Calling all ladies who brunch! Famous French tea room Angelina has brought its perfect pastries, macarons and hot chocolate to Singapore.
Angelina has arrived in Singapore – ooh, la la! What makes this famous French tea room an essential stop for foodies in Paris? Let me explain: from the moment you step into Angelina’s exquisite, palatial space, you’ll feel as if you’ve been transported back in time to the heydays of French nobility. Fun fact: The famed Parisian tearoom and patisserie has charmed generations of creative royalty, from Marcel Proust to Coco Chanel. Now, a French tea room may not seem like the most obvious destination for brunch in Singapore (although I’m perfectly happy to indulge in macarons for breakfast), but Angelina surprised me with its luscious, savoury morning faves.
Here’s why you need to check out our brunch of the month, tout suite….
That hot chocolate
Sure there are freshly squeezed juices and beautiful teas and coffee. But we’re really here for the hot chocolate. Angelina is renowned for its signature drink, L’Africaine: a sinfully thick concoction, served with whipped cream on the side. But first, the brunch spread. It begins with a gilded, three-tiered stand of mini viennoiseries: buttery, flaky croissants, pain au chocolat (warning: these are extremely moreish) and raisin pastry. Don’t ignore the crusty bread rolls – accompanied with butter, Angelina honey and jam – which my partner and I not-so-secretly enjoyed dipping into the decadent L’Africaine for a cocoa hit that had us reeling (and going back for more).
For the mains, select from a seamless combo of potato rosti, eggs done (your way) and crispy bacon or smoked salmon. We chose to shake up our brunch routine by skipping our usual fare of trusty poached eggs and went with the scrambled variety – a rewarding decision, as these were amazingly fluffy. Chase down your carb-loaded (hey, we’re not complaining) meal with a punchy, sweet-and-sour dessert of either the pineapple and mango tartare with a dash of lime, or the spongy brioche French toast heaped with wild berries.
And a dessert to die for…
Besides French pastries and brunch classics, Angelina also offers an ample snack menu (think whopping portions of scrummy club sandwiches), and fantastic all-day choices, including truffle ravioli, parma ham wrapped black cod and fettucine with tiger prawns. But no trip to Angelina is complete without a taste of its signature dessert, Le Mont-Blanc: a delectable treat composed of meringue, light whipped cream, and chestnut cream vermicelli.
But would you take the kids?
Whether you’ve got a treasured pocket of time for a quiet tea with the girlfriends, or a lazy weekend afternoon date with the hubs, Angelina is a go-to for brunch in the city. We actually did spot a few kids dining with their parents, so if you are bringing the brood here, we’d recommend doing so only if they’re a little older – the tea room’s elegant ambiance makes for a peaceful dining spot and let’s face it, all that porcelain surrounding your kids will have you on tenterhooks. Would we back again for brunch? Hell yes, but this time with my troupe of BFFs so we can order up the entire dessert menu…