Axis Bar and Lounge

This is a great place for a quiet drink at night. It has a great city view. The seating is relatively discreet so that one can have a drink without being disturbed. I enjoy whisky, so the choice of whisky is important to me. This place has a decent selection. Whilst not as well-​stocked as dedicated whisky bars, it has enough interesting choices to keep me happy.
The snack they serve is also good. In addition to the nuts, they also serve prawn rolls, a local delicacy and one of my favourite!

Beautiful bar. Wonderful view. Live piano music. Their local tiger beer is good. The hotel has amazing management and staff ready to attend to your every need

This bar is located inside the Mandarin Hotel on the 4^th floor. I recently came here for drinks one evening. This is a very upscale bar, not some Robertson’s Quay tourist spot, with lots of drunk people. Axis is a place to relax and unwind with a drink. Sort of like a spa with booze.
In fact, I was here on a Saturday night around 9-​ish and there were only about 20 people in the place. That is ok. This place is all dim lighting, dark wood paneled walls, plush seating, etc. It also has a great view of the harbor and the skyline. There was a jazz trio, politely singing jazz standards as well.
The service here, as with most things attached to a Mandarin Oriental, was fantastic. When seated, I was asked where I would like to sit, my drink was poured for me tableside and a manager even came by to make sure I was having a good time. They were always there when needed, but never hovered in a way that would make a guest feel uncomfortable. Fantastic.

Happy Easter Month of April 2014! Back at my favorite tea spot for Easter Tea and it’s no other than Axis Bar & Lounge at Mandarin Oriental Singapore. I’ve always been impressed with Axis Bar’s all rounded 3 tiered classic afternoon tea and was delighted to know they introduced something new for Easter. More excuses to head back. :)
This time we were seated in a small private section that gave us a partial view of the Marina.
There’s a selection of Mariage Frères and TWG teas. I had the White Night Jasmine which had a soothing jasmine perfume. Very light and fragrant tea. Coffee is also available but what’s Tea without tea yea?
We started with the Cherry Blossoms Champagne Jelly which was rather bland and missing everything champagne. But once the food started coming, we forgot about that misstep.
The Egg salad sandwich with watercress had a nice creamy texture. I loved the Lump crab meat and avocado sandwich which was ¹⁄₃ part sweet crab meat. Bresaola and gem lettuce mini wrap with cheddar and the cucumber and cream cheese sandwich were fillers but they didn’t do that bad on their own either.
More savory stuff! Poached lobster with coriander mango salsa. The Carbonara Eggs en Cocotte deserves a highlight. Loved the garlic carbonara sauce at the bottom of the egg. Mix everything together and slurp it down. Satisfaction guaranteed! The Duck rilette and foie gras mousse terrine was also delightful.
The scones made my day and i devoured my share quickly. That wonderful crunchy buttery goodness was just irresistible. There were 2 flavors, a Strawberry yogurt scone and a Citrus peel and Tahitian vanilla scone. I preferred the strawberry yogurt which was lightly sweetened and was good on its own. BUT i can’t resist smearing it with the lovely clotted cream! And there’s also the slightly tart lemon curd and the fresh raspberry jam.
For puffs, we had the Easter ham and green pea pie and the Chicken and potato turnover. These are ok items though I preferred those on the regular menu.
ON TO THE SWEETS!
The fancy macaron with pear liquor fillings has a popping surprise in it. You gotta try it to find out. I went gaga over the presentation of the edible Easter egg basket with gianduja chocolates. The big one had an amazing caramel filling!
The mini gâteau had a light berry tartness that blended well with the bitter dark chocolate. I also enjoyed the buttery sable.
Can’t think of a better way to celebrate Easter! The Easter Tea will run for the month of April 2014 and it costs $ 42 per person ($ 80 for two).

To find anywhere serving a good afternoon tea even on weekdays in Singapore is in itself noteworthy. But to sit down in such a relaxed setting — with a glass of 1688 Grand Rose Champagne in hand overlooking the magnificent view of Marina Bay in a comfy banquette– is cause for outright celebration. So is Mandarin Oriental’s Luxury September Bubbly Afternoon Tea.
I started the 5-​course (not 3) mid-​day feast with a tall glass of Grand Rose champagne jelly. Followed up with the spread of savoury canapes and desserts to accompany the sweet delicate bubbles. The three-​tiered set includes four kinds of special desserts that use champagne: champagne macaroons, a dainty champagne chocolate lollipop, chilled champagne and damas plum sabayon disguised as a fruit tart and a champagne cassis gâteau snugged cosily in a purple chocolate wall.
Take a moment of break from sweets with the bottom-​tier selection of savoury canapes that are at full blast with flavours and definitely not your average egg and ham sandwiches. Take for example the duck rillettes & foie gras canapé or the truffle-​scented egg & chive petite sandwich. Both canapes take turn to perfume your palates with its strong aroma and balanced well with the red fruity notes of the Grand Rosé champagne.
Of course, there is no particular sequence between the 3-​tier and one can jolly well hop back to the sweets which includes non-​champagne selection like the Passion-​Banana éclair. The Dulce De Leche Tart– a buttery shortcrust pastry with caramelized brown milk jam was so excellent that I would love to pack home a box of it.
You can’t get more British with the scones in two flavours: Lemon-​thyme and Strawberry yoghurt, served in true style with authentic clotted cream, strawberry preserves and a grainy lemon curd. But just in case you might think that this is the end, there are two more courses to go…
The 4^th course is a luxury platter which is a feast for the eyes. The ice cream cone is not a sweet biscuit but a savoury one, piped with Smoked salmon mousse. The Marinated lobster compression with Champagne aspic reminded me of the wacky creations by Heston Blumenthal while the Porcini mushroom tart with basalmic alioli lived up to its own name. It was bursting of umami flavour that left me curious about the amount of mushrooms used
The last course is something hot from the oven – Duck Confit & Pistachio Puff and a Classic Chicken Pie
This afternoon tea is only available in September. For those who are concern about alcohol, the Grand Rose is non-​alcoholic. A very good healthy excuse to drink your time away, in this genteel and unhurried oasis.