Housed within the Flower Dome at Gardens by the Bay, Hortus—formerly known as Fennel Cafe—is a new Mediterranean restaurant by the Unlisted Collection which runs many exciting F&B concepts in Singapore including Burnt Ends, Basque Kitchen by Aitor, Meatsmith, The Market Grill and more.

Helmed by Chef/Owner Michael Wilson, Hortus is a new concept that specialises in Mediterranean cuisine and it is officially opening to the public on 6 October 2021.

Hortus is an all-day dining restaurant which serves lunch, afternoon tea and dinner. The prices range from S$8 – S$30 for a small plate, S$15 for salads, and S$28 – S$45 for a main course.

Some of the things that you can look forward to at Hortus:

• Mediterranean salads
• Mediterranean dips
• Home-baked breads
• Mediterranean mains
• Housemade cakes, tarts and pastries

Hortus will be taking over the space vacated by Fennel Cafe while another new concept will be replacing the former Pollen Restaurant and it is slated to open in the next few weeks.

Hortus
18 Marina Drive, #01-09 Level 2 Flower Dome
Singapore 018953
Wed – Sun: 10am – 9pm

Fennel Cafe is a garden-themed cafe at Flower Dome within Gardens By The Bay which offers panoramic views of Marina Bay and Singapore Flyer. It is easily one of the prettiest places to have afternoon tea in Singapore.

The Afternoon Tea Set is priced at S$45++/pax (deposit is required for reservations).

Here’s what you can expect from Fennel Cafe’s Afternoon Tea Menu.

Savoury

• Egg salad sandwich with tomato chutney
• Chicken liver parfait cherry
• Salmon rillettes and cucumber sandwich
• Gruyere cheese gougeres
• Buttered leek and cheddar quiche

Sweet

• Mandarin choux
• Peanut butter and jelly macaron
• Salted caramel and pine nut tart
• Mango cream doughnut
• Whole wheat shortbread with chocolate and marshmallow

Devonshire

• Homemade scones with clotted cream & berry jam

Coffee/Tea Selection

• English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Green Tea, Chamomile, Peppermint, Rooibos Vanilla
• Espresso, Macchiato, Long Black, Cappuccino, Latte, Flat White, Mocha

At S$45++/pax, we were perhaps expecting more from the afternoon tea set, but it wasn’t the most impressive spread. The sandwiches, scones and doughnuts were great, but everything else wasn’t that memorable.

It is also worth mentioning that Fennel Cafe offers free-flow coffee/tea for the Afternoon Tea set (one beverage per person to be served at a time).

Having said that, we would still return to Fennel Cafe for the afternoon tea for the ambience and the complimentary access to the Flower Dome. It’s a lovely place to enjoy a leisure afternoon tea and get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Do take note of the following if you are planning to go to Fennel Cafe for the afternoon tea.

There is a free buggy service from Gardens by the Bay’s arrival plaza to the Flower Dome and the service runs every five minutes from 11.30 am onwards.

You can also get complimentary access to the Flower Dome without paying the entrance fee which saves you S$12/adult. Make sure to take a stroll in the Flower Dome after having your afternoon tea at Fennel Cafe.

Fennel Cafe
S$45++/pax
3pm – 5pm (last seating at 4pm)

The month of May has been a fantastic one with plenty of great events that have kept us incredibly busy and entertained. We are glad to tell you that the month of June will be similar with a whole line-up of exciting activities to look forward to.

With the June holidays coming up, there will be plenty of children related events such as Children’s Biennale and Children’s Festival 2019 that will keep the little ones occupied. For the adults, fret not as June has a plethora of activities available for you too such as the much anticipated Ultra Singapore to Chijmes Summer Beer Festival.

So, get those calendars for another hectic, fun-filled month!

CHIJMES SUMMER BEER FESTIVAL 

Beer aficionados, it is time for you to get your tastebuds and bellies ready for the CHIJMES summer beer festival! Featuring over 20 beer choices from around the world which include Chocolate IPA, Spiced Mead and Pilsner Urquell, indulge yourself in your favourite beers and even discover some new favourites while you’re at it!

You can also look forward to live performances by The Rocketeers and DJ Red as well as play games such as Beer Pong (of course!) and Cup Flip Challenge.

It’s time to drink to your heart’s content!

Tickets start from S$20.

When
1 & 2 June 2019
4pm – 11pm

Where
CHIJMES The Lawn

Photo Credit: Arts Republic 

CHILDREN’S BIENNALE 

For children and adults who are children at heart, you can play till your heart’s content at the Children’s Biennale 2019. Happening from 25 May 2019 to 29 December 2019, have an out of this world experience via 11 unique installations that are all inspired by a child’s innocence.

Aside from the 11 installations, there will also be a series of films that will be presented in collaboration with Singapore International Children’s Film Festival as well as a variety of interesting tours and artist-led workshops.

Entry is free for Singaporeans and PRs.

When
25 May 2019 to 29 December 2019
10am – 7pm

Where
National Gallery Singapore

Photo Credit: Gardens by the Bay 

CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL 2019 

For those of you who love Toy Story, you’ll be thrilled to know that the theme for this year’s Children’s Festival will revolve around the well-loved Disney Pixar movie. Held at Gardens by the Bay, the famous Supertree Grove will be transformed into a colourful carnival packed full of family-friendly games and activities.

Game booths that the little ones (and adults!) can look forward to are Star Adventurer, Bo Peep’s Adventure and a Toy Story 4 themed marble run track.

Entry is free.

When
15 June 2019 – 30 June 2019
10am – 9pm

Where
Supertree Grove, Gardens by the Bay

GREAT SINGAPORE SALE 2019 

We all know one thing that happens without fail every June: The Great Singapore Sale! Get your wallets and credit cards ready for an intense few weeks of shopping, splurging and dirt cheap deals!

When
21 June 2019 – 28 July 2019

Photo Credit: City Nomads

ICE CREAM SUNDAYS X MUGIC: HAW PAR THRILLA 

For all you party people out there, get your happy feet ready for Ice Cream Sundays x Mugic: Har Par Thrilla. Boogie to the beat of a mix of house, disco and funk music spun by Ice Cream Sundays resident DJs such as Bongomann and Muto Masahi as well as Mugic crew members Ulysses, Kentaro and Dang.

Entry fee ranges from S$15 to S$20.

When
8 June 2019
3pm

Where
Har Par Villa

Photo Credit: Gardens by the Bay

ROSE ROMANCE FLORAL DISPLAY @ GARDENS Y THE BAY 

If you’ve run out of date ideas with Bae for the month of June, why not bring her to Gardens by the Bays new floral showcase, Rose Romance Floral Display? With over 40 varieties of gorgeous roses, this place is a flower lovers paradise! It also makes for a great opportunity to snap some photos for the gram.

When
31 May 2019 to 14 July 2019

Where
Flower Dome, Gardens by the Bay

Photo Credit: Gardens by the Bay

SATURDAY BEER CLUB

Saturday Beer Club is a beer lovers paradise and the event features a variety of different beers from all over the world. Held at Bar MF by Morganfield’s, one of the best craft beer bars in town, you can be sure that you’ll be getting the best and only best beer available! Aside from all the chugging, you can also learn more about craft beers and how to pair them at the event.

With 10 free flow craft beers on tap from around the world and great food, you’ll definitely be in for a great time!

Entry fee is S$55 per pax.

When
15 June 2019
3pm

Where
Morganfield’s, Orchard Central

ULTRA SINGAPORE 

The biggest party event is back again this year and we are totally psyched! Packed full of high energy performances with stunning stage designs and mesmerising pyrotechnics, this is one event that you don’t want to miss. Get ready to be blown away by performances from popular DJs such as Axwell, Martin Garrix and Jamie Jones.

When
8 & 9 June 2019

Where
Ultra Park

WINE CARNIVAL SINGAPORE 2019 

Love wine? Then the Wine Carnival Singapore 2019 is the event for you. The people behind the event are known for their wine exhibitions, wine fairs and wine competitions so you know that you’ll be in for a good time. With a massive range of wines and spirits, you can discover new found favourites and drink to your heart’s content!

Prices start from S$28.

When
29 & 30 June 2019

Where
Tanjong Pagar Centre Level 1 Urban Park

YUMMY FOOD EXPO 2019 

Gluttons, prepare your stomach for the Yummy Food Expo 2019 which entails an endless range of scrumptious foods that will make your bellies very happy! Make sure you bring an empty stomach to this 4-day event because there will be over 150 F&B stores and suppliers that will leave you spoilt for choice!

When
27 June to 30 June 2019
11am – 10pm

Where
Singapore Expo Hall 5