Gazing at the sheer size of the architecture itself, it goes without saying that Marina Bay Sands is more than just the Instagram-worthy Infinity pool up at the SkyPark, the casino property for the more adventurous, and the outlets at The Shoppes mall will have you dizzy with choices to shop till you drop – One does wonder where to begin!
Fret not, we have inspected the premise for you dear readers, and we have come up with a two-day itinerary on the Marina Bay Sands grounds, to experience their latest offerings from around the world, without having to set foot outside the rest of Singapore. (Why would you? Everything is as alluring as it gets at Marina Bay Sands).
Sink Your Teeth into Some Classic British European Fare
Start your day around mid-day, (because you’re on holiday, why should anything happen before 12PM?), over at the award-winning celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay’s Bread Street Kitchen, located at the South Promenade of The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, overlooking the calming Marina Bay waterfront.
The two-storey restaurant and bar emitted the brand’s industrial roots from East London, with playful black and white tiled floors meet abstracted geometric patterned flooring, whereas a woven orange checkered board ceiling brings warmth and dimension to the glass enclosure to the exposed pipework, wire mesh and black mirrors, complementing the tufted banquet and dark-stained timber.
Amidst the East London industrial-inspired setting, savour on signature dishes, like the slow roasted Dingley Dell pork belly drenched in spiced apple puree, or the BSK short rib beef burger pressed between melted Monterey Jack cheese and spicy sriracha mayo in brioche buns – favourites that are guaranteed will keep you filled and energised for the rest of the day.
Rewind to a Past Filled with Troves of Treasures
To jibe with the replete tummy over lunch, walk on over to the ArtScience Museum just across the restaurant at the waterfront, where the Treasures of the Natural World exhibition is going on, eager to replenish the mind with trivia of the past you may not have known about.
In partnership with the Natural History Museum in London, the exhibition takes visitors on a unique voyage of discovery, showing how pioneering explorers, collectors and scientists who have revolutionised humanity’s understanding of nature. From the 18th-century Enlightenment era, when Charles Darwin penned his On the Origin of Species book, to the 1872 exploration of the deep oceans aboard the HMS Challenger, to the scientific pursuits and breakthroughs of the modern world via the researches done by 350 scientists at the Natural History Museum.
It may all sound pretty boring upon hearsay, (much like anything that has to do with history and things of long forgotten pasts), but you’d be surprised with the things you learn about the over-200 star objects, curated from the Museum’s over 80 million artefacts and specimens to represent the best of the museum’s collection.
The Treasures of the Natural World exhibition runs till April 29 at the ArtScience Museum, and tickets can be purchased here.
Fast Forward to a Future Where Art Collides with Science
The wonderful and colourful, magical and fantastical world of teamLab, a collective and interdisciplinary creative group from Tokyo comes to life in the confinement of the ArtScience Museum, where up to 15 digital art installations come to life through cutting-edge science and technology.
The immersive and interactive exhibition includes: an an audio-visual installation that features the Yatagarasu, a three-legged crow believed to be the embodiment of the Sun in Japanese mythology, (Tip: you might want to stand still when the installation is in motion; kick back with the Black Waves, where the traditional Japanese painting of the sea is rendered in a virtual 3D environment; glide down the Sliding Through the Fruit Field slope, mirrored after the famed game app Fruit Ninja, where the visitors’ trails of life-giving sunlight cuts through fruits to emit a colourful array of blossoms and growth, (Tip: adults are advised to participate in this installation accompanied by children, to avoid awkward stares from the public); and take the perfect OOTD shot in the Crystal Universe (just like everyone else has been posting on Instagram), where over 170,000 LED lights come together give the illusion of stars moving in space.
The Future World: Where Art Meets Science exhibition is a permanent exhibition at the ArtScience Museum. Ticketing details can be found here.
Write Your Own Future
After soaking up the wonders at Future World, head on over to the North Promenade of The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, where another installation by the multi-award winning Japanese art collective has been unveiled.
Digital Light Canvas is a multi-sensory combination of technology and digital art, featuring a dynamic LED floor spanning 15 metres in diameter, and over 7.7 million individually controlled LEDs, rendered in real time to the people’s behaviour and movement within the former skating rink space beneath the 14-metre cylindrical light sculpture with more than 401,000 full-coloured LEDs strung within 608 tubes.
Alongside three different show modes accompanied by unique soundtracks throughout the day, visitors get the opportunity to cast an anniversary greeting, birthday wish or wedding proposal – Next Level PDA, anyone?
Digital Light Canvas is a permanent attraction in The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands. Ticketing information is available here.
Dine on Top of the World at LAVO Singapore
All these lights and sounds sure worked up an appetite for one, doesn’t it? (If it doesn’t, just pretend it does, and go along with us on this). Head up to Level 57 at Tower 1 of Marina Bay Sands, where one of the premise’s latest F&B addition, LAVO Singapore, is ready to serve you authentic Italian American cuisine amidst the city skyline glittering at the backdrop.
Inspired by LAVO New York and Las Vegas, the newest family member halfway across the world welcomes guests into a 19th century-inspired space outfitted with reclaimed subway tiles, exposed bricks, round leather booths and light timber trellis, while bringing to the table greatest hits like the famous one-pound meatball (fresh ground Imperial wagyu and Italian sausage) topped with ricotta cheese, and the iconic 20-layer chocolate and peanut butter cake.
Have a Nightcap at Adrift
Finish off the first of your two-day getaway on a high note over at Adrift over at the Marina Bay Sands hotel lobby at Tower 2, brought to you by the celebrated chef David Myers, renowned for a chain of successful restaurant and bar concepts in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Dubai, and now, Singapore.
Adrift offers a plethora of palette stimulants that are alcoholic and non-alcoholic, including sparkling and shaken cocktails with whimsical names, concocted by resident bartender Sam Ross: the refreshing Lepak Local, consisting of gin infused with chilli padi, palm sugar infused with burnt lemongrass, calamansi and pineapple juice; the fruity Diamonds and Pearls of gin, blackberry, lillet blanc and a hint of coconut; and the sturdy I Hear Banjoes…, bourbon and apple brandy with splashes with cinnamon and apple wood smoke.
Your itinerary for the second day awaits here.