Polo Bar Steakhouse at Maxwell Reserve Singapore Review
- Ava Lyn
- 11 hours ago
- 3 min read
Polo Bar Steakhouse
Maxwell Reserve Singapore
Autograph Collection
2 Cook St
Singapore 078857
Tucked within the stately Maxwell Reserve Autograph Collection, Polo Bar is every bit the visual homage to the British Occupation in Singapore. Dark wood panels, gleaming brass accents and deep upholstery that whisper clubs of secrets from our colonial masters. This is a restaurant that is designed to bring you back into the past, with equestrian motifs and military uniforms across the hallways.
This is our first time in the Maxwell Reserve hotel despite having walked by numerous times. We had always wondered what place was this with their plush velvet seats and now we know. As you walk through the Maxwell Reserve to Polo Bar Steakhouse, which is at the end of the walkway, it is almost like a curated museum holding pieces pre-Singapore independence.
We visit because of the Amex Table for 2 promotion. Set menu for 2 pax free every 2 months and Polo Bar was the first of our escapades for the year. When we arrived, the server told us that the main Polo Bar was at full capacity today and we were to be seated at Isabel Brasserie. Is this because we were dining for free? Well, I don't know but Isabel Brasseries was beautifully decorated as well. The front room was a cocktail bar that had an adjoining space functioning as a more intimate dining space.
On this curated menu, we have:
Heirloom Tomato Carpaccio
Main choice #1: Josper Grilled Argentinian Rib Eye
Main choice #2: Grilled Kurobuta Pork Chop
Choice of side: Truffle Fries, Sauteed Garlic Spinach, Sauteed Mixed Forest Mushrooms, Classic French Mashed Potatoes
Cinnamon Dusted Apple Tart Served with Vanilla Gelato and Mixed Berries
Choice of 1 Beverage: Signature Cold Press Juice, Housepour Red Wine, Housepour White Wine, Housepour Bubbly, Beer, Tea or Coffee
We had arrived early for our dinner and whizzed through our 3 course meal. The tomato starter was bright and composed and a beautiful start. French heirloom tomatoes, we were told. The mains came shortly after we were done with our starters. We had one each of the Rib Eye and Pork Chop that we had with our truffle fries and mashed potatoes. The mains were competently executed, though not particularly memorable. I though, enjoyed my mashed potato very much. The apple tart was again, nice but nothing memorable.
That said, we thought the service was good. Some of the staff seem a little new to the place and seemed unsure of food descriptions. One thing we did note though, was that the diners arriving after us seemed to have long periods of wait in between getting menus, getting their orders in and in between courses. We certainly didn't encounter this, but there were a couple of tables getting impatient and leaving to find servers to place their orders in. I think it is just unfortunate with the overbooking and the staff having to wander between their main restaurant at the secondary dining room. Most of the time we were there, there was no staff around and perhaps with the overbooking they were stretched thin.
Booking
Polo Bar seems to be booked out for the next month, with the next weekend booking for 2 available 2 months out. If you do intend to visit, do remember to book early!
Accessibility
Polo Bar is located within the Maxwell Reserve, easily accessible via Maxwell MRT Station which is just a short 4 min walk away.
The Damage
We went for this dinner through the Amex Platinum Table for 2 Dining Promotion, which means our meal was free. The restaurant states a value of $200 for the 3 course menu we had. This is likely ballpark what you would pay if you ordered ala carte, with the Pork Chop priced at 58 SGD and the sides at 18 SGD, 100 SGD per pax seems about right.
Would We Recommend?
For a complimentary dining experience, Polo Bar offers a refined, instagrammable evening and we certainly had no complains. Overall the food was decent though nothing was spectacular. For a 4.7 starred place on google reviews, I would have expected more. Though I need to note that most of the set menu that we had is not available on the main ala carte menu and so I would leave some benefit of the doubt that perhaps their quality might be better for their ala carte menu. It is worth visiting for the opulence and glimpse into Singapore's history but for us, it is not a place that demands a return trip.
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