Where To Eat
Robertson Quay: Super Loco
For picture-perfect views of the Singapore River head to this casual Mexican restaurant with a cool upbeat vibe. We were very impressed by the full kids menu and an activity page with colouring pencils to keep our boys busy at the table. They ordered up the kids ham and cheese quesadilla and fish fingers which were both a big hit! Our boys also loved the vanilla ice-cream sundae served with fresh pear for dessert.
Hubby and I ordered a selection of dishes off the menu to share. The fresh fish tacos were to die for and both the lamb quesadilla and chicken quesadilla were the tastiest I’ve ever had. My refreshing watermelon and mint juice was perfect for a balmy Singapore evening.
Super Loco has picture-perfect views of the Singapore River
Ion Orchard Shopping Centre: Gyoza – Ya
Take a break and head underground at Ion Orchard where you will find a massive food court. There are loads of various cuisines to choose from and all appeared to be reasonably priced. We came here on New Years Day and it was heaving, due to the public holiday. We ended up at this little restaurant which as the name suggests serves all types of gyoza as well as a few other Japanese dishes. We loved our pork and prawn gyoza and the edamame and tender beef stir fry were delicious too. A good spot to sit and relax away from the crowds.
Orchard Rd: Shaw Centre Food Court
One of our holiday favourites! Located a short walk from where we were staying, this underground food court has all types of Asian cuisine. My little man ended up with noodle and fish soup which he surprisingly seemed to enjoy and the Thai dishes we ordered were super cheap and delicious.
The food was authentic, fresh and cheap and, combined with the bustling surrounds, emphasised the excitement of exploring new places and cultures.
At the entrance to the food court is a fantastic fresh juice booth which is very reasonably priced compared with what we pay here in Australia. There are also a few bakeries here which have the most delicious egg tarts you must try! Gellatisimo ice-cream is located at the entrance to the Shaw Centre and it serves up the most amazing creamy gelato. There’s loads of flavours to choose from – chocolate mint was our pick!
We loved the very reasonably priced fresh juice in the Shaw Centre food court
Scotts Square: Pizza Express
Our go-to restaurant for a casual feed when we lived in London was Pizza Express. When we discovered it was in Singapore we had to take our boys along for old times’ sake. We ended up heading along here on New Years Eve as my foot sadly wasn’t up to making a trek anywhere to see the fireworks.
Located in a shopping centre, the service and food here was absolutely on-point. Our boys were given a kids menu, activity page and a chefs hat as soon as we sat down at our table. They thought the hat was very cool and kept it on for the entire time we were there. After their entree of delicious dough balls, the boys ordered spaghetti bolognaise and enthusiastically informed me it was way better than the one I make at home. The kids meal also included a scoop of creamy gelato for dessert and a juice for a drink. They were very happy and asked if we could go back again the next night.
Hubby and I ordered our favourite dough balls with garlic butter and a Fiorentina pizza which was just as good as I remembered. The perfect way to see in the New Year!!
Our boys enjoying the kids activities and dough balls at Pizza Express
Vivo City Shopping Centre: Jamie’s Italian
Finally we made it to one of Jamie’s restaurants and we loved it! We were so impressed with how well it was set up for kids. Again there were activities for the boys but this time there was a cardboard spinning top to make up and it was full of different games to do as a family at the table.
The kid’s meal included a fresh shake-me salad in a jar and a drink. For a main my eldest son ordered spaghetti bolognaise which tasted amazing but was a bit too rich for his sensitive tummy. My little man really enjoyed the picnic lunchbox which came with fruit pieces and two wraps in an actual lunch box!
I ordered from a three course dinner menu deal. The bruschetta was the best we’ve ever tasted. There were all sorts of zingy flavours popping in my mouth. I enjoyed steak, coleslaw and chips for a main and panna cotta with berries was a perfect choice for dessert.
Where To Stay
8 on Claymore
When I mentioned to a friend who travels to Singapore often that we were planning to holiday there, she recommended we stay at 8 on Claymore. With plenty of space and a kitchen and laundry, it sounded much more appealing than a squashy hotel room for our ten night stay.
These fantastic serviced apartments are located on Claymore Hill, a five minute walk from the MRT and the massive shopping centres of Orchard Rd. There is a grocery shop within easy walking distance and a Starbucks if, like me, you are craving a latte. It is an approximate 25 minute taxi drive from Changi airport.
The living and dining area in our 8 on Claymore apartment
When we arrived in the early evening we were greeted by several friendly staff members who gave us a refreshing tropical drink to sip on. We took the lift up to our sixteenth floor apartment and were shown in by a staff member. On the kitchen bench was a large range of snacks including two minute noodles, chips, cookies and hot beverage sachets which were free for us to enjoy during our stay. There was also a variety of non-alcoholic drinks, milk and bottled water in the fridge for us to help ourselves to.
We woke to a full buffet breakfast included in the price of our accommodation. This featured everything from hot local dishes, scrambled egg, omelette, toast, cereals, fresh fruit and yoghurts. As if that wasn’t enough to choose from, our boys also made the most of having crackers, cheese, pastries and muffins available at breakfast too. It’s not surprising that we found this breakfast filled us up for the day.
Housekeeping services came everyday (except Sunday) to clean and tidy as well as stock up our bottled water. Hubby was very happy with the cable TV and for me the free wifi was a huge bonus! There is a huge pool here surrounded by palm trees, gorgeous aqua coloured day beds, deck chairs and a small playground and shallow pool for the little ones. We spent a lot of time here and it was just perfect. We loved how there are books, towels and sunscreen available at the pool to use.
We spent a lot of time relaxing in the gorgeous pool at 8 on Claymore
We really enjoyed our stay at 8 on Claymore and couldn’t fault it at all. I found our two bedroomed apartment was a clean, comfortable place to relax when we weren’t out exploring the sights. We felt it was absolute value for money and would definitely stay here again.
Singapore is a fantastic family holiday destination and we can’t wait to go back there with our boys (minus the foot injury!). There are so many more amazing attractions to explore! Please feel free to ask any questions and/or provide any further recommendations in the comments below. Happy travelling!
