LA VI EN ROSE

After 15 years at the top of Singapore's fine dining scene, CÉ LA VI is expanding to London and Miami. I speak to CEO Harry Apostolides about this milestone of a year for the brand.

- SUFFIAN HAKIM

IT WAS AN ABSOLUTE PLEASURE speaking to Harry Apostolides in the revamped CÉ LA VI. He has some of the most fascinating F&B stories I've heard in my years of working in lifestyle media, and he was telling me some challenges he faced in expanding the CÉ LA VI brand to London and Miami.

It's a great new chapter for a brand that has been one of the great mainstays of Marina Bay Sands (MBS), defining its gastronomic landscape alongside the likes of Wolfgang Puck and Daniel Boulud. But there's one thing that sets it aside from its contemporaries. "We're a Singapore brand," Apostolides proudly proclaims.

The renowned restaurant, bar and club, perched atop Marina Bay Sands Tower 3, refurbished in celebration of its 15th anniversary this year. Its new look marries contemporary luxury with Southeast Asian cultural influences. The interior now features distinct zones, including a main dining room anchored by a striking, backlit onyx stone bar framed by intricately carved wooden pillars and a wine cellar backdrop. Rich textures and burgundy-stained woods remind us of elegant Ubud cafes or Khmer palaces in Phnom Penh or perhaps even the magnificent structures at nearby Gardens By The Bay. Meanwhile a mirror-stretched ceiling reflects the cityscape, transitioning the ambiance from a sunlit panorama to a high-energy, luminous spectacle by night.

The brand is embracing its elevated position in Singapore and Southeast Asia's culinary scene. But, as I learnt in my conversation with Apostolides, it's not just window dressing.

Congratulations on the 15th anniversary. The transformation of the Singapore flagship is a significant part of this milestone. What was the driving force behind this major refresh, and what did you hope to achieve with the new design and menu?