Cuisine: French
Address: 206 Telok Ayer St, Singapore 068641
Nearest MRT: Telok Ayer (Downtown Line)

With its inky wood interior, rustic stone walls, location on bustling Telok Ayer Street, and namesake emblazoned on the back vaulting, Napoleon Food & Wine Bar certainly lives up to the impression of the cool French wine bar you’d think it is. Then you catch flashes of the very unique.

The visit is streamlined with smart touches of tech – like the long row of enomatic machines that, like adult soda fountains, welcome guests to taste a selection of their 28 wines before committing to a half-glass, glass, or bottle.

The wines and food follow through with Napoleon’s concept of an exceptional and easy wine experience. With a varied selection of hand-picked, reasonably-priced French labels categorized by taste, we were able to pick our top choices – and were happy to taste a few along the way – before settling on that perfect glass.

The small plates menu is intelligently created to pair well with all of their wines and are also meant for sharing, making the ordering process lively and involved. The menu offers a range of salads, platters and European and Asian-influenced mains, along with scrumptious desserts that most certainly call for adding a sweet wine to your iPad order!

Napoleon explores the rich culinary history and fabulous offerings of France. The Chef boasts an exquisite menu of traditional French brasserie dishes with a modern twist, focused on low temperature cooking. 

The Angus beef tenderloin ($39) was one of the highlights of the meal. This grilled grass fed beef was succulent to the core and had a chewy yet soft texture. It was served with mashed potatoes, Brussel sprouts, roasted grapes and foie gras sauce. The sinful yet rich, creamy foie gras sauce enhanced the taste of the beef.

For the other main course, we had the pan roasted duck breast ($33). It was served medium, not something that I appreciated. I would prefer it well done, like the duck confit that I am normally used to eating. The charred duck skin had caramel notes and a crispy taste. It was served with carrot and ginger mousse, broccolini, bean stew and a balsamic reduction.

For the glass of wine that we tried, it was a glass of La Verdant 2017. It was a medium bodied, low tannin wine that we enjoyed. We saw the waiter fill the glass using the dispenser and it is a cool concept.

I also enjoyed the interior of this quaint restaurant, with a glass ceiling that allows sunlight to filter in during the day. Overall, prices for the main dishes were slightly steep, but for the French quality of cooking, it was worth it. There is a huge wine collection that you can sample by the glass, so it is suitable for the wine aficionados. Glasses are sold at $13-20 a glass, depending on the rarity and the age of the wine bottle. I would recommend going to Wine Connection or Ginett if you are looking to drink a few bottles of wine for the night.

Napoleon also has a set lunch menu, where the prices of the main courses are considerably cheaper.
Starter + Main – $24
Dessert top up $4
Add on $15 for a glass of the wine of the month or $10 for the house wine. There are also vegetarian options available on request.