Lunch at The Black Swan @ Raffles Place

19 Cecil Street, Singapore 049704

Tel: 8181 3305

Website:  http://www.theblackswan.com.sg

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBlackSwanSG

The Black Swan is situated in an art deco building in the heart of the Central Business District (CBD), a distinctive building that has changed hands a few times, including having housed the exclusive all-females only W Law Firm some years back. The cafe, restaurant and bar concept evolves around muted gold settings, giving the place a sophisticated feel; they serve European classics dishes.

*Kalista and I had a 2-course set lunch (SGD$38.00) each, so that one of us could choose an appetiser and the other could choose a dessert to share.

For starters, we had the Farmer's Salad, comprising of arugula, apple, celery, red onions, walnuts, cranberries, Fourme d'Ambert and balsamic vinaigrette. The lightly-tossed salad was devoid of sauces, so it was light, crispy and refreshing with rocket leaves and dices of cheese.  It was a lovely starter.

For mains, *Kalista had the The Black Swan Burger, consisting of seasoned chuck, matured cheddar, bibb lettuce, sunny side up egg, streaky bacon, toasted buns and fries. The thick-pattied burger was coated invitingly with melted cheddar, a succulent and juicy slab. The tall burger made for a good lunch meal, every bite luscious with the natural flavour of beef and egg; clasped between crispy buns.

I chose the Pan Roasted Red Snapper with egg sauce and leeks two ways.  The snapper was pan-roasted to a crackling texture, peaking its texture and flavour. The creamy egg sauce gave the crispy fish a smoother edge, making for a sumptuous dish.

Finally, we concluded the meal with Dark Chocolate Dome.  The beautiful cake had a glossy, sticky layering of dark chocolate, and a soft chocolatey interior with a vanilla heart. It was saccharine without being overly sweet, bringing out the richness of chocolate very well. The velvety texture melted easily in the mouth as well.

Overall, The Black Swan is a lovely place for meals and drinks; basking in its beautiful interior and quality food items. Service was very slow - we believe they were short-staffed during lunch hours, when the restaurant was packed with executives type lingering over their meals packed with harried conversations.