Food & Drinks Review: The Black Swan at 19 Cecil St, Singapore 049704

The Black Swan at the end of Cecil Street reminds me of the Swinging Sixties. Perhaps it was the font, the decor, or the fact that they have classic cocktails and steaks to be enjoyed between a couple out on a romantic date or business associates plotting to take over the world. In any case, when I visited the restaurant recently, I was surprised at how good everything was, including the food!

To start I tried the Black Cow ($20), a signature vodka martini made with Black Cow Vodka, Mancino Dry Vermouth and served with english cheddar cheese. Really strong and fascinating flavour. You have to try it because I don't know how to really describe it.


Here's the drinks menu. The drinks are pricey, but high quality. Some of them have flames! 


We then had some appetizers. The Baked Bone Marrow Crostini Served With Bread ($18) was really yummy. I think I'm just a sucker for bone marrow, which is like meat butter. 4/5


Next up, the Black Swan Seafood Platter ($148), which is made up of Alaskan king crab, oysters, Maine lobster, obsiblue prawns, uni and clam ceviche. It sure looked impressive! This is perhaps what you'll order for your client or a VIP for visual effect. While the seafood's definitely fresh, I don't really love shellfish nor crustaceans so I am pretty ambivalent about it. For the price, I'll say order something else instead and have 3 more drinks... 2/5


Get the Alaskan snow crab salad ($24) instead. It has generous portions of crab, avocado, mango, orange, grapefruit and a refreshing citrus vinaigrette. Really enjoyable - we emptied the plate! 4/5


There's also the very homely and comforting Chicken Velouté ($18), which is like a chicken broth that has fried maitake mushrooms inside, and served with some bread. Delicious and great for those looking for a creamy soup to start the meal. 3/5


We then tried the Steak Tartare ($26), which was made with USDA 365 days grain-fed beef, crispy sunchoke, raw egg and micro cress. Unfortunately they did not live up to my very high expectations - it tasted rather average. A solid 3/5. 


We moved on to the big plates then. In limited quantity, there's the Roasted Suckling Pig ($148) which comprised of a half uckling pig done Spanish-style, served with pickled vegetables. This needs to be preordered 2 days in advance. The skin was crackling, the pork was delish and it was heartily good. A little pricey, but worth it for a group of 4. 3.5/5


We also tried the Daily Specials, which has the Lobster Thermidor ($65++). Yay, me likely. It was a whole Maine lobster with Mornay sauce, Gruyère cheese and petite salad. However do note that this dish is only available every Thursday. If you are a fan of lobster thermidors, then make a point to go on a Thursday because it is decent. 3/5


Last but not least of the main course, and the highlight of the meal. The Tournedos Rossini ($50) that had 150 gms of tenderloin topped with a buttery soft seared foie gras, served with sautéed vegetables and truffle sauce. Again, this dish is only available every Monday, but it was so good. In fact, it was the highlight of the dinner for me. The steak was done to perfection, and the sauce complementary instead of overwhelming. I learnt that the name of the dish was after a composer Gioachino Rossini, by French master chefs Marie-Antoine Carême or Adolphe Dugléré, or by Savoy Hotel chef Auguste Escoffier. What a surprising bit of history. He must be quite the steak fan.


For desserts, we had the delightful Dark Chocolate Dome ($16) with Valrhona Guanaja, vanilla crème and seasonal berries. I loved this, with the mousse texture inside. A classic chocolate dessert worth ordering. 4/5


For a showstopper though, get the Black Swan Fireball ($22), which sees a chocolate sphere filled with berries compote, crunchy pearls and vanilla ice cream get torched by some flaming alcohol.


Definitely an entertaining dessert! 


The end result. Very impressive. And delicious with the different textures. Order this for sure if you want a show. 4/5


The Black Swan presents a new destination for those looking for a slightly more interesting dining experience themed with the classic Swinging Sixties inspired era. I'd say go for the crab salad and steak, and be sure to try out a few of their martinis!
* By the way, go for Happy Hour (5-8pm from Mondays to Fridays) for $2 oysters and $11 for selected beer, wine and house-pours.

The Black Swan
19 Cecil St, Singapore 049704
+65 81813305
Daily 11:30 AM – 1:00 AM
Closed on Sundays

Thanks to the Black Swan and Food News PR for the invite!

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