A jazz club with live music, international food and bespoke cocktails, the Swiss restaurant franchise finally opens in Singapore.
Update: We’ve got the blues. One of our fave jazz clubs on the island, Montreux Jazz Cafe shut down late 2017. But fret not, we’ve got the lowdown on all the best jazz bars in town.
Just like jazz, dining is always more exhilarating with surprises in tow. It’s easy to spot rowdy restaurants with bands blasting loud rock music, and laid-back bars with quieter acoustic ballads crooned by docile singer-songwriters. Jazz joints, on the other hand, are not a dime a dozen. Both intricate with perfectionist-level precision and remarkably nebulous structures with improvised solos galore, jazz is an art that punters would go out of their way for to find. Though thankfully for them, Montreux Jazz Cafe is a new jazz sanctuary that has just opened up in the heart of town at Pan Pacific Orchard, and we reckon it’s one Ella Fitzgerald would sing praises of.
A logo of a silhouetted gent in a tux greets you at the door, as you’re ushered into a dark dining room illuminated by purple ceiling projections and warm, sensuous spotlights. The stage – capable of accommodating a five-piece band – sits intimately on the other end of the room from the entrance, and a convivial open bar in its centre allows diners and drinkers to mingle and discuss their love for Miles Davis. Hidden behind a wall of curtains lies yet another space that fits 14 to 45 guests; it’s cloistered away from the lively tunage, and it boasts a relatively brighter atmosphere with chandeliers revealing cream walls adorned with posters of jazz greats and iconic guitars – think a Planet Hollywood for the jazz scene, but much less tacky.
Wanting to immerse ourselves in the Sinatra-esque vibes churned out by the live musicians – we hear that live gigs take place every day of the week – we sat in the main room and ordered a feast conceptualised by founder, Claude Nobs (also the founder of the Montreux Jazz Festival), whose passions in jazz and gastronomy have built a franchise that, today, has branches in Zurich, Paris, Abu Dhabi and now Singapore. Like the brand’s influence, the food menu is cosmopolitan, with influences ranging from French (foie gras) to Italian (carpaccio), and even Japanese (Hokkaido scallops and kurobuta pork); while the tipples themselves run the gamut from posh Manhattans to tropical Mai Tais.
We kicked off with the wagyu beef carpaccio ($28) – melt-in-your-mouth tender courtesy of the snachoku tenderloin with a marbling score of seven, zesty and savoury with additions of hoisin and Thai chilli sauce, and with a texture that wasn’t too stringy or rubbery – you would’ve easily forgotten you were eating raw meat! Other starters that tempted us were the pan-seared foie gras ($28) and Prunier Caviar “Tradition” ($58 for 10g), but resisting the urge to splurge, we moved on to the mains.
The Quincy Jones Roast Chicken ($32) was a signature that we were advised to try; it was perfectly charred with smoky, crispy skin and succulent meat, and fragrant with sweet marinade and subtle infusions of black pepper. This came with a thick, citrusy, honey sauce that’s addictive enough to slurp it on its own. The roasted prawn tail ($36) was another main that BBQ lovers would dig; these chunky, firm and juicy prawns packed a satisfying grilled taste of its own, and were drizzled with a savoury chimichurri sauce. And while a bit on the pricier side at $58, the char-grilled Colorado lamb rack is a must-try if you’ve got the bucks to spare. Served with Szechuan peppercorn, cilantro pesto and cucumber-mint raita, this is one aromatic dish with tastes that linger (and you will want them to), complementing the mildly gamey flavour of the lamb. Don’t feel conscious about munching on the fatty parts; once its butter-like texture dissolves instantly in your mouth, your guilt will be rendered moot.
Didn’t think we’d leave here without a drink (or two), did you? Its signature cocktails are playfully named after jazz figures and anthems – the Herbie ($18) is a refreshing whisky bevvie with a tangy kick of lime; the Gimme Hendricks ($18) pairs the sweet, crispness of elderflower with the bitterness of gin; the Sinnerman ($18) is a smooth vodka cocktail with a comforting cinnamon flavour that tastes like Xmas; and the Loring “Red” Nichols (serves two at $26) is a *literally* smoking concoction that mixes Monkey 47 gin with apple juice and white moscato tea.
The music tends to get unrulier as the night rolls on; we watched bands switch it up from tranquil jazz to bouncy blues, and even classy renditions of downtempo pop classics, all while sinking our teeth into an Ella Cheesecake ($15) that might’ve been the richest, creamiest cheesecake we’d ever tasted – a sweet, heavenly finish to our lil’ jazz jaunt in town. Montreux Jazz Café is a perfect hideout for jazz junkies, without alienating casual listeners who yearn for someplace that deviates from your typical music bar, with booze and bites that come together as harmoniously as a Gillespie great. And yes, we will be back for an encore.
Montreux Jazz Café, #01-02 Pan Pacific Orchard, 10 Claymore Road, Singapore 229540. Open Mon-Sun 12pm-late.