The long-awaited Bintan vacay remains off the table for now (Singapore is not on the list of 19 countries allowed to enter Bali and the Riau Islands, where Bintan is, for tourism), but there’s another way to scratch your itch for seaside scenery and seafood. Check out newly-opened buffet joint Offshore Bar & Grill at the scenic Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal (coincidentally, your gateway to Bintan when trips there reopen).

The 210-seater – now reduced to 64 amid social distancing rules – opened its doors on September 25 with air-conditioned indoor seating, along with a pet-friendly outdoor terrace adjacent to the sea. It’s owned by the same folks who also run the 4Fingers chicken franchises at Changi Airport. By day, Offshore Bar & Grill runs a self-service café. Things however, get more interesting after 5pm when hotpot and barbecue service begins.

Prices for the buffet begin at $69 per person for a selection of seafood, meat and vegetables and cooked food.

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Despite its name, Offshore Bar & Grill isn’t on a kelong a la Smith Marine Floating Restaurant. It’s situated in Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal itself – on land. Nonetheless, it’s pretty darn close to the sea with a green mesh fence (crowned with barbed wire) partially obscuring your view of the Singapore Strait. “Don’t mind the fence on the border; it’s for national security purposes. Soz,” states the eatery’s website.

Those on date night – or with furry friends in tow – might want to opt for al fresco seating illuminated by the glow of kitschy fairy lights snaking along railings, and up the trunks of palm trees.

For $69, you get a buffet-style smorgasbord of fresh seafood, meats and veggies to grill. Think slipper lobsters, stingray fillets and mussels, pluz protein options from Balinese Beef (marinated with Indonesian sambal balado) to Honey Glazed Chicken and Char Siu Pork Belly. Additionally, every diner gets half a lobster (live, from Southern Australia or Boston depending on availability) baked with mentaiko sauce.

Skewers, like barbecue beef and roasted sesame sauce chicken, are part of the deal as well, along with veggies. A small selection of pre-cooked dishes including a meat, vegetable and two rice or noodle dishes (rotating daily), as well as fresh fruit, are also available. All these can be paired with any of the restaurant’s myriad condiments and marinades, including homemade sambal and chilli lime. In line with Covid-19 measures, food will be doled out by staff at the buffet line; diners have to bring the grub back to the tables themselves for cooking.

Speaking of cooking, diners have an option between grilling the meats and seafood over a charcoal grill (integrated into the table), or boiled in a hotpot over that same grill – just note that you have to pick one or the other. Menu items change seasonally, so you might want to check in with staff before heading down to see if anything’s out of stock.

Top up an extra $49 per table for an additional a la carte (read: non-buffet) bundle of seafood freshly scooped from the onsite aquarium by restaurant staff, though we’re told diners can fish the seafood out for themselves once pandemic restrictions ease. The seafood, delivered raw to cook any way you like, includes a whole lobster, a whole fish (seabass for now), clams, prawns and crawfish.

Endless rounds of beer, spirits and wine to go with your seafood by the sea. Labels include Black Cab stout, Smirnoff vodka or Terrazas Altos reds and whites to cap off the evening.

Offshore Bar & Grill is at #01-02, Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal, 50 Tanah Merah Ferry Rd, S498833. Tel: 6970-9185. Buffet available daily from 5pm – 10.30pm. More info via

Photos: Offshore Bar & Grill

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