Singapore’s First Vegan Italian Lunch Buffet at Pete’s Place: Dining Review

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Vegan Friendly Factor –
Family Friendly Factor –

As the euphoria builds around vegan and vegetarian dining in Singapore, the recent launch of a vegan lunch buffet by Pete’s Place has become the talk of town. As far as I know, this is a first in town. Now I know that there are several vegan restaurants in Singapore, but this seems to be a first by a mainstream restaurant, that too a major hotel. And it sure gets us very excited! So get ready to indulge in delicious and hearty plant-based Italian fare amidst a warm and cosy atmosphere.

Pete’s Place is located in Grand Hyatt at Scotts Road. The restaurant was designed some 47 years ago as a traditional Italian trattoria, and stays true to the same ambience and rustic décor even today. So, I guess it would be safe to say that Pete’s Place has stood the test of time. I would rate the restaurant as a great venue for a weekend family brunch, with a range of vegan creations including wood-fired oven pizzas, tasty pastas and freshly baked breads. Not to mention that at S$32++, it is complete value for money. Psst, did I mention that kids below 7 dine for free!

The Italian Plant-Based Buffet at Pete’s Place

Since it’s a buffet, the menu items might vary from day to day. But on any given day, go expecting a full meal that includes soups, salad bar, pizza, pasta, a daily baked item, sautéed organic vegetables, plant-based daily baked item, dessert, fruits and a round of coffee or tea. The Italian Plant-Based Buffet Lunch is available Monday to Saturday from 12:00 pm to 2:30 pm at S$32++/adult and S$20++ /child (7-12 yrs).

We started our meal with the soups, bread and salad. On offer were 2 vegan soups. While I thought that the Minestrone Soup was average; the Pumpkin Soup was delicious. I usually like tomato based soups and am not particularly fond of pumpkin soup, but Pete’s Place managed to seduce me with the complete opposite. I loved Pete’s Pumpkin Soup and went back for seconds and thirds – so don’t be surprised when the Pumpkin Soup makes an appearance in every picture! The breads were all vegan, I got an assortment for our table and while I dipped mine into the EVOO (I truly believe that’s the best way to eat bread), the kids topped their slices with Homemade Herb Butter (not vegan).

A salad without any greens, now that's what I'm talking about! — A salad without any greens, now that’s what I’m talking about!

Salad lovers should be happy enough with the Organic Salad Bar that’s loaded with a variety of vegetables, greens, seeds and condiments. So, go on and rustle up your own salad.

Sautéed Organic Vegetables at Pete's Place Vegan Lunch — Sautéed Organic Vegetables – Appealing to the eyes and the palette

Typically, the next course should be Pizza/Pasta. But I love my veggies and like to load up on the good stuff sooner rather than later. The mains for the day consisted of Sautéed Organic Vegetables and Baked Cauliflower in Tomato Sauce. Not only were the sautéed veggies colourful and appealing to look at, they were fresh and tasted great. The Baked Cauliflower tasted even better and vied with the Pumpkin Soup, for top place.

Mushroom Pizza at Pete's Place Lunch — Who loves ‘shrooms on their vegan pizza?

Good ol' Tomato Pasta at Pete's Place Lunch Buffet — Good ol’ Tomato Pasta – Always a crowd pleaser

After getting a good dose of healthy, with the salads and the vegetables, we hit the carbs. The plant-based pizza for the day was Mushroom Pizza, while the plant-based pasta on offer was the Fusilli with Eggplant in Tomato Sauce – both were quite good. On request, the chef even did an eggplant-free version of the pasta for my fussy eaters. Vegetarians had slightly more choice as the other pizza on offer was Margherita.

Plant-Based Desserts at Pete’s Place

Desserts Galore at Pete's Place Vegan Buffet — Desserts Galore, with the plant-based option clearly marked

You can never be too full for dessert. Now if you’re vegetarian, there was quite a choice of treats like Tiramisu, Caramel Cream, Strawberry Pizza and Orange Polenta Cake. Although I’m normally a vegetarian, I had decided to be vegan for the day, so I stuck to the plant-based Chocolate Pudding, Cherries and Fruits. My kids did not like the chocolate cake as it wasn’t too decadent or sickly sweet. I loved it precisely for that reason.

Also Read: Go Vegetarian at Pasta Fresca da Salvatore: Dining Review

Verdict

All in all, a great Plant-Based Italian Lunch Buffet at Pete’s Place as long as you go with the right expectations. There are enough food choices for vegetarians and vegans (but there will always be a bit more for the meat-eaters). Not to mention the absolutely wallet-friendly prices and the restaurant being suitable enough to enjoy a family brunch over the weekend. A double thumbs up to Pete’s Place for the initiative, we really hope that more restaurants and hotels would take a cue from them.

Pete’s Place: Grand Hyatt Singapore, 10 Scotts Road, Singapore 228211. P: +65 6738 1234

Pooja Bakhshi

Founder and Editor-in-Chief of EatRoamLive, Pooja’s enthusiasm for food and travelling is palpable from the variety and intensity with which she writes. A traveller at heart and a big-time foodie who is vegan, EatRoamLive was incepted with her desire to create a resource aimed at making dining out fun, and not restrictive, for veg(etari)ans. Not just (solely) veg(etari)an restaurants, she marks out places that serve sumptuous food with enough meat-free options. A hands-on mum to 3 young kids, the former architect and interior designer has her hands full juggling her love for writing, travelling and home.