La Terrace at Claudine is a new, laid-back extension with indoor and outdoor dining at Dempsey
It has its own menu, a gin-forward drinks programme, a petanque court coming up, and what might just be a French version of chicken rice, roasted and served in a cast iron cocotte.
La Terrace at Claudine offers an air of relaxation. (Photos: CNA/May Seah)
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Claudine, the younger cousin of three-Michelin-starred Odette, has just debuted an airy new extension on its premises at Dempsey Hill.
On the grounds of the former military chapel built in the 1930s, La Terrace, which comprises indoor and outdoor dining areas, is a more lounge-y, laid-back space with its own bar and private dining room – and also a more laid-back (and correspondingly wallet-friendly) menu of its own to match.
If Claudine feels like a moody Parisian bistro, La Terrace feels like a genteel holiday in the south of France, with small plates of bright, fresh flavours that, thankfully, don’t require any overthinking – who has time for that these days?
Here, you can nibble on shrimp toast (S$24) or sardine toast (S$18); dip your spoon into a cold Hokkaido scallop curd with yuzu kosho dressing and blood orange (S$26); crunch down into perfectly fried zucchini flowers with a cottage cheese dip from Royer’s home region of Auvergne, France (S$24); or snack on the unmissable tapioca fritters with comte and vin jaune (S$12).
You’ll also find Claudine's crowd-pleasing signature French roasted half chicken, but served in a cocotte on a bed of Niigata rice sprinkled with crispy chicken skin (S$58; serves two to three). (Psst: This “French chicken rice” is the off-menu dish famously served to regulars by chef-patron Julien Royer at Odette).
Drinks at the bar here are gin-forward, with a collection of 25 artisanal gins, as a nod to the instant relaxation that a G&T in hand brings.
The classic Lemon Tart (S$14) with Amalfi lemon curd and/or the freshly baked madeleines (S$16) with a hint of acacia honey and lemon are the best way to round up a light but satisfying meal.
La Terrace is open only in the evenings from 5pm for now, but may open for lunch in the future. There are still finishing touches that the restaurant is working on, like new furniture and nothing short of an extremely French petanque court being built in the garden – but it’s already a lovely spot that offers a different experience from Claudine’s, with no less attention to detail at every step of the way.
"It's really nice to see this project coming to life – we’ve always envisioned a terrace to complete the Claudine experience," Royer said. "With La Terrace, we hope to bring the same honest French cooking with an even more relaxed, everyday setting – a place where guests can unwind, find comfort, and return to time and time again.”
La Terrace at Claudine is at 39C Harding Road.
