Jin Ting Wan: A Cantonese fine-dining restaurant at Marina Bay Sands, 55 floors up - What’s it like being there?
- Grace Phua
- Jan 12
- 4 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
When my friend first gushed that Jin Ting Wan’s “customer service is really, really good,” I certainly did not expect the staff to offer to carry my laptop from the lift to our table, which I declined promptly and politely.
Later, she told me they had once insisted on carrying her father’s knapsack too — a bag that probably weighed only 500 grams — to their sea-facing seat.
Inwardly, I wondered if this was a little excessive, a polished performance to match its premium positioning. I went into the fine-dining and tea experience with my skepticism tucked neatly away, and came out quietly repentant.
This 166-seater Cantonese restaurant in the skies promises a wide selection of fine Chinese wine, tea, and creative Cantonese dishes, served 55 floors above Marina Bay — with clear views on good weather days (when the rain or fog doesn't blur the skyline).
When you step in, it is immediately clear that Jin Ting Wan takes its tea seriously. Surrounded by traditional tea apparatus and neatly coiled systems on the service trolleys, it feels as though you are stepping into a space where tea is treated with ceremony. The staff were wonderfully thorough in walking us through the tea menu, which made choosing feel reassuring rather than rushed.
Our table faced the CBD rather than the sea, but the view was still impressive. Plush, rounded U-shaped sofas framed the skyline, giving the space a more relaxed feel than expected. It was grand, yet surprisingly comfortable.
That said, if you can, do ask for a sea-facing table... it really is the prettier view.
We began with a complimentary savoury jelly appetiser, and soon after settled on the Rose Tea, or Mei Gui Hua, following a brief introduction to their tea programme.
When the tea arrived, it came with a trolley of gleaming teaware, everything measured, poured and tended to with quiet precision.
We had more than 20 refills of their rose tea, which serves two at $38, and it never once tasted diluted. That alone was enough to leave me quietly amazed. The experience felt a little like Enid Blyton’s magic trickle jar, endlessly generous, though to be fair, we never quite drank enough to test its limits.
With tea on the table, our attention soon turned to the dim sum menu. Everything sounded tempting, so we settled on the Radish Puff with Chinese Ham in Handbag Shape at $15 for a set of three, followed by the Lobster Congee with Preserved Vegetables at $38, the Steamed Soup Dumpling with Assorted Dried Seafood at $36 per person, and Traditional Steamed Red Date Cakes at $12.
Curated by Executive Chef Albert Li, the menu isn’t afraid to have a little fun with Cantonese classics.
So first up: the radish puffs. Honestly, how nice could a radish puff really be? Especially one this playful-looking?
I was quickly corrected. The pastry was thin and delicate, with a juicy radish filling in just the right amount so nothing spilled out when you bite into it. A must-have in my books.
Next came the seafood soup dumplings, two plump "parcels" resting in a light broth, one for each of us. We tore into them and were met with a burst of warm savoury juices, followed by seafood that was fresh, clean-tasting and pleasantly firm, giving each bite a satisfying texture.
We tried the lobster congee next, and it was quietly addictive, with smooth, creamy rice porridge and generous pieces of tender lobster in every bite! Seafood lovers will appreciate just how fresh and full of flavour it was. I could have finished the whole bowl myself.
For desserts, we went with the Steamed Red Date Cakes (on the right) and the Signature Mango Fortune Pouch at $18, on the left. In the centre were the closing petits fours.
The mango fortune pouch was charming, with its soft exterior and bright, fruity filling, but it was the red date cakes that truly stayed with my friend and me.
Soft and springy with just the right bite, they carried the gentle sweetness of dates without being overpowering, making them feel light, comforting and quietly beautiful.
If you are choosing between the two, go for the red date cakes, especially if you enjoy a more homely dessert with a thoughtful twist.
After the meal, the excellent staff (shoutout to Kar Jian) brought us around the sprawling space, revealing a series of private rooms tucked away on the opposite side of the restaurant, each with its own sweeping view. Some even came with televisions and bar tables, turning what could have been just another dining room into something closer to a private sky lounge.
Designed by global hospitality studio AvroKO, Jin Ting Wan leans into Song Dynasty-inspired architecture, with deep blues, gilded gold accents, and delicate dragonfly motifs woven through the space.
It rounded out the experience nicely. One that turned my initial skepticism into admiration.
We left feeling well-fed, a little indulgent and genuinely impressed, which is perhaps the best way any restaurant can hope to be remembered.
📍 Jin Ting Wan, Marina Bay Sands, Hotel, Level 55 Tower 1, 018956
*This visit and all interviews were not sponsored, and everything shared here is based on our own experience.
Comments