Located at the top of Marina Bay Sands Hotel Tower 3, 57 floors, Celavi restaurant is a rooftop dining with Skybar and Sky Lounge. It was a Saturday afternoon that we dine at Celavi MBS for a birthday celebration.
If you are coming by car, park your car at the shoppee at Marina Bay Sands and then walk over to tower 3, there is quite a distance walking from the shoppee carpark but the good thing is it is indoor with air-conditioning so you won’t feel the heat and distance.
The lift to Celavi restaurant is the same as MBS Skypark, it takes under 30 seconds with the express lift up.
We booked online for a table of 4 pax and requested to sit indoor because we were worried the wind can be too strong. True enough, it was in the middle of our meal that the rain started to pour heavily and all outdoor tables were closed, and have to move back indoors. By the way, a cancellation fee of SGD 20 per table applies if you fail to cancel 3 hours prior to your reservation. You have to provide your credit card full details when making the booking online.
The restaurant has both indoor and semi-alfresco dining, if you are sitting near outdoor, you may be able to see the panoramic views of the city skyline and Singapore strait. Well, there are lots of huge vessels stopping at the Singapore strait and it looks quite pretty, other than that, not much you could see from Celavi actually.
The Sand Skypark observation deck is located one floor below the Celavi restaurant, at 56 floor but guests from Celavi are not allowed to enter the observation deck, it was blocked with some glass panels. If you are staying in Sands and have the hotel access card, you can then use the hotel access card to enter the observation.
Kataifi Prawns $29.00
Here comes our starter with Kataifi wrapped prawns with crushed avocado and mango salsa, which cost $29.00. I would rate this dish 8/10. Quite refreshing especially with some mango salsa at the side when you bite on them.
Chilled Ramen Noodles $22.00
This ramen noodles serve full of bonito flakes at the top, looks like Hiroshima style okonomiyaki, the one that contains noodles but then when you started to dig in, there is no flour, not a pancake style, so it is certainly not okonomiyaki pancake. It is just some sort of fusion Japanese cuisine, you will find ikura, small salmon roe and some thinly sliced cucumber, nori- the Japanese seaweed. If I remember well, there are also mayonnaise to go with it, not too sure. I would rate this dish 7/10
Wagyu Beef Tataki $28.00
Tataki in Japanese meaning meat served either raw or lightly seared. So Wagyu beef tataki is slightly raw but the beef texture is so thin so you won’t feel the texture of the raw meat at all. It actually goes well with the ponzu sauce, quite appetizing with the sour taste. There are only 5 slices of thin wagyu beef tataki on this plate. I would rate this dish 7/10
King Salmon Jicama Roll $22.00
Jicama is Mexican yam bean or Mexican turnip. So this dish is king salmon wrap with Jicama roll. I don’t know how to appreciate this dish, will only give it a 6/10. The outer white layer I believe is called Jicama roll, it texture is soft just like our chee cheong fun texture, the sauce is those western white sauce, not sure is mayonnaise or not, can’t rememeber already. You will also find little ikura at the side.
Asian Dip Pita Bread $14.00
Their version of pita bread wasn’t so worth ordering. I have tasted better pita bread in Mykonos on the Bay at Sentosa Cove, half the price cheaper. Nothing much I can say about this pita bread, you don’t feel like having a second bite after the first. The dipping sauce is nothing too fancy too. I would only rate this 6/10.
Roasted Fremantle Octopus $32.00
This little octopus leg cost $32.00, and all you could taste is the saltiness of this leg. The octopus is still a toddler, bigger than a baby but not yet an adult. The length of the leg is about 8 inches. I rate this 5/10, not worth ordering, nothing really special about this dish.
Braised duck Curry $38.00
This is the main dish but the portion is still pretty small, looks like a starter size. Duck braised with their special curry sauce, not spicy but more towards the sweet side. On the side, there are a few lycees. I would rate this 7/10
Mango Cheesecake $20.00
Not the usual mango cheesecake we have, the cheese or should I called it the cream is very soft, didn’t taste the cheese at all. As usual the size is small. 6/10
Triple Chocolate Sin $20.00
I don’t think there is any sin there, the portion is so small but you can’t see it here. Is just like a small cup of chocolate icecream. Taste is alright lah. 7/10
My final thoughts:
We were here on a Saturday lunch, and it happens to have the free flow beverage package which cost $88 ++, the restaurant was full of drinkers but too bad we aren’t drinkers to join the fun. The free flow beverage end at 3.30pm so guests keep ordering as much as they can and hence make the restaurant super busy and most of the time serving alcohols from tables to tables.
I would not recommend for guests with family to come here during weekend lunch simply this place looks like a day night club with loud music. But then it may be suitable for alcohol lovers and young people.
About the view, there is really nothing much you can see if you sit indoor but then even if you sit outdoor, there isn’t really much to see except the view from the Singapore strait. Not much from the Singapore city skyline. You can see a better skyline from SKAI Restaurant at Swissôtel The Stamford, located on the 70th floor. The ambient there is relaxed and classy and very good service. The food portion is so much bigger with a similar price range. Over here in Celavi, the restaurant setting is more like a canteen style.
The food portion is very small and very expensive like I mentioned, I think this place is for people who enjoy alcohol, pay the $88++ and drink all you can, certainly not really for you to come here to enjoy the food.
Service here is not satisfying at all. There are staffs who wear black suit and wearing the Hawaiian shirts. The black suits staff are walking up and down doing nothing, probably they are there to bring guests to the assigned table. Meanwhile, the Hawaiian shirt staffs work like hell taking in orders from table to table.
We waited for more than half an hour for our bill to come, asking 3 times to staff.
Will I come again – NO.
