1. Groups of up to 8 will be allowed to congregate, up from the previous maximum of 5
Yes! No more feeling guilty about cutting that sixth person from your gatherings. Groups of up to 8 are now allowed to dine in restaurants and bars together. If you're staying home, you're allowed to receive up to eight visitors per day too — how about a New Year's feast with one of our Burpple Beyond takeaway merchants?
2. You'll still need to wear a mask
Of course, you'll still have to wear a mask whenever you leave your home, which you can only temporarily remove when exercising, eating, drinking or smoking. Your children under age 6 are not required to don masks, but face shields should be worn as much as possible. Needless to say, please keep a safe distance of at least 1-metre from each other and log your entries and exits with SafeEntry or TraceTogether. And remember, no mingling with other tables!
3. Live music at restaurants is still not allowed
Unfortunately, F&B venues that typically offer live music are still unable to offer any entertainment - even TV or video screenings. As of writing, live performances are only allowed to resume for weddings, prayers and other services held by religious organisations.
4. There's no change to how late you can drink alcohol
Many F&B establishments have had to revise their opening hours after they've had to stop serving alcohol (or allowing customers to drink alcohol) after 10.30pm, and this measure remains unchanged. We recommend starting early (you'll even save money with happy hour prices!) and sticking to just one spot instead of barhopping so you'll be all boozed up by then.
Now the question is: which dining spots in Singapore can fit larger groups of people without having you all cramped up, with great food and drinks to boot?
Here are 10 excellent restaurants that are perfect for your next big gathering — good company not included!
Think hotel spreads are boring? Not at mezza9, which delivers the world's best cuisines through nine different dining experiences, including a Western grill, sustainable seafood, steamed Chinese dishes, sushi, Thai food, patisserie and more. You'll find a delicious a la carte menu and on Sundays, a magnificent boozy brunch with free-flow goodies.
Burppler Nicole L says her favourite to get here is the Chirashi Bowl. "The slices of fish are always generous, and they’re always accommodating when it comes to changing out some items of fish. For instance, I’m not a fan of raw prawn so they kindly swapped it out for me!"
Embrace the start of the year with a flavourful meal combining contemporary European cuisine with Southeast Asian ingredients at The Spot, a massive 190-seat (at pre-Covid levels) restaurant at Marina One. They offer an eclectic menu starring dishes such as classic Hand-chopped Beef Tartare with slow-grilled green chilli "mustard", Warmed Baby Squid, Pork Cheeks "BBQ" and Pan-fried Red Snapper.
Burppler S C thoroughly enjoyed their meal here, "with its spacious settings, innovative fusion menu and good portion sizes, I will definitely be coming back!"
This Modern Asian diner, conceptualised with the help of celebrity chef Justin Quek, is quite the spacious looker. Conveniently located a short stroll from Clarke Quay MRT station, you'll find a comprehensive menu of creative dishes made with premium ingredients, from Grilled Norwegian Salmon accompanied with asparagus spears to their signature Cicada Hokkien Mee and Grilled Miso Cod with Capellini.
Burppler Yeung Kai Ho tried the latter and said the "Cod was very flaky and tender, and the thin capellini paired really well with the crunchy tobiko." As for the vibes, Burppler Timo Wk says "You will also love this place if you are a fan of Chinese songs; they were playing Chinese songs throughout the meal. A shoutout to the staff as well, who were really polite and attentive."
This offshoot of the popular Kia Hiang Group in the CBD is a heck of an eatery, serving up time-tested Chinese cuisine in a very-un-Chinese restaurant — one filled with industrial lighting and gears lining the wall. Their signature dish? Tender chicken wrapped in cabbage with a winning herbal broth gravy.
Burppler Rachel Chan wants you to "Support local and come to try this hidden gem in the CBD area. The food quality is so good and so affordable. Definitely will come here again." Other dishes like the Sui Mai with Mushrooms and Guifei Beancurd with Three Treasures are also great for sharing.
With over outlets all across the island, COLLIN'S is arguably Singapore's leading Western food restaurant chain. Plus, it helps that all their outlets are spacious and beautifully designed. Burppler 🍱🍍×KyroTZ× 🐁🧀 ate at the Westgate outlet and loved the Mixed Grill 1-for-1 deal for the "Sinful meal of juicy & fat-glistening tender chicken and pork cutlets, combined with the sweetness of the vegetables."
As for Burppler Jaden Loh who ate at the Jubilee Square outlet, he says COLLIN'S offers "a wide range of dishes that's both tasty and value for money, is the main reason why it gained so much popularity."
An expansive and stalwart restaurant at W Singapore, SKIRT has upped the ante for meat-focused restaurants with its selection of impeccable beef, pork, and lamb cuts. While their signature Butcher's Cut SKIRT Steak presents a lean, flavourful cut, Burppler withtappy - preferred the Iberico Pork Tomahawk as "There’s more fatty parts than we expected, but the fat was so well-rendered and smooth to cut through. It didn’t leave behind a greasy aftertaste and went so well with the sides! And did I mention that the view outside was stunning?"
Now, we know everyone's excited to finally be able to hang out with a larger group of friends. But do stay socially responsible and observe safe social distancing measures. Eat well and stay safe!
