Cover Cut by Wolfgang Puck is the only Michelin-starred steakhouse in Singapore
Cut by Wolfgang Puck is the only Michelin-starred steakhouse in Singapore
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Inside the service culture and kitchen discipline that keep Cut by Wolfgang Puck at the very top
Most restaurants earn a Michelin star once. Keeping it—service after service, and for the tenth consecutive year in 2026—is a different discipline entirely. At Cut by Wolfgang Puck at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore’s only Michelin-starred steakhouse, that distinction belongs not to a single dish or a single department but to an entire team that holds itself, collectively, to deliver an uncompromising standard of experience.
“How can we be better?” It is the question that Greg Bess, executive chef of Cut and Spago, says animates the kitchen at Cut—and it reaches further than the food. Better at service, at hospitality, at communication, at leadership, at every dimension of the experience a guest receives. “I think if you are always trying to improve, being consistent gets a little easier," he says. "No one is perfect but we learn from our mistakes.”
That mindset is most visible in what happens before the first guest of the evening arrives. Every station is fully set up, mise en place checked, proteins portioned, sauces tasted. The reservations are reviewed as a team: VIPs, allergies, special requests, so that nothing arrives as a surprise mid-service. “Before every dinner service, we make sure every station is fully set up,” Bess explains. “We also go through any VIPs, allergies, or special requests so the whole team is prepared before the first order comes in.” Once service begins, everything distils down to two things. “It comes down to communication and timing. Every station relies on each other, so everyone must stay focused and keep talking. The goal is simple—every dish for the same table should be ready together and leave the pass at the right moment.”
Above Guests come to Cut for the steaks—that much is understood—but the kitchen’s pride is invested equally in everything else
Above Singapore’s position helps: the ability to source produce from across the world, and to respond to what each season offers, keeps the kitchen sharp
Guests come to Cut for the steaks—that much is understood—but the kitchen’s pride is invested equally in everything else
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A good service at Cut, in Bess’s definition, is not a quiet one. “It’s when the team stays calm, communicates well, and works together, even when the restaurant is full,” he says. “A difficult service is usually when things change unexpectedly—whether it's a rush of walk-ins or several last-minute requests. That's where experience, teamwork, and staying composed make the biggest difference.”
The same discipline extends to every plate that leaves the kitchen. Guests come to Cut for the steaks—that much is understood—but the kitchen’s pride is invested equally in everything else. “What I’m most proud of is the consistency behind every plate,” Bess says. “People see the finished steak, but they don't always see everything that goes into it. It's not just about cooking it to the right temperature. It’s about selecting the right cut, seasoning it consistently, managing the cooking and resting time, and making sure every steak reaches the guest exactly as intended. Whether it’s the fries, vegetables, seafood, or starters, every dish must meet the same standard before it leaves the pass.” Singapore’s position helps: the ability to source produce from across the world, and to respond to what each season offers, keeps the kitchen sharp.
“We find creativity in the seasons,” Bess says. “We have a geographical advantage being based in Singapore—we can source products from all over the world.” The measure of success, for him, remains constant regardless of what is on the plate: a guest dining at Cut today should have the same experience as one returning six months from now. “That’s what the whole kitchen works towards every single service.”
One team, one standard
Above Cut’s front-of-house team approaches every arrival as an opportunity to shape the entire evening
Cut’s front-of-house team approaches every arrival as an opportunity to shape the entire evening
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None of that, however, happens in isolation. The relationship between the kitchen and the floor is, in Bess’s view, the foundation on which everything else rests. "It is based on communication and trust. There should be no division between the two sides. We need each other to be successful—there is no other way."
That ethos is palpable from the moment a guest walks through the door. Cut’s front-of-house team approaches every arrival as an opportunity to shape the entire evening: greeting guests promptly, making eye contact, ensuring they feel immediately at ease and confident that they are in good hands. For guests who have been before, that welcome is more personal still: a greeting by name, an offer of a preferred table, a memory of the drink or the dish that brought them back. The departure is treated with equal care—a sincere farewell, an inquiry about the evening, a warm send-off that becomes the final note of the experience and the one most likely to be carried home.
An exceptional bar
Above The same commitment to quality carries through to the bar, which remains consistently full despite its limited number of seats
The same commitment to quality carries through to the bar, which remains consistently full despite its limited number of seats
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The same commitment to quality carries through to the bar, which remains consistently full despite its limited number of seats—a loyal following built on the same attention to quality, hospitality, and detail that guests experience in the dining room, but in a setting that is more intimate and considerably more energetic. The draw is partly the handcrafted cocktails, the premium spirits, the exceptional food—but regulars will tell you it is the atmosphere and the personal connections built with the team that keep them returning. Bartenders and service staff work in close coordination, sharing what they know about returning guests and paying close attention to the details that make an interaction feel considered rather than transactional. The goal—whether a guest is seated for a full dinner or perched at the bar for a single cocktail—is the same: that they leave feeling genuinely cared for.
Where long-lasting relationships are formed
Above Sustained attentiveness over years shapes Cut’s most loyal relationships in ways that go well beyond a restaurant’s usual remit
Sustained attentiveness over years shapes Cut’s most loyal relationships in ways that go well beyond a restaurant’s usual remit
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It is in the accumulation of those details that Cut’s most enduring guest relationships are formed. One moment that stands out: a guest celebrating a significant milestone dinner, who mentioned in passing—almost incidentally—that a particular dessert they remembered fondly had since left the menu. Rather than simply acknowledging it, a team member worked quietly with the kitchen to recreate a version of it as a surprise at the end of the meal. The reaction was emotional. What had begun as a special occasion became something the guest still speaks about years later—a reminder, as the team sees it, that genuine hospitality lives in the act of paying attention.
That attentiveness, sustained over years, shapes Cut’s most loyal relationships in ways that go well beyond a restaurant’s usual remit. There is a guest who first visited for a business dinner some years ago and has, in the time since, become what the team describes as part of the wider Cut family. The relationship has grown through business milestones and family celebrations, each one hosted at Cut. Today, that guest often simply lets the team know they are coming and leaves everything else to them. For the team at Cut, few things carry more weight than that kind of trust—it is, in their view, what hospitality at its most genuine looks like.
“Cut isn’t just a steakhouse, it’s a Steak Restaurant. We transcend the traditional format with a globally inspired menu that celebrates the artistry of local purveyors, featuring seasonal vegetables, premium poultry, exceptional beef, and the finest seafood,” says Chef Wolfgang Puck in a press statement.
Above Chef Wolfgang Puck and Chef Byron Puck
Chef Wolfgang Puck and Chef Byron Puck
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Chef Byron Puck adds: “At Cut, we believe a great restaurant should engage every sense. From the architecture and artwork to the energy of the dining room and the evolution of our menus, every detail is designed to create an experience that feels both timeless and contemporary. Maintaining a Michelin star at Cut is a testament to our team’s relentless pursuit of excellence and holding the guest experience in the highest regard.”
What sustains a Michelin star across years is not any single dish—it is the service, the energy, the warmth and the quiet care that turns a dinner into a memory. At Cut by Wolfgang Puck, that is felt from the moment you walk in to the moment you leave. The only way to understand what it truly feels like is to experience it for yourself.
Book a table at Cut by Wolfgang Puck at Marina Bay Sands via its website, and follow @cutbywolfgangpucksg and @marinabaysands for updates.
Cut by Wolfgang Puck
$ $ $ $
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2 Bayfront Avenue, #B1-71 Galleria Level, The Shoppes, MBS, Singapore 018972
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Andrea Saadan is the Senior Digital Editor of Tatler Singapore. She oversees all digital content for the website and currently leads the Beauty and Lifestyle verticals. As a child, she had always enjoyed reading and writing but it was only after she joined her college newspaper, The Spectrum, in Buffalo, New York, that she considered a career in journalism. Her love for all things beauty started from the age of two—when she was caught playing with (and damaging) her mother’s YSL lipstick. On top of her day job, she is also an unpaid beauty consultant for friends and family. Besides make-up, her obsessions include the wizarding world of Harry Potter, podcasts, ice-cream, her walking pad and watching endless re-runs of The Office (US).
