It’s many an expats dream to live the idyllic urban lifestyle that Robertson Quay offers. For us, an ever expanding family kept the trendy chic apartments and cosmopolitan restaurant scene just of reach in both size and budget.
Fortunately, Robertson Quay is home to a number a modern, boutique hotels and we decided to indulge in a little Rob Quay staycation at the M Social.
The M Social is a boutique lifestyle hotel, designed by the renowned Philippe Starck and from the moment you enter the lobby your senses are intrigued by the modern industrial funky appearance and curated collections.
We check into our Loft Terrace room which features a well-designed duplex space, incredibly high ceilings above the bed and a cosy, chic lounge upstairs for work or binge watching. The space is clever, intimate, comfortable and even offers a terrace outside for some tropical day dreaming.
We venture up to the pool and are delighted by it’s lush green garden setting, welcoming blue waters and peaceful serenity (a mid-week staycation would almost guarantee a tranquil pool experience).
The added bonus is of course the well-stocked pool bar, offering snacks, beverages and an array of classic and curated cocktails. While we could have happily stayed by the pool the rest of the afternoon, we discovered there are actually quite a number of add on experiences to enjoy with the M Social staycations.
First up was High Tea at Food Capital within The Grand Copthorne Waterfront (a sister hotel to M Social). Seated with a perfect view of the river, we are presented with a generous triple tower of classic sandwiches and croissants, topped with decadent desserts.
But it doesn’t stop there, a side platter of gourmet hot pastries and pies is added to our feast and we are suddenly very grateful we skipped lunch!
Our second experience was a true delight – a cocktail making workshop at Beast & Butterflies (the M Social’s resident restaurant). Now I’ve done my fair share of cocktail making classes, especially during circuit breaker.
However, this experience really stands out – it was completely different from the often pre-determined cocktail classes where you make one or two drinks as designed by the host. In this experience, it’s all about creating your very own cocktail according to your desired tastes. To start, we blindly smell six balloon glasses of spirits and choose our preferred base (mine was gin and husband’s was tequila).
Then we choose three or four flavours from a smorgasbord of shot glasses filled with colourful flavours, juices and liqueurs (I chose strawberry, ginger, lemon and guava). Our genial host, Vlad, explains how to mix, shake and decorate our concoction (even entrusting us to use a gas flame to create our garnish).
And of course we even get to choose our own unique glass to present it (mine had a shark’s head bursting through the middle of the glass). My pink cocktail was just delicious , fruity but not too sweet and well blended – it apparently even passed Vlad’s high standards.
Feeling proud of our mixologist efforts, we move onto our illuminated dinner table at Beast & Butterflies. This might now be one of my favourite restaurants along this side of Robertson Quay – the dishes were fresh, tasty and the perfect fusion of East meets West (and the prices are very reasonable).
Some of our highlights were the Alaskan Crab and Fresh Salmon salad, Crispy Pork Knuckle – an oven-roasted pork knuckle with spicy thai nam jim sauce and sesame oil scented sauerkraut and the 3 Cup Lobster in Claypot - wok-fried rock lobster, rice wine, thai basil leaves and sesame oil.
After a restful and quiet night’s sleep, we are ready for the next day’s activities. Our first experience is the Create Your Own Perfume Workshop by Maison 21G. We truly did not know what to expect with this, but had such a great time that I’ve arranged one for my dear friend’s birthday. We commence the workshop with a personality quiz to help determine what perfume style would suit us.
A wheel of dozens of scents is presented and we are diligent with our testing and sniffing to create our perfect perfume combination, which ends up in a sizeable bottle of perfume to takeaway. After much deliberation, I end up with a patchouli, frangipani and vanilla scent while husband boldly creates a cannabis and sage combination that he names Havana Nights.
Onto perhaps the highlight of the whole stay, an extended lunch at the newly refreshed Grissini restaurant (indeed worthy of its own review). Grissini (located at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront) is a contemporary Italian grill restaurant which specialises in premium meats and seafood prepared in the famous Josper charcoal grill (a widely renowned apparatus from Spain that combines a grill and oven and allows chefs to cook with charcoal in a closed barbecue).
But perhaps even better than this famous grill, was the restaurant’s abundant use of show cooking stations, right at our table. From the freshly grilled white asparagus, to the preparation of to die for mushroom and white truffle risotto that was expertly finished at our table inside a 20kg wheel of Italian hard cheese.
Condiment carts, olive oil carts and even a live jamon station are dotted around the restaurant to further elevate this dining experience above other fine Italian dining establishments. We were already impressed before we even got to the mouth-watering desserts.
Feeling more than satisfied by our indulgent lunch, it was time to check back in with the real world and boot up our laptops. The mezzanine of The Grand Copthorne Waterfront has been cleverly transformed into a comfortable and spacious co-working space. With plenty of space for an intimate team meeting or secluded spot for those studious moments, it also offers a much needed tea and coffee service to your desk.
Our final stop was dinner and a chance to experience the buffet restaurant at Food Capital. I have to admit, I have not enjoyed hotel buffet experiences since they are no longer buffets. It’s difficult to know what you’re ordering (as you cannot see the food) and I find it has impacted food quality substantially.
Food Capital have been clever to recognise this issue and have kept the real live buffet, with chefs on hand so you can check out everything they have to offer. Once you’re ready, you just order the dishes from your table.
The food on offer here was certainly at the high end of a buffet experience and I particularly enjoyed the sashimi, tempura (oh so perfectly crispy) and the beef rib covered in red peppercorns. We also indulged in the Chinese New Year seafood bag – a fantastic celebratory bag covered in clear cellophane which is grandly opened at your table to reveal steaming hot seafood delights.
It's fabulous to see different options for staycations beyond the usual pool side stays and M Social have really done a stellar job creating unique and fun staycation experiences for your next Robertson Quay sojourn.
Yacht-cation Escape From $1,280++ 1 night in Premier Loft From $1,560++ for 2 nights in Premier Loft, Welcome Amenities, Cocktail Creation Workshop by Mixologist Set Dinner at Beast & Butterflies, Gourmet Picnic Lunch Set, Private Limousine Return Transfer to Yacht Club 4 hours Yacht Experience, Gourmet breakfast at Beast & Butterflies, Personalised service with early check-in and late check-out.
You can also choose to take up the popular Mix & Stay package where you can learn to be a Mixologist from resident mixologist Vladyslav Yesepiv and have a good time learning about different syrups, tinctures and bitters that perfectly blend with the other ingredients used in a cocktail.
Mix and Stay From S$190++ 1 Night in Alcove Cosy, Breakfast for 2 Persons, A complimentary M Social Cocktail Shaker, A complimentary Workshop: Learn about cocktail making from Beast & Butterflies Mixologist - Vladyslav Yesepiv.
If you are into the art of scent, infuse your stay with the Bottled Up Happiness package and learn how to create a personal aroma that defines your unique personality and style. You can choose to retreat into your personal space with accommodation options that come in various sizes and configurations.
Bottled Up Happiness From S$240++ 1 Night in Alcove Cosy, Breakfast for 2 Persons, A complimentary Workshop: Create your Own Perfume with Maison 21G Singapore, A complimentary bottle of perfume.
For enquires & bookings, visit website
About Rebecca Assice
Contributor Rebecca Assice is the Founder of Virtual Room, one of the world’s best team-based virtual reality experiences and is now in Singapore. Blending the escape room concept with a full 3D cinematic experience to deliver a unique, immersive and mind-blowing adventure. Played in groups of 2, 3 or 4 players where each player has their own dedicated room – you will talk to each other, walk around, bend, throw objects and collaborate together to solve the puzzles and challenges. Expat Choice readers enjoy a 15% discount when you book Virtual Room experiences with code EXPATCHOICE15 and receive a 15% automatic discount when booked online at https://singapore.virtual-room.com/booking/
