Cover Interiors of Bombay Brasserie on South Beach Avenue (Photo: Bombay Brasserie)
Interiors of Bombay Brasserie on South Beach Avenue (Photo: Bombay Brasserie)
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The Singapore outpost of the Indian restaurant chain serves up Indian and continental cuisine in a French brasserie setting
Bombay Brasserie is as elegant as any other French brasserie, with its gold accents, plush red seats, and neat table setting. Here’s where it adds its own Indian flair and personality: the stylish green lamps doing away with a neutral colour palette; the foliage hanging over the awning for a touch of the tropical; and, of course, the murals detailing scenes of Mumbai across the walls, from its crowded streets to the grand Taj Mahal Palace Hotel.
Located in the basement of South Beach Avenue, Bombay Brasserie is the first Singaporean outpost of the famed restaurant chain under Indian Hotels Company Limited. Its first concept opened in the posh Kensington neighbourhood in London in 1982, with subsequent restaurants in Cape Town and Dubai. In these cities, the restaurant is more of an Indian speciality fine dining restaurant; in Singapore, the company has chosen to bring out the “brasserie” in “Bombay Brasserie”, riding the wave of popularity that fine-casual concepts are enjoying at this current moment.
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Above Tandoor crab at Bombay Brasserie
Tandoor crab at Bombay Brasserie
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The result is a menu helmed by chef Nilesh Ambedkar, where classic Indian and French plates coexist comfortably, remaining respectful of each other’s time-honoured culinary traditions. A bread platter, for instance, comes with both baguette and papadam, alongside French butter, mint and mango chutney, and pickled chillis.
Where the restaurant shines is its renditions of comfort foods such as the chaat, an iconic street food of crispy dough fritters. The aloo papdi chaat, for example, remains faithful to its flavours even as it is presented in more sophisticated layers, doused in a moreish combination of yoghurt, mint, and tamarind sauce. Elsewhere, the rogan josh is also rendered traditionally, where pounded red chillies are gently cooked into a paste before lamb is added and rendered to the point of tenderness.
Above Salmon and avocado chaat at Bombay Brasserie
Salmon and avocado chaat at Bombay Brasserie
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As for the French plates, there are reliable brasserie quintessentials on offer. Take the steak au poivre, which is a classic steak frites with Australian tenderloin and fries with a green peppercorn sauce. In another dish, griddled scallops are elegantly presented on a bed of pea mousseline and nutty asparagus. This is not a fusion restaurant, so dishes with an east-meets-west slant are rarer here, but a highlight is the chicken tikka croquette, a deep-fried delight that adds a new dimension to the classic French snack.
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Above ‘The Bombay Blazer’, a signature cocktail at Bombay Brasserie
‘The Bombay Blazer’, a signature cocktail at Bombay Brasserie
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Imbibers looking for creative cocktails will also appreciate the restaurant’s signature tipples, which are mostly inspired by the plush neighbourhoods of the colonial era, melding Indian spices, botanicals and flavours. “The Cantonment”, in particular, is best suited for those who like their drinks dry, with whisky mixed with raw mango sweet vermouth and infused with cardamom, creole, and spice bitters. Lighter drinks such as the “Colonial Favourite” might appeal to those looking for something refreshing, with spice-infused vodka perfumed by elderflower liqueur and jasmine tea.
Bombay Brasserie
Address: 26 Beach Road, B1-23/24/25 South Beach Avenue, S(189768), +65 6980 7163
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About
Ethan is a dining writer with Tatler Singapore. Trained in literary arts and filmmaking, their work has previously been published in Esquire Singapore, Men's Folio, and with the Asian Film Archive and the Singapore International and Film Festival, across a wide range of interests from gastronomy to fashion and arts criticism.
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Ethan writes about exciting news in the F&B industry, specialising in fine dining, exclusive spirits launches, and new restaurants. They are always looking for riveting voices to bring something fresh to an already-dynamic industry.
Follow them on Instagram at @faustiangourmand.
