Marguerite

Tucked inside the chilly Flower Dome at Gardens by the Bay, Marguerite has held on to its Michelin Star every year since 2022. Chef-patron Michael Wilson, a Melbourne boy who trained under renowned Australian chefs Andrew McConnell and Guy Grossi, bagged his first star at Phénix in Shanghai, and now runs both Marguerite and the more casual Hortus just upstairs.

After spending more time back home, Chef Michael has managed to amass a list of small producers and foragers, who now partner with the restaurant to supply all sorts of rare native ingredients from Australia. There's a hefty leather-bound encyclopedia of them in the restaurant for you to flip through – a nice detail that connects diners to the produce.

The vibe

Fine dining among greenery, minus the heat. The Flower Dome provides a calm, verdant backdrop that's hard to come by in Singapore, and the atmosphere in the restaurant is just as comfortable. Service is intuitive and friendly, with none of the stiff formality that detracts from the relaxed charm of the place. By day, the dining room is bathed in swathes of soft natural light streaming in from the glasshouse windows, and by evening, warm-toned lights make it one of the more romantic dinner venues in town.

The food

The menu has been rebuilt around native Australian ingredients, with the seven-course Signature menu available for both lunch and dinner ($288 per person). Not up for the marathon? There are also quicker four-course formats like the dinner Discovery menu ($188 per person) and lunch menu ($148 per person). 

The opening act of the Signature menu is the best bit. Wild red kangaroo is introduced as a clear, faintly sweet pho broth which has zero gaminess. Take a whiff of the fragrant bouquet of Thai basil, fennel and laksa leaves stuck right into the cup, and slowly sip on the hot consommé. Then comes an ultra-crispy ratatouille croustillant and a refreshing southern bluefin tuna belly tart, which pairs well with cantaloupe and mint. 'Steak and eggs' is a creamy, umami-rich potato tart stuffed with raw wagyu and topped with lemon and mustard.

But the standout of our meal was the 'Duck, duck, duck, rosella': indulgent and textural, with a crispy and chewy base of duck fat-flavoured financier, crowned with duck liver and foie gras parfait, and layers of rosella. The highlight is the sliver of savoury house-cured duck which melts on the tongue.

Things get more polarising as we reach the middle portion of the meal. The dry-aged Spencer Gulf kingfish crudo is paired with lovely, sweet slices of golden beetroot, but the chive buttermilk dressing has a pungent wasabi mayo kick that goes up the nose, and while we don't mind it, it's not for everyone. It is a shame that the only taste of Australian oysters we get comes in the form of a slightly overwhelming mousse, paired with equally intense chunks of smoked eel that tips the balance of the dish. Meanwhile, mains like the Mount Schanck lamb saddle and 2GR full-blood wagyu sirloin could both do with more tenderness and char. 

Desserts pick things back up. The delightful strawberry gum vacherin is billed as a 'pre-dessert', but the generous portion size says otherwise. Plum-dusted meringue, Chantilly cream, fresh strawberries, gelato and coulis are hard to dislike. Another crowd-pleaser: the 'Snickers', a multi-layered dessert that hits the spot for any chocolate and peanut butter lover. The meal rounds off with a choice of teas – pick the Australian detox herbal tea for something special – and save room, if you can, for petit fours. 

The drink

Chardonnay is the star of Marguerite's 500-label list curated by sommelier Eason Chi, so ask for a recommendation. Wine pairings start at $48 per person for the lunch menu and go up to $198 for the seven-course dinner experience. Our pairing (champagne, dry Riesling, Albariño, a Barolo, then a honeyed Sauternes) was light and easygoing, intended to complement each dish instead of standing out on its own.

The house-made non-alcoholic pairing is more adventurous (from $48 for lunch at $98 for dinner), featuring Australian ingredients throughout. Think lemon myrtle, bush honey, native elderflower and more. We liked most of them, but one in particular – rosella with cacao nibs and aniseed myrtle – was simply much too acidic to enjoy alongside the beef.

Time Out tip

Getting here requires some effort (read: a 10-minute walk from Bayfront MRT in the heat). The smarter – and more stylish – way is to head to the main entrance or visitor's centre of Gardens by the Bay and hop on a complimentary buggy, which will scoot you straight to the restaurant's entrance. Your reservation also includes free entry to the Flower Dome, so arrive early, or factor in time after your meal for a wander.