A buffet renovation can easily become a visual exercise, but Basilico took the opportunity to rethink how guests experience an Italian meal. Following the wider refurbishment of the former Regent Singapore and Basilico’s own 15th-anniversary refresh, the restaurant emerged with a renewed interior, new dining zones and a dedicated Basilico Bar.
Now located at Conrad Singapore Orchard, the restaurant remains recognisable to returning guests. Yet the renovation has made the buffet feel less like a conventional hotel spread and more like a collection of Italian dining experiences, from the open kitchens and cheese room to the bar and poolside setting. The warm, lively and elegant design gives each area its own character, creating a comfortable way to explore the restaurant over time.
Basilico Before and After the Renovation
The wider hotel refurbishment took place as the property transitioned from Regent Singapore to Conrad Singapore Orchard. The hotel underwent a major overhaul, while its distinctive John Portman-designed atrium was retained. Basilico subsequently received its own refresh in 2024 to mark its 15th anniversary, including refreshed menus and the introduction of Basilico Bar.
Before
- Basilico was already known for its Italian buffet and communal dining concept.
- Live kitchens and a central food presentation were established parts of the restaurant.
- The restaurant’s identity centred on Italian food, cheeses and convivial dining.
After
- A dedicated bar was created within the restaurant footprint.
- The four surrounding nooks were restyled.
- Open kitchens, the raw bar and cheese room became stronger focal points.
- Private and semi-private areas added flexibility.
- Poolside dining continued as another option.
The renovation therefore did not discard Basilico’s identity. It gave the existing concept more distinct spaces and a stronger day-to-night rhythm. For returning guests, this is a refreshing change without losing the familiar thing they love about the restaurant: an Italian spread designed for sharing.
Basilico’s Renovation: From Buffet to Italian Dining Journey
The restaurant’s design is associated with Japanese architect Yasuhiro Koichi of Design Studio SPIN, whose concept draws from the Italian piazza and mercato. That idea remains particularly appropriate after the refresh.
Instead of treating the buffet as one long counter, the renewed Basilico encourages guests to move through different culinary experiences. Three open kitchens focus on antipasti, hot dishes and pasticceria, while a central island houses the raw bar.
That arrangement gives the meal a sense of progression. I can begin with cold cuts and seafood, move towards handmade pasta or pizza, then return to the cheese selection before finishing with dessert. The space makes the variety feel intentional rather than excessive. It is the kind of layout that makes it easy to pause, look around and decide what to try next.
Fresh Seafood and Open Kitchens
The refreshed buffet puts greater emphasis on visible preparation. The raw bar presents fresh seafood and salads, while live stations prepare chargrilled Mediterranean prawns, sirloin and tomahawk steak. Weekend service also includes live pasta preparation. Seasonal produce sourced from Italy helps shape the menu, which changes every few months to reflect the seasons.
This is important to the renovation because the kitchen becomes part of the room’s atmosphere. Guests can watch food being prepared instead of simply selecting finished dishes. The approach also helps the buffet feel warmer and more interactive. There is movement around the table and kitchen, rather than a static display of food. Seasonal salads such as Radicchio and Artichoke Salad add freshness, while burrata served with seasonal olive oil offers a simple pairing that lets its richness shine.
The Cheese Room Became a Signature Feature
The signature cheese room remains one of Basilico’s most distinctive features. The current restaurant highlights more than 40 artisanal Italian cheeses, while its broader promotional material describes a selection of more than 50 varieties. At weekday lunch, the cheese selection is smaller than at dinner and weekend brunch, but still offers guests a chance to discover a range of styles.
The cheese room gives the buffet a level of specialisation that is unusual for a hotel restaurant. Guests can explore cheeses by region and style rather than treating cheese as a small course at the end of a meal. Pairing suggestions, including honey and walnuts, make it easier to find combinations to enjoy.
Handmade Pasta, Pizza and the Refreshed Menu
The food continues to follow an Italian, seasonal direction. The current autumn menu, running from 1 September to 13 November 2026, draws from Northern and Central Italy, with mushrooms, seasonal vegetables, grains and regional dishes.
The current weekday buffet includes seasonal antipasti, handmade pasta, Napoletana pizzas, roasted meats, artisanal cheeses, desserts and housemade gelatos. Pizza and pasta are integral to Basilico’s buffet identity: choices may include Pizza Primavera, Pizza Bianca, Pizza Margherita and Pizza With Eggplant, alongside the Wagyu Beef Lasagna alla Bolognese, a must-order dish that has been on the menu for 15 years. The spread can also feature mozzarella, burrata and salami among its Italian favourites.
Basilico Bar Added a New Dimension
Perhaps the most significant addition is Basilico Bar, a dedicated vermouth-focused bar created within the restaurant. The bar occupies a corner overlooking Conrad Singapore Orchard’s dramatic atrium. Its interior uses green-veined marble, wood, wine-red leather, orange-brown sofas and a patterned partition, creating a distinct but connected space.
This changes the role of the restaurant. Guests can now visit for Italian cocktails and bar snacks without necessarily committing to the full buffet. Vermouth-and-cheese pairings and a dedicated Negroni programme further extend the Italian concept beyond the table. Honestly, that flexibility makes the bar a useful addition for people who want to experience Basilico in a different way.
For me, this is where the renovation feels most consequential. Basilico has become a place where a visit can begin with an aperitivo, continue over dinner and finish with drinks. Finally, the restaurant offers more than one natural starting point for an evening out.
Conrad Singapore Orchard and the Restored Atrium
The renovation also benefits from the hotel surrounding it. Basilico is located on Level 2 of Conrad Singapore Orchard, overlooking the property’s preserved skylit atrium and its distinctive glass elevators. The hotel retained this Portman-designed architectural feature during its wider refurbishment.
The renewed restaurant works with that architecture rather than competing with it. Natural daylight enters the space during the day, while warmer illumination changes the atmosphere after dark. The effect is subtle but valuable: Basilico feels connected to the hotel while retaining its own Italian identity.
Private Dining and Poolside Spaces
The renovation also improved the restaurant’s flexibility. Private and semi-private dining rooms provide natural daylight and poolside views, giving guests alternatives to the main buffet room. That makes Basilico suitable for more than a casual buffet meal. The restaurant can accommodate family gatherings, business dinners, celebrations and smaller private occasions. Guests who once felt embarrassed to ask for a quieter setting can consider these spaces for a more private gathering, subject to availability.
The poolside area offers another change of atmosphere, particularly during weekend brunch. Instead of having one dominant dining environment, guests now have a choice of how they want to experience the restaurant. That choice helps the space work for different occasions, from a leisurely meal to a celebratory feast.
Weekday Lunch Buffet
For the current autumn season, the weekday lunch buffet runs Monday to Friday from 12pm to 2:30pm. The advertised adult price is S$68++, or approximately S$81.53 nett after service charge and GST; children aged 6–12 are listed at S$34++. The autumn menu is currently scheduled through 13 November 2026.
Prices and seasonal menus can change, so I would check the current offering before making a reservation. It is also worth checking which dishes and cheese varieties are available during your chosen service, then planning your visit around the parts of the menu you most want to enjoy.
If you would like to see how other buffet spaces have evolved through thoughtful redesign, look here for more renovation stories from Singapore’s dining scene.
How the Renovation Made Basilico Better
The restaurant renovation‘s greatest success is that it expanded what Basilico can be without losing its original character. The restaurant is still built around Italian food, but now the experience has more layers. The result feels more like an Italian social space than a conventional hotel buffet. Basilico did not need to become a completely different restaurant. It needed to give its established Italian identity more room to breathe. After the renovation, it does exactly that.