadly, I don't see a lot of them in Singapore (compared to places like Bangkok or Australia), probably due to land scarcity. This post will feature a few of them that came to rescue to satisfy my longing for floral cafes, and don't forget to head to our review on Cafe De Nicole’s Flower (still remains as my no. 1 floral cafe in Singapore).

The White Rabbit

(+) Magnificent architecture and beautiful garden space, highly commendable service

(-) Rather inaccessible via public transport (same issue as other restaurants in Dempsey area), food was not as impressive as the ambiance, $$$ (but it's fine to splurge for special occasions or pamper yourself once in a while)

The main attractive point of the White Rabbit is indeed its elegant exquisite interiors mostly in classic white, which makes it an ideal place for special occasions. Be it birthday or anniversary, complimentary dessert will be served to enhance your happiness and also, a free photo for the group! Simply indicate the occasion while making your reservation online through their website. Walk-in is not encouraged as you will not face disappointment after travelling all the way to Dempsey.

To be honest, I couldn't remember much about the food. This is not entirely bad because it means the food must be OK given we did not have any nasty comments (see photos below). The restaurant serves classic European cuisine. I do think that 3-course set lunch during weekdays seems rather value-for-money than their ala-carte menu.

Good news to everyone who likes to take photos as the White Rabbit has multiple Instragrammable spots for you to explore. Apart from the beautifully restored chapel dining space, you will see a separate world once you step into The Rabbit Hole outdoor bar area. It features lush greenery and an iconic circular hole. If the weather is fine, I totally don't mind spending my afternoon lazing around with a glass of cocktail in my hand.

Lastly, don't miss the final opportunity to pay a visit before the place is closed down for renovation from May 2021 onwards. I am definitely excited about the upcoming concept and how the place will be translated into by end of the year. Stay tuned!

Loving the vintage dress in rose print from Room8008.

Beer-battered Seabass (S$32).

Vaguely recalled that the homemade tartare sauce was the highlight of the dish.

Wagyu Quarter Pounder (S$32).

A good place to chill and enjoy the scenery.

I really love the photo - Alice in the Wonderland vibe. 💚

More photos to showcase the flowy dress 😛

Wildseed Cafe at Alkaff Mansion

(+) Spacious with indoor/outdoor seating option, beautiful garden with fountain, pet-friendly

(-) Rather inaccessible via public transport (again? It seems like a common trait across all garden-themed restaurants? Maybe more space is needed?), $$, service gets slow during peak hours

Well, I don't usually go to the same cafe twice unless for very specific reasons. In this case, while I do like the ambiance here, the key factor was we accidentally bought two 50-dollar cash voucher on Chope 😅 The downside is the not-so-convenient location where we had to take Grab there. Alternatively, you can go by MRT + bus + a short (uphill) walk route that might be slightly time-consuming.

Surrounded by lush greenery, the cafe sits on the hill of Telok Blangah and allows you to escape from the bustling city, not to mention that it is pet-friendly (shoutout to all pet owners out there). It is not surprising to see a lot of people also drop by the cafe for a hearty brunch after a morning hike/jog/exercise nearby (Henderson Waves is just a short walk away). For info, there is another branch of Wildseed Cafe at the Summerhouse but I would say both locations are not very accessible.

Oh, for people who like alfresco dining, there is an outdoor area where you can enjoy your food under the right amount of shade (subject to personal heat tolerance). Meanwhile, if OOTD is your kind of thing, this colonial-style cafe is more than perfect, especially the beautiful fountain and green architecture (sorry, I am not quite sure how to name it...) outside the mansion.

As usual, we will be doing a brief food review. We have both brunch and lunch menus covered 😉 Each timing comes with its pros and cons. The lunch menu is definitely more enticing but the place is also more crowded and outdoor seating is less comfortable under the blazing sun.

First visit during brunch hours (all-day breakfast is available on weekdays)

Loaded Mac Cheese with Smoked Salmon (S$18) - It was cheese-heavy and probably not the best choice for brunch. Was craving for some carbs that day but regretted much after taking a few spoonfuls. T.T
Waygu Beef Pie (S$14) - The beef was soft and flavourful while the pie crust was buttery and flaky, I really couldn't ask for more.
Wildflower Latte (S$6.50) - My brave boyfriend ordered this to get a taste of wildflower, haha. Interestingly, the coffee was topped with a white meringue that looked like cream. However, I am not a big fan of the overly sweet flowery/fruity taste >.<
Matcha Latte (S$6.50) - Very glad that I finally fell in love with matcha latte again since I was last traumatised by a 3-in-1 version. I enjoyed it very much!

Second visit during lunch hours (lunch menu from 11.30am onwards)

Truffle Mayo Curly Fries (S$14) - Would not rate this highly given the portion was small and the truffle taste was not strong enough.
Smoked Pork Pizza (S$25) - We ordered this for sharing as both of us weren't too hungry. Please be reminded of the longer waiting time of 20-min, as highlighted in the menu. The taste was not bad.
Ondeh-ondeh Cake (S$9.50) - It's moist and fragrant, but leaned towards the sweeter side.

Lastly, if you have spare time, we do encourage you strongly to head to Telok Blangah Flower Garden nearby for more dreamy photos amidst the sea of pink flowers. Our visit was in early September when the flowers were still largely in full bloom. We heard that the scenery would be even more captivating in August!