We Tried This 4.7-Star Buffet At Hilton Singapore Orchard—Is It Worth $68++?

Estate Restaurant has lunch buffet with live stations in Orchard

I’ve been to plenty of buffets in my career, but few have gotten me as excited as Estate. Located at Hilton Singapore Orchard, Estate is an all-day dining restaurant built around residential-style open kitchens, offering elevated local and Western flavours. My friends who’d visited raved about the sheer spread, describing it as almost maze-like, with food around every corner.

I went down for lunch on an empty stomach—and even skipped breakfast—to see if it truly deserves a spot among Singapore’s best buffets. 

Estate’s lunch buffet is priced at $68++ per adult from Monday to Friday, with an optional top-up of $60++ for free-flow house wines and beer.

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Food at Estate

The service staff offered us a quick guided introduction to the spread right at the start. This mini tour was genuinely helpful, because without it, you’d probably spend half your time just figuring out what’s where.

Estate prides itself on its Homegrown Salad Bar, which features locally grown, chemical-free greens from Farmd and gourmet mushrooms from Fogo Fungi. Beyond the farm-fresh produce, you’ll find premium greens, vegetables, beans and seeds, and dressings, alongside Thai and chicken salads. There’s also a charcuterie corner stocked with European cheeses, beef pastrami, rustic salami, salami Milano and more.

We also came across the live panini station, something less commonly seen at buffets. Two options were available on our visit: Smoked Duck & Orange Marmalade with arugula, brie, and ciabatta, and the Beef Pastrami Reuben. Served bite-sized, these were easy to enjoy, though deceptively filling. The sourdough Reuben sandwich was our favourite, delivering a savoury punch balanced by tangy pickled cabbage and nutty gruyere.

No buffet is complete without a seafood bar, and Hilton’s one was solid with tiger prawns, black mussels, and Cloudy Bay diamond clams. Everything tasted fresh. I especially enjoyed the prawns, which were plump and snappy with a briny sweetness, while the mussels were tender and full-flavoured without being overly salty.

One note: there were no oysters during my visit. If that’s a must for you, you may want to book their Sunday Social Champagne Brunch instead, priced at $138++ per person.

Get the most bang for your buck at this buffet by loading up at the sashimi and sushi station. I found this to be one of the highlights, especially since the chef slices your sashimi to order here—none of that pre-cut, slightly oxidised fish you sometimes get at cheaper buffets. The fish was fresh, thinly sliced, and naturally sweet.

There’s also a live station serving Salmon Sakura Sake Chirashi, prepared a la minute. I liked how well-composed the bowl was. It was refreshing and clean-tasting, with a gentle sake fragrance running through the rice.

I noticed a few aunties making a beeline for the dim sum station, where Prawn & Chicken Siew Mai, Seafood Gyoza, Har Gao, and Char Siew Bao were served alongside a variety of condiments, from Thai sweet chilli and plum sauce to prawn sambal and more.

We tried everything, and the siew mai stood out—bouncy and well-seasoned, with a savoury filling that felt like something from a proper dim sum restaurant. The char siew bao was another winner, with its sweet-smoky filling, generous meat, and pillowy dough that wasn’t too thick. 

The seafood gyoza, however, was a miss. The skin was slightly thick and mushy, sticking a little to the roof of the mouth, and the har gao suffered a similar fate.

Most buffets in Singapore have a Singapore laksa station, and Estate is no exception. Their Signature Laksa comes topped with prawns, a quail egg, bean curd puff, crispy fried shallots, spring onion, and laksa leaves. The broth is rich and coconut-forward, with a fragrant rempah base, but don’t expect much heat. It’s notably mild, so my colleague, who can’t handle spice, happily slurped up everything. Even with a dollop of sambal stirred in, it leaned gentle—the recipe is likely calibrated for a broader crowd, tourists included.

There’s also an Asian section with dishes on rotation. The spread we saw included KL Dai Lok Mee with Prawns, Herbal Prawns, Spicy Cereal Prawns, Assam Halibut Fish Curry, Plant-Based Meat Mapo Tofu, and Mala Pork Ribs.

The Mala Pork Ribs were surprisingly addictive. The Sichuan-inspired dish is coated in a numbing, aromatic sauce with Sichuan peppercorns, dried chillies, and garlic. The meat was lean and reasonably tender, though not quite fall-off-the-bone. The heat and tingle were there, but we wished it packed more punch.

An honorary mention is the silky Plant-Based Meat Mapo Tofu, which was lightly spiced rather than fiery, with a numbing tingle that built gradually. I could eat it on its own without needing rice to balance out the spice.

The Indian station was another section we kept going back to, featuring staples and curries such as Dhal Tadka, Peanut Butter Masala, Black Pepper Chicken, Butter Chicken, and Mysore Mutton.

The Butter Chicken had a thick, velvety gravy with a gentle sweetness from the tomato base, though we wished the sauce was a touch more savoury to round things out. The Mysore Mutton was the real standout. It featured tender, deeply spiced pieces in a bold South Indian-style gravy, earthy with notes of dried chilli and a slow-building warmth that lingered on the palate.

If you still have tummy space, head to the carving station. We had a serving of Slow-Roasted Australian Wagyu Beef, starring beautifully tender slices with a rosy centre, and rosemary jus that added a herbaceous depth without overpowering the natural richness of the Wagyu. The Salmon Wellington, while impressively presented, came out on the slightly soggier side, which was a small letdown.

Finally, onto the desserts bar, which feels thoughtfully curated rather than an afterthought. The spread was extensive, featuring Strawberry Vanilla, Chocolate, and Yam gelato, alongside Signature Bread and Butter Pudding with Vanilla Sauce.

There was also Banana Cake with Creme Chantilly and Mango Chia Seed Pudding, plus a colourful assortment of traditional Nyonya kueh. For those with a bigger sweet tooth, whole cakes were also available, including Mango Cake, Black Forest Cake, and Hilton’s Signature Chocolate Cake.

You’ll find Fruit Tea and Fruit Punch at the beverage station, as well as canned soft drinks. Coffee and tea can be ordered from the service staff.

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Ambience at Estate

Estate sits on Level 5 of Hilton Singapore Orchard, next to Italian restaurant Osteria Mozza. The moment you step in, it feels like you’re being welcomed into a atas colonial-style home decked out with botanical accents, warm lighting, and dark wood details.

What sets it apart from your typical buffet hall is the layout. Rather than one big open floor, Estate is divided into semi-private coves and partitioned dining zones, with the main food stations tucked towards the back. It gives the experience a more intimate setting, and is equally suited to a casual lunch with colleagues or a celebratory meal with family. That said, the maze-like layout is a double-edged sword. While it’s atmospheric, navigating the food stations during a busy service can get a little tight.

Estate is about a five-minute walk from Somerset MRT Station.

Estate – Eatbook review

I left impressed—and very, very full. The food was well-executed and a little more interesting than your usual buffet spread, from the live panini station to the homegrown salad bar. The Indian food in particular stood out, while the sashimi offered solid value for money.

It’s also a great spot for bringing tourists or friends visiting Singapore. The flavours lean toward accessible rather than overly spicy, so local dishes can be enjoyed without overwhelming palates unaccustomed to heat. At $68++ for lunch, you’re getting your money’s worth for a five-star hotel buffet with this level of variety.

If you’re looking for buffets under $40, check out our cheap buffets guide, or bookmark our Orchard Road food guide for best places to eat in the area. 

Address: 333 Orchard Rd, Level 5, Hilton Singapore Orchard, Singapore 238867
Opening hours: Daily 6:30am to 10pm
Website
Estate is not halal-certified.

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Photos taken by Nathania Tay.
This was a media tasting at Estate.