Free-flowing in Singapore: So many restaurants, so many booze offers
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Restaurants like (clockwise from left) Sarai Fine Thai, 10|Scotts and Gu:um are offering all-you-can-drink-deals.
PHOTO: SARAI FINE THAI, 10|SCOTTS, GU:UM
Follow topic:
- Singapore restaurants face tough times due to revenge travel, with closures of establishments like Alma and Ka-Soh highlighting the struggle.
- To attract diners, restaurants now offer free-flow alcohol, ranging from $30 to $60, including premium options like sake and boutique wines.
- Restaurants report increased diners, but experts warn overuse could cheapen brands; success depends on smart execution and unique experiences.
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SINGAPORE – Going a la carte, weekend buffets, soup to nuts meal deals. And now, all-you-can-drink booze, for a limited time period. Restaurants have been pulling out all the stops in a bid to get diners to, well, dine.
Cost-of-living concerns and the dying down of post-pandemic revenge dining have meant people are dining out less.
According to international market research firm YouGov’s recent Singapore Dining Out Report 2025, one in three Singaporeans say they are dining out less often than they did a year ago. Some 65 per cent of those who are eating out less cite rising restaurant prices as a reason.
The result of all this has meant restaurant closures have hogged the headlines in 2024 and 2025. This year, high-profile exits include the five Prive cafes
The YouGov report shows that four in 10 Singaporeans still dine out at least once a week, with many choosing cheaper restaurants, using discounts or coupons, or ordering fewer items, among other money-saving strategies.
The current flood of free-flow alcohol addresses some of these new diner behaviours.
Such deals are not new – they have always been a feature at weekend brunches and hotel restaurants. Now, though, small, independent restaurants are getting in on the act, with even upscale ones offering all-you-can-drink deals.
Prices range mostly from $30 to $60 a person, with some restaurants offering tiered options.
At The Winery Tapas Bar at Chijmes, women get a free flow of red and white wine on Wednesdays from 7 to 10pm – on the house. There is no minimum spending or purchase. The 265-seat venue started this offer in March 2025.
A spokesman says the offer is “a mid-week treat for women to unwind, socialise and celebrate a well-deserved evening out in a lively setting”.
Most restaurants say they are trying to offer diners value for money, and to cut down on decisions people have to make about what to eat and drink.
Ms Jackiera Astley, 31, marketing manager for Ce La Vi, a restaurant bar at Marina Bay Sands, says: “We found that guests value the assurance of a fixed price, especially in Singapore, where drinking can be expensive. By offering free-flow drinks that include food at a set rate, guests can relax and enjoy themselves without worrying about the bill.”
The 130-seat venue offers a $148-a-person Saturday brunch that includes a three-course meal and unlimited wine, cocktails and beer.
Ce La Vi bundles a three-course brunch with free-flow drinks.
PHOTO: CE LA VI
Drinks are a big-ticket item in Singapore. According to the Singapore Customs website, the Government levies an excise duty of $88 a litre on wine, sake and spirits, and $60 a litre on beer and cider, based on the alcohol content of the beverage.
Mr Geoffrey Tai, 51, manager of Temasek Polytechnic’s School of Business, says free-flow booze can be an effective tool in a competitive market like Singapore’s.
“It is a straightforward concept that could immediately fill seats, create a buzz and drive traffic during slower periods,” he adds, noting that some restaurants are offering premium sake, craft beer or boutique wine as part of these offers.
“It appeals to those who may drink less, but appreciate quality and discovery.”
Novelty effect
What do upscale restaurant Le Pristine, Korean steak house Gu:um, casual Chinese restaurant Yue, Bedrock Origin steak house and Old Street Bak Kut Teh in Telok Ayer Street have in common? They are offering all-you-can-drink programmes for the first time.
At Old Street Bak Kut Teh’s 80-seat Telok Ayer outlet only, diners who each hit a minimum spending of $39.90 a person at dinner time get unlimited helpings of Stella Artois beer for one hour. The restaurant, part of a chain, opened in April 2025 and introduced the beer offer then. A bowl of pork rib soup is priced from $11.60.
Spend $39.90 a person on food and drink at Old Street Bak Kut Teh's Telok Ayer outlet, and get 60 minutes of free flowing beer.
PHOTO: OLD STREET BAK KUT TEH
Mr Lim Kuan Yiou, 30, business development director of the family business, says: “We believe that generosity and hospitality should come together for a memorable dining experience, and we want to offer that to our guests.”
He runs a similar promotion at the family’s 100-seat Ajoomma Korean Charcoal BBQ in Gemmill Lane, with diners getting 90 minutes of free Stella Artois or Little Creatures beer with a minimum spending of $50 a person at lunch and dinner.
At 40-seat Gu:um’s The Weekend Steak Brunch, priced at $98 a person, diners can opt for a free flow of sparkling, red and white wines, priced at $50 a person for two hours.
Chef-owner Louis Han, 35, says: “Our target diners are those looking for value while still appreciating the quality wines available for free flow. These are the diners we see taking up the offer.”
Korean steak house Gu:um offers free-flow drinks with its Weekend Steak Brunch.
PHOTO: GU:UM
Diners at Bedrock Origin on Sentosa can add on unlimited helpings of beer, cocktails and wines for $28 a person, as a top-up for its Sunday brunch, The Harvest Table. The brunch runs from noon to 3.30pm and is priced at $78 a person.
The 178-seat Yue at Aloft Singapore Novena hotel offers a daily a la carte zi char buffet at $69.80 a person, and diners can pay $29.90 a person for two hours of free-flowing red, white and sparkling wines, highballs and beer.
The offer, in place since September 2025, is meant to “complement that experience and attract more alcohol enthusiasts to dine with us, enhancing the restaurant’s lively and social atmosphere”, a spokesman says.
Dutch chef Sergio Herman’s 114-seat Le Pristine at the Grand Hyatt offers drink packages ranging from $30 a person – for 2½ hours of cocktails, mocktails, beer and soft drinks – to $350 a person for unlimited pours of Champagne Dom Perignon Brut 2013, red, rose and white wines, selected cocktails, beer and soft drinks. Diners can add these to the restaurant’s Sunday Supper or Sunday Brunch ($135 a person).
Mr Sebastian Kern, 38, the hotel’s executive assistant manager, says: “We wanted to capture that feeling of gathering with friends at home on a slow Sunday, where conversations flow as easily as the drinks.
“Offering free-flow beverage packages felt natural to that spirit. It takes away the formality of choosing each drink and lets guests unwind without fuss. They can simply relax and enjoy their Sunday afternoons and evenings as they would at a friend’s home.”
Le Pristine Spritz is one of the cocktail options in the restaurant's free-flow alcohol programme, which ranges in price from $30 to $350 a person at its Sunday brunch and supper.
PHOTO: CHANTAL ARNTS
Safety measures
The restaurants all have ways of dealing with inebriated diners, helping them call for transport home and storing things they may leave behind.
Ce La Vi’s Ms Astley says: “Our entire team is trained under the National Crime Prevention Council’s Safe Clubbing Campaign, which equips staff to recognise and manage signs of overconsumption in a professional manner. We also coordinate with valet and ride-hailing partners to ensure guests can leave the venue safely and comfortably.”
Some restaurants end their free-flow offers at 9pm for a reason.
A spokesman for Pulsii French Bistro & Bar in Tras Street says: “We take responsible drinking seriously and want everyone to have a great time safely. Our free-flow sessions end by 9pm, well before the last train and public transport services, so diners have ample time to make their way home comfortably. The restaurant closes at 11.30pm, which provides another buffer for guests to wind down before leaving.”
The 60-seat restaurant runs its drinks offers on Wednesdays from 6 to 9pm. Women pay $38 a person, men $48 a person, for two hours of free-flowing red and white wine, prosecco, housepour spirits, Aperol Spritz, shochu highballs, beer and sake.
“Our team is trained to keep an eye on guests’ well-being throughout the evening,” the spokesman adds. “If someone appears to have had a little too much to drink, we gently encourage him or her to slow down and offer water as well. We also make it a point to remind diners not to drink and drive, and our staff are always happy to help call a cab or ride-hailing service to ensure everyone gets home safely.”
Wa-En Wagyu Yakiniku, an 82-seater at Jewel Changi Airport, offers 90 minutes of free-flow house wines, beers and highballs at $68 a person, and diners can opt for this to enjoy with its daily Miyazaki Wagyu buffet. The offer is available until Oct 31.
A spokesman says of its staff: “By serving the drinks in half pints, they can manage the quality of beers better, and yet help manage the speed of drinking.”
Is it paying off?
All the restaurants report an uptick in the number of diners, saying they are seeing between 5 and 50 per cent more.
Le Pristine now has a wait list for its Sunday Brunch, The Winery Tapas Bar at Chijmes says its Wednesday nights are fully booked, and Old Street Bak Kut Teh has seen 50 per cent more diners at its Telok Ayer branch.
Sarai Fine Thai at Tanglin Mall offers free-flow Thai milk tea, Thai lemongrass drink, chilled juices, soft drinks, house wines, sparkling wines and beer at $69 a person for lunch and $79 a person for dinner, to add to its weekend a la carte buffet ($39 a person for lunch, $49 a person for dinner).
Ms Bonnie Wong, 36, its chief executive, says about 40 per cent of diners add on a beverage package, and the restaurant has seen a 35 per cent increase in the number of diners on weekends.
Sarai Fine Thai offers a free-flow alcohol package with its a la carte weekend buffet.
PHOTO: SARAI FINE THAI
Red Eye Smokehouse, a restaurant in Cavan Road serving American-style barbecue, started its $38-a-person, all-you-can-drink offer about three weeks ago to celebrate its 10th anniversary.
Diners who opt for it can have two hours of free-flowing beer from Red Dot, red and white wine and highballs to go with offerings such as USDA Beef Brisket ($38), USA St Louis Pork Ribs ($34) and platters of barbecue ranging in price from $34 to $238.
Co-owner Willa Wong, 45, says the take-up rate is about 10 per cent of diners. She is not fazed, however. “We are creating a pairing for our food. The whole experience really matters to us. If this was just about discounting, I could have gone with one-for-one drinks. But that would really be a race to the bottom.”
Restaurateur Howard Lo, 49, whose Empire Eats group runs Standing Sushi Bar at Marina One and Odeon Towers, Tanuki Raw at Orchard Central and The Secret Mermaid bar at Ocean Financial Centre, among others, says he will soon stop a long-running free-flow drinks offer at Standing Sushi Bar at Marina One.
On Fridays, diners pay $30 a person for 90 minutes of free-flowing beer, sake, shochu, umeshu and edamame beans. The offer started in 2018, he says, and was popular until 2023.
“With remote and flexi work, a lot of people choose not to come to the Marina Bay financial district on Fridays,” he says. “So, there are not so many people for us to target there any more. I feel that because so many other places are offering very aggressive drink promotions, that kind of diminishes the draw of it.”
He thinks diners are looking for more than free-flowing drinks. “They are looking for something a little more creative in terms of promotions now,” he says. “It’s about giving diners access to a more unique experience.”
He adds that promotions based on low pricing are everywhere.
“You walk around and you’re hit in the face with ‘buy two, get one free’ and ‘buy one, get one’, so it’s very hard to stand out with a pure alcohol-based promotion. Another thing with free flow or any promotion that’s done constantly, it loses its allure very quickly. People know it’s not that special. They can get it any time.”
Temasek Polytechnic’s Mr Tai says success hinges on smart execution, by which he means the right pricing, time limits, portion control and well-trained staff.
He adds: “However, there is a risk of overuse. If it becomes a constant offer, it can cheapen the brand and train customers to visit only when there’s a deal, which isn’t sustainable.
“Ultimately, the free-flow trend in Singapore today is not about overindulgence, but about offering a package for a great night out with good company, at a great value and a memorable social experience.
“Some market leaders understand this and use it to build their brand, not just run a promotion.”
Some all-you-can-drink-deals
Where: 10|Scotts ( www.singapore.grand.hyattrestaurants.com/10-scotts
Deal: $50 a person for two hours free-flow Moet & Chandon Imperial Brut Champagne, $70 a person for free-flowing Moet & Chandon Imperial Brut Champagne, selected red and white wines, cocktails and mocktails as an add-on to Grand Afternoon Tea ($65 a person; weekdays, 2 to 4.30pm; weekends, 11.30am to 2pm, 2.30 to 5pm). Diners can also choose to pay $50 a person for free-flow selected red and white wines, and Tiger draught beer; $70 for free-flow Moet & Chandon Imperial Brut Champagne, selected red and white wines, and Tiger draught beer as an add-on to Grand Evening Indulgence ($55 a person, 6.30 to 9pm daily)
Afternoon tea with free-flow drinks at 10|Scotts.
PHOTO: 10|SCOTTS
Where: Bedrock Origin ( www.bedrock.com.sg
Deal: $28 a person for beer, cocktails and wine, as an add-on to The Harvest Table brunch ($78 a person on Sundays, noon to 3.30pm)
Where: Ce La Vi ( sg.celavi.com
Deal: $148 a person for East Meets Extra Saturday Brunch (11.30am to 3pm), with a three-course meal and free-flow cocktails, beers and wines; $168 a person to add champagne
Where: Gu:um ( www.guum.sg
Deal: $50 a person for two hours of house red, white and sparkling wines, as an add-on to The Weekend Steak Brunch ($98 a person, Saturdays, 11.30am to 2.30pm; Sundays, 11.30am to 4.30pm)
Where: Le Pristine ( lepristinesingapore.com
Deal: From $30 a person for 2½ hours of cocktails and mocktails as an add-on to Sunday Brunch ($135 a person, noon to 3pm) and Sunday Supper ($135 a person, 6 to 9pm)
Where: Monti ( www.monti.sg
Deal: $68 a person for prosecco, red and white wines and draft beer, as an add-on to Colapranzo brunch ($68 a person, weekends and public holidays, 11am to 3pm)
Where: Mosella ( mosella.sg
Deal: $58 a person for 2½ hours free-flow French wine, $68 a person for French sparkling wine, $99 a person for Taittinger champagne and other French sparkling wines and boutique gins, as an add-on to the Mediterranean Brunch Voyage ($118 a person, Saturdays, 12.30 to 3pm)
Mosella's Mediterranean Brunch Voyage gives diners the option to add on free flow alcohol, priced from $58 to $99 a person.
PHOTO: MOSELLA
Where: Old Street Bak Kut Teh at 112 Telok Ayer Street ( www.oldstreetbakkutteh.com
Deal: 60 minutes of free-flow Stella Artois beer with a minimum spending of $39.90 a person, available daily at dinner
Where: Pulsii French Bistro & Bar ( pulsii.com.sg
Deal: $38 for women, $48 for men for two hours free-flow wines, housepour spirits, Aperol Spritzes, shochu highballs, beer and Japanese sake, available on Wednesdays, 6 to 9pm
Where: Red Eye Smokehouse ( redeyesmoke.sg
Deal: $38 a person for two hours of beer, highballs, white and red wines at dinner from Tuesdays to Fridays, and all day on Saturdays and Sundays
Where: Sarai Fine Thai ( www.sarai.com.sg
Deal: $69 a person (lunch), $79 a person (dinner) for 90 minutes free-flow Thai milk tea, lemongrass drink, chilled juices, soft drinks, house wines, sparkling wines and beer, as an add-on to its a la carte weekend buffet ($39 a person for lunch, $49 a person for dinner, on Saturdays and Sundays)
Where: Shisen Hanten ( shisenhanten.com.sg
Deal: $48 a person for 90 minutes free-flow Aged Mandarin Cocktail, made with gin infused with 20-year-aged mandarin peel, cinnamon, grapefruit, ginger, goji berries, star anise and a hint of chilli, as an add-on to The Weekend Brunch ($88 a person, on weekends and public holidays, 11.30am to 3.15pm)
Where: Sol & Ora ( solandora.sg
Deal: $48 a person for two hours free-flow spirits, prosecco and mimosas, $25 for an additional one hour, as an add-on to the weekend a la carte brunch
Where: The Winery Tapas Bar @ Chijmes ( thewinery.com.sg/locations/chijmes
Deal: Free-flow red and white wines, plus one cocktail, for women on Wednesdays from 7 to 10pm with no minimum spending or purchase
Where: Wa-En Wagyu Yakiniku ( wa-en.com.sg
Deal: Until Oct 31, $68 a person for 90 minutes free-flow house wines, beers and highballs daily for lunch and dinner, as an add-on to its Miyazaki Wagyu buffet ($138 a person on weekdays, $168 a person on weekends)
Where: Yue at Aloft ( www.yuesingapore.com
Deal: $29.90 a person for two hours of selected red, white and sparkling wines, highballs and beer as an add-on to its A La Carte Zichar Buffet ($69.80 a person for lunch, $79.80 a person for dinner, available daily. Until Oct 31, the restaurant is offering a one-for-one deal for its buffet)
