Address: 252 North Bridge Rd, #03-42, Singapore 179103
Opening Hours: Daily 10:00am – 10:00pm
Official Website: surreyhillsgrocer.sg
If you want a taste of how exorbitant restaurant prices have become in Singapore, look no further than the newly-opened Surrey Hills Grocer at Raffles City.
$36 for Mussel Pot. $38 for Barramundi. $27 for Cauliflower steak. $31 for Fish and Chips. A whopping $7.60 for a cup of its Signature blend flat white. Needless to say, a person dining here can spend $50 easily with just 1 dish and coffee. Perhaps, trusting that Surrey Hills Grocer is indeed locally sourcing from farmers, plus logistics hurdles justify such high prices. Not to mention a growing brand, prime location, lush interiors, and a topnotch menu by Masterchef S2 winner Derek Cheong… whose name isn’t even a household name until this branch opened, compared to globally-known chefs like Daniel Boulud and Gordon Ramsay and yet you can sort of understand why their dishes are priced at a premium.
(Perhaps only viewers of Masterchef would know him. I, for one, don’t watch the series. Or maybe TikTok virality magically inflates the valuation of a restaurant?)
Surrey Hills Grocer is not even a regional brand. Its category places it at the same footing as PS Cafe and Wild Honey, yet its dishes are priced higher than the latter. And before you defend with “locally sourced ingredients” and “you fed a farmer” rhetoric, it would be unfair to say that PS Cafe and Wild Honey don’t equally source their ingredients well. Suddenly, suddenly Bistro du Vin’s lunch sets — a restaurant managed by a Michelin Star group — seems cheaper.
Here’s why I’m terribly concerned. This new price range is going to inspire the others to hike the prices. You better eat here before they do and before the 9% GST hike.
While the Barramundi ($38++) is indeed noteworthy — coconut broth is so creamy and the crisp of the seared Barramundi skin is enough for a second visit — I am contented with trying out Surrey Hills Grocer at Raffles City rather than making it my go-to brunch spot. If I would be going for another time, the ION Orchard outlet wins my vote, especially as the reservations at the Raffles City branch can be difficult.
Perhaps, the restaurants in Europe have changed my perspective. And also there’s a transformation going on in the restaurant industry. Lower midrange restaurants are just not going to cut it.
Poor PS Cafe. They might need to wait a bit longer before the brunch crowds return.