Dinner Buffet at The Square, Novotel Singapore Clarke Quay

Hotel Christmas menus are now in full swing. The latest buffet I have had the pleasure to try is from The Square in Novotel Singapore Clarke Quay. While I’m quite familiar with the Novotel brand room-wise, I have not really been acquainted with their food offerings until I was invited to a media tasting of their Christmas season buffet.

Novotel is traditionally recognized as a business hotel but the hotel’s location in Singapore, by the banks of the Singapore river and inside the hip and happening district of Clarke Quay makes it appropriate for either work or pleasure. The Square is its all-day dining restaurant and this is where they serve hearty lunch and dinner buffets to the general public.

From 1st of December 2015 to 3rd January 2016, The Square is featuring additional dishes into the buffet. These include Roasted New Zealand Beef Strip Loin with Mustard Sauce, New Zealand Lamb Leg with Mint Sauce, Fresh Oysters and Tiger Prawns.

Like all respectable hotel buffets, there is a modest Japanese section with tuna sashimi and various types of sushi rolls.

The seafood is a highlight here. For this price point, I did not expect to encounter fresh oysters, clams, tiger prawns and mussels but there they were just waiting to be devoured.

The seafood highlights extend to the hot dishes. I managed to spot one of my favorite Singaporean dishes, chili crab and baked whole sea bass swimming in lemon butter sauce.

But my favorite of all the seasonal items has got to be the roast turkey.

There is also ham for carnivores out there who can’t get enough of the red meat.

And salads for the more health conscious.

There were also a couple of pass around dishes which were served throughout the meal. We had some amuse bouche. I also got to try the pizza – four cheese and margherita – which were so good with the melt-in-your-mouth mozzarella I could not help but go for second and third helpings.

While The Square’s seasonal buffet has enough of the mains to satiate any appetite, I was pleasantly surprised by the extent of the dessert section here which could very well rival those found in 5-star properties. The F&B team here certainly put Novotel’s French heritage into good use in its dessert offerings.

The apple strudle is not French per se, but was a refreshing sight to see. I sure have not encountered it in any buffet except at The Square.

The peach tart was another of my favorites, crisp and slightly sour which is how decent French fruit tarts are supposed to be.

Chocolate lovers won’t be disappointed by the generous chocolate fountain with plenty of options to top it with.

It certainly won’t be a Christmas buffet without a gingerbread house and The Square delivers through this cute little Santa shed!

Novotel Singapore Clarke Quay’s Merry Festive Buffet runs from 1st December 2015 to 3rd January 2016 at The Square. It’s priced at SGD 38++ for lunch from Mondays to Fridays and SGD 48++ for lunch from Saturdays to Sundays. For dinner (daily), it’s priced at SGD 58++.

Novotel Singapore Clarke Quay
177A River Valley Road
Singapore 179031
+65 6338 3333