The Capitol sandwich features pulled pork, arugula, pickled cucumber, yuzu cabbage slew and apple butter barbecue sauce, while The Sir Douglas Fairbanks is a focaccia roll with smoked salmon, preserved lemon gel, cucumber apple yoghurt and pistachio cream cheese. And the beef patties used in the burgers (yes, even the kids’ burgers) come from Black Angus cows, no less.

The jumbo version of the Rio Rita hotdog, comprising a 1m-long spicy beef sausage topped with arugula, chilli con carne, mozzarella cheese and tomato salsa is particularly Insta-worthy, and best shared with at least one other hungry dining companion, because you need to save room for dessert.

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The Capitol Milk Bar Banana Split upgrades your favourite childhood treat of vanilla, chocolate and strawberry ice cream and banana—except here, the banana is “split” in a more creative manner: think caramelised banana raisin, banana vanilla espuma, freeze-dried banana and banana rum glaze.

The pretty milkshakes served in tall, curvy retro glasses are another must-try. Chocaholics should definitely gun for the Dinosaur, which comes fully loaded with marshmallow, malt balls, chocolate Pocky and a generous heap of cocoa powder.

Capitol Milk Bar | #01-84B  Arcade@The Capitol Kempinski | 6715 6874

Channelling the timeless elegance of a classic 19th-century European cafe, Berthold Delikatessen, with its dark wood-panelled walls, black-and-white tiled floors, marble-topped tables, smartly-aproned staff, and gleaming glass-fronted counters piled high with sandwiches, pies, cakes, quiches and tarts, is the ideal pitstop for a fuss-free lunch or coffee break.

A perfect bistro meal here would start with a Waldorf or beetroot salad, followed by either the charcoal brioche with chicken or smoked salmon, or the dark rye sourdough with pastrami rye, and a decadent fruit tart or a slice of Black Forest cake. Washed down with a cup of German-blend java, of course. For a spot of people-watching, head up to the mezzanine level, or choose a table at the sheltered alfresco area underneath a row of soaring palm trees.

We’d prefer to linger here for a chat with a friend, or even alone with our journals and laptops. But if you’re in a rush, you can always grab something to go.

Berthold Delikatessen | #01-84 Arcade@The Capitol Kempinski | 6715 6872

Most of us associate German food with raucous beer halls in dark, dank, wood-beamed basements. Frieda, with its sophisticated botanical-themed decor and reinterpretation of traditional German fare with Austrian influences, makes for a truly refreshing counterpoint.

Divided into four different spaces, Frieda’s Daybar, which is inspired by urban-chic Berlin, serves up German liquors, and German beers on tap—look out for the happy hour deals! Frieda’s Garden, a sun-dappled covered alfresco space accented with hanging potted plants and conservatory-inspired glass and wrought-iron outdoor furniture, is perfect for large get-togethers (order the platter of grilled sausages and meatloaf to graze on).

The Pantry’s open kitchen offers an interactive experience with the chefs, while the Dining Room, with its sage-green velvet booth seats and beautiful floral wallpaper-accented wall panels, sets the tone for a romantic evening.

The food here aims to be as good as what your grandma would make, if she were German. Think crispy on the outside, tender on the inside oven roasted pork knuckle, slow-cooked in aromatic pork stock with bay leaves, peppercorns, cloves, juniper berries, garlic and onion for three hours, served alongside pretzel dumplings, and house-made sauerkraut. Or perfectly breaded wiener schnitzel with potato salad, cucumber-dill salad and cranberry sauce.

For lighter fare, options such as Pretzel Dumplings with Creamy Mushroom Ragout, or Pan-fried rainbow trout with roasted almonds, baby leaf spinach and parley potatoes, are available.

Frieda | #01-87 & #01-K1-K2 Arcade@The Capitol Kempinski | 6715 6873

Grab a girlfriend (or three) and head for the discreet luxury of Capitol Kempinski’s The Lobby Lounge, where plush armchairs, soothing live music (either by a harpist, violin trio or pianist, depending on the day) and a fashion showcase accompany five-course high tea.

Dainty nibbles like chicken rice arancini, crab quiche and smoked duck and cantaloupe cornet with Thai dressing, prawn salad with mango salsa, cranberry scones served with caramelised passionfruit chocolate jam, raspberry yuzu meringue tarts are accompanied by five types of tea. The Lobby Lounge’s Afternoon Tea set is served from 3pm to 6pm daily with the choice of tea pairing and champagne. 

The Lobby Lounge | The Capitol Kempinski Hotel 15 Stamford Road, S178906 | 6715 6871 | reservation.15stamford@kempinski.com

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The Bar at 15 Stamford is the place to go for Singapore’s largest selection of rum—a whopping 160, to be exact. If rum’s not your poison, there are also more than 250 wines, and other spirits (even absinthe), on offer as well.

Dark, handsome and sexy, the Jaya Ibrahim-designed space simply oozes vintage glamour heavily tinged with tropical exoticism. A long wood-topped bar counter, bedecked in colourful tilework and accented by rattan-backed stools, leads into the parquet-floored lounge area, where mahogany-toned armchairs and caramel-hued leather banquettes beckon one to cosy up and unwind.

Sip on some of the world’s rarest rums, such as Silver Seal Fine Caroni Heavy Rum 1997 Wildlife series No. 2 from Trinidad’s famed (and long closed) Caroni Distillery, or peruse the cocktail menu (which comes in a charming leather bound scroll) for libations featuring gin, pisco, vermouth, cachaca and of course rum, created by senior head bartender Edriane Lim, whose last port of call was the famed Atlas Grand Lobby and Bar.

A must-have is the signature cocktail, Plantation 1840 that incorporates Black Tears Rum, sweet vermouth, pineapple juice, sugarcane juice, lemon juice and mint and served in a pretty copper mug and almost goes down too easily, but packs a surprisingly strong kick. Best to line your stomach with some bar snacks, such as the fish tartare, which features gochujang-dressed tuna, avocado and tomato in crispy nori shells shaped using kueh pie tee moulds, or beef short rib rendang sliders.

The Bar at 15 Stamford | The Capitol Kempinski Hotel 15 Stamford Road, S178906 | 6715 6871

Designed to evoke the sense of a multi-faceted Asian kitchen, The Capitol Kempinski’s 150-seater flagship eatery 15 Stamford by Alvin Leung serves up an all-Asian menu alongside steak house classics.

Headlined by the chef behind three Michelin-starred Hong Kong eatery Bo Innovation, Leung pays tribute to his favourite Asian dishes from Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Philippines and Singapore, but with a refined, imaginative twist.

As such, the laksa comes with char-grilled tiger prawns, jasmine tea-smoked onsen quail eggs and house-made dried shrimp floss. The bak kut teh is reinvented as a chargrilled pork chop marinated in herbal spices, and accompanied with angelica-infused watermelon and a bak kut teh-infused barbecue sauce. Chili Crab features Alaskan King Crab instead of the Sri Lankan mud crab that’s normally used.

Other new ways with familiar tastes include Malaysia-inspired 72 hour US short ribs rendang with pickled cabbage (the beef chunks are cooked sous-vide in rendang marinade) and traditional Hong Kong dessert mango pomelo sago with coconut snow presented in the form of ice kachang.

If you or your dining companions prefer something from the customised wood and charcoal grill that takes pride of place in the open kitchen, 15 Stamford offers premium cuts, such as A5 Japanese Wagyu Beef Striploin or MBS 3-4 Australian Tomahawk, and seafood such as whole Boston lobster and tiger prawns, perfectly seared on the outside and juicy inside, accompanied by Asian-inspired sauces such as Thai hollandaise or laksa leaf chimichurri.

15 Stamford by Alvin Leung | The Capitol Kempinski Hotel 15 Stamford Road, S178906 | 6715 6871

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Access is a collaboration between Singapore Tatler and CNA Luxury.