A buffet renovation should accomplish more than replacing furniture or refreshing the colour palette. At The Line, the recent transformation has focused on making a long-established buffet feel more contemporary while preserving the generous variety and live-cooking experience that guests already know.
Located inside Shangri-La Singapore, The Line has been part of the hotel’s dining identity for decades. Its refreshed interior gives the buffet a more composed atmosphere, while its food continues to take guests across Singapore, Asia and the wider world.
The Line: Basic Information Before Your Visit
For anyone considering one of Singapore’s established hotel buffets, The Line remains a convenient choice for both casual dining and special occasions.
- Location: Shangri-La Singapore, 22 Orange Grove Road, Tower Wing, Lower Lobby
- Dining format: International buffet with live cooking stations
- Lunch: 12pm–2.30pm
- Dinner: 6pm–9.30pm
- Cuisine: International, Asian, Western, Indian, Middle Eastern and Peranakan influences
- Reservations: Recommended, especially during themed dining periods
- Hotel: Shangri-La Singapore
The exact buffet prices can vary according to the day, meal period and current promotion. Guests should check the latest rates and applicable terms and conditions before making a reservation.
Shangri La: Why the Buffet Needed a Refresh
The Line has been operating since 2005, when its live-kitchen concept was introduced by designer Adam Tihany. Rather than hiding food preparation behind a conventional buffet counter, the original restaurant made cooking part of the visual experience.
That history makes the renovation more interesting. The Line was never an ordinary buffet. It already had a strong concept, so the challenge was not to replace it but to bring the space in line with contemporary expectations.
The hotel has not publicly identified one specific reason for the latest renovation, so I would avoid attributing the work to a single cause. What is clear is that the refreshed restaurant was intended to elevate its aesthetic and culinary credentials while retaining its identity as a generous international buffet.
Shangri La Singapore: What Changed After the Renovation?
The most noticeable difference is the overall sense of order within the dining room. The Line remains large and energetic, but the refreshed space feels more controlled.
The restaurant retains its seafoam-and-white palette and angular glass-and-porcelain partitions, giving the interior a recognisable connection to its earlier design. The updated environment nevertheless feels cleaner and more contemporary, allowing the food stations and dining tables to coexist without making the room feel excessively busy.
Before and after
Before:
- The restaurant was already known for its open, theatrical live-kitchen concept.
- Its large footprint could feel visually busy during busy buffet periods.
- The food stations were a major part of the visual experience.
After:
- The refreshed interior feels brighter and more composed.
- Glass and porcelain partitions create clearer visual divisions.
- The dining space feels easier to navigate despite retaining its generous scale.
- The contemporary setting gives the food and live stations greater visual focus.
The renovation therefore feels less like a dramatic reinvention and more like an exercise in refinement.
A Renovated Space Built Around Dining
The design matters because a buffet is different from an ordinary restaurant. Guests do not simply sit at a table and wait for each course. They move, browse, compare dishes and return to the table several times.
The refreshed The Line appears better suited to that movement. The space provides enough separation between the dining area and culinary stations without making guests feel disconnected from the preparation.
That relationship between movement and food is particularly important when the restaurant is busy. A well-organised buffet should feel abundant without feeling chaotic. The renovation helps create that balance.
From Singapore to China’s Culinary Heartlands
The food remains central to the experience, and the restaurant continues to use themed menus to give its buffet a sense of discovery. From September to October 2026, The Line is presenting A Journey Across China’s Culinary Heartlands, featuring dishes inspired by Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou and Yunnan. Chefs from Shangri-La properties in China contribute regional specialties and cooking techniques.
The current Yunnan-focused chapter runs from 12 to 25 October 2026. For guests interested in China’s culinary heritage, the experience offers a way to discover regional flavours without leaving Singapore.
The renovation supports this concept by giving the food a more polished environment in which to be presented. The space becomes a backdrop for a culinary journey rather than simply a room containing buffet counters.
The Line’s Food: Variety Remains the Strength
The current buffet continues to cover a broad range of food, including Asian, Indian, Middle Eastern, Western and Peranakan dishes. Seafood, sashimi, roasted meats, desserts and live-cooked dishes contribute to the sense of abundance.
The variety is particularly useful for groups. One guest can begin with sashimi, another can explore Indian food, while someone else can focus on Chinese dishes or Western favourites.
That flexibility remains one of The Line’s strongest qualities. The renovated space simply makes this wide selection feel more manageable.
What the Renovation Improved
For me, the renovation’s success can be understood through several practical improvements:
- Atmosphere: The dining room feels brighter and more composed.
- Movement: Guests can move between stations without the space feeling excessively crowded.
- Visual balance: Partitions help distinguish dining areas from culinary stations.
- Comfort: The renewed environment feels better suited to longer meals.
- Food presentation: The contemporary interior gives live stations greater prominence.
- Versatility: The restaurant remains suitable for families, groups and special occasions.
None of these changes fundamentally alters what The Line is. That is precisely why they work.
A Buffet Designed for Different Guests
The Line has the scale to accommodate different types of diners. Families can explore the generous buffet together, while larger groups can use the restaurant for celebrations and gatherings. The international menu also means guests do not need to agree on one particular cuisine before sitting down. The variety allows everyone to create their own meal.
This flexibility has always been important to the restaurant, but the renovated space makes the experience feel more refined. The result is a buffet that can be energetic without becoming overwhelming.
Shangri-La Circle Members and Current Offers
Regular guests may also want to check current Shangri La Circle members promotions.
For the current China culinary journey, eligible members can receive promotional buffet pricing on selected weekdays. The offer may provide opportunities to earn or use Shangri La Circle points depending on the specific terms, although the current promotion states that points cannot be redeemed for the promotional package.
Because promotions change, guests should read the full terms, conditions, validity period and applicable requirements before booking. Monday availability, prices and redemption conditions can differ from standard buffet arrangements.
If you’re interested in how other buffet spaces have evolved through thoughtful redesign, look here for more renovation stories and dining transformations.
Why The Line’s Renovation Matters
The Line’s renovation is successful because it does not try to solve a problem that never existed. The buffet was already generous. Its food already offered an international journey. Its live stations already gave the restaurant a sense of theatre. What needed attention was the environment surrounding those strengths.
The refreshed design gives guests a brighter, calmer and more coherent space in which to experience the buffet. The restaurant renovation also proves that updating a restaurant does not necessarily mean abandoning its heritage. The original live-kitchen concept remains recognisable, while the contemporary interior allows it to feel relevant again.
For me, that is the most convincing aspect of the transformation. The Line feels renovated rather than reinvented. Its identity remains intact, but the space now gives its food, guests and service more room to work together.
For a buffet inside Shangri-La Singapore, that balance is valuable. The experience is still about abundance and discovery, but the renovated environment makes the journey feel more considered from the moment guests enter the Lower Lobby until the final dish is served.