Had wanted to try 1887 by André for awhile yet the timing did not coincide. So was glad I had a chance to when the friends asked for dinner. Located inside Raffles hotel lobby, the restaurant stayed well-hidden in a corner decorated by lush high curtains, exuding a sense of quiet luxury

The interior was quite prettily decorated, with a touch of elegance and local heritage. It felt like a scene from Crazy Rich Asians – I could totally imagine them filming here. lol

Jackfruit $22

Non-alcoholic, cos I had too much drinks the night before. So I was trying to be sensible. And it was surprisingly good. It was simple yet fragrant and had different layers to it

Amuse Bouche – Signature Lemonade, Garden Tartlet, Kale & Asparagus Juice

Was surprised we had amuse bouche even though we ordered from the ala carte menu. But since it was served, we will not complain. lol

Just like how Raffles hotel had their own signature Singapore Sling, they wanted to create a signature drink of their own, with a Southeast Asian touch. You can taste all the spices in the drink, which was different and refreshing at the same time. The garden tartlet was good as well. One small bite, with a very well-made crust that had an array of herb and fresh flavours to it. The kale & asparagus juice does seem a little dubious at first cos it sounded too healthy, but it was surprisingly palatable, especially with the pomegranate bits

The friends went for the cocktails, which they should cos they have a very interesting cocktail list and some Singapore-inspired. I would have 1 or 2 but I was being disciplined

Lakstar Martini $32

Like laksa-inspired. It had a touch of laksa flavour to it, but could have been stronger. But I understand it might come across too strong to people not familiar with it

Kaya Custard $30

Served with a side of Kaya toast, topped with butter no less. And the toast was very good

Smoky Pu-Er Fashioned $35

Crispy Rice Crusted Chicken Wing $18

Stuffed Crystal Capellini & Alaskan King Crab

We contemplated very long whether to order the wings cos it’s $18 for one. Well, clearly we did. And we had no regrets. This was delicious. From the crust to the slight sweetness of the skin, stuffed capellini and sweetness of the crab meat, the flavours worked well together

Charcoal Tea Consommé $22

I did not take a photo of the tea but the broth was literally served in a tea cup. And it was a cup full of flavours, like I could feel all the essence in it. It was rich, intense and hearty. Like if had too much drinks and wanted to sober up, this would be a good option

Black Truffle Pain Perdu $22

Layers of Wild Mushroom w Signature French Toast

Topped with shiitake and morrel, this was really fragrant. It wasn’t just to the nose but also on the palate. And the shaved black truffle enhanced it even more

Lobster Heh Mee ‘Al Ajillo’ $118 (Serves 2)

Sakura Ebi & Lobster Bisque Spaghetti

Adding more sakura ebi and bisque to it

The pasta was amazing. No regrets ordering this dish. We cleaned off every bit of the sakura ebi

Boeuf aux Sept Poivres 1887 $238 (serves 2 pax)

Raffles Beef Wagon – The 7 Pepper Beef

I thought the beef was quite decent as well but cos the pasta was so delicious, everyone gravitated towards that

Served with a platter of sides to go along with it

which was an array of pickled vegetables and salad, and fries

Frites Maison ‘Allumettes’ $36

And yes, this is their version of fries, which was not bad

Banana $22

This was a really interesting mocktail. Pandan at the bottom, pu-er in the middle, soya bean mixed with banana foam at the top but yet it was well-balanced

Le Vert / Verdant Forest $32

Avocado Soufflé w Pistachio Kombu Icecream, Matcha Chocolate, Green Olive Macaron & ‘After Eight’

Le Marron / Umber Woods $32

Milie-Feuille w Kaya Chestnut Beurre Noisette, Frozen Semifreddo, Affogato & ‘Chest-Walnut’ Pastry dipped in Nutella

The savouries were better than the sweets. The desserts were pretty meh. Or maybe we just didn’t order the right things

From a local dining perspective, 1887 by André is definitely on the pricy side. However, if you think of this from a French fine-dining standard, the price point seems easier to justify. Personally, I liked the food here and I think this concept worked better than Bon Broth. And if you would like to try something different or impress someone, this would be a good option, especially now they won their 2 Michelin-stars

1887 by André

Raffles Hotel

1 Beach Rd, Singapore 189673