[Review] A Taste of Italy Every Sunday: LUCE’s La Dolce Domenica Brings a Grand Italian Feast to Singapore

We attended LUCE’s Sunday brunch for a media tasting, and the experience felt surprisingly transportive. Walking through the buffet and sampling the different dishes, you immediately grasp the concept behind La Dolce Domenica: A Grand Tour of Italy. Rather than simply presenting a standard hotel buffet with a few Italian dishes thrown into the mix, the refreshed brunch takes diners through different parts of Italy, from Naples and Rome to the Amalfi Coast and Puglia.

Italy is very much the star here. Roughly two thirds of the buffet is dedicated to Italian food, while the remaining spread includes international and Singapore favourites.

That balance makes the brunch particularly fun for groups with different tastebuds. One person can spend the afternoon working through pasta, seafood and regional Italian specialities, while another can head straight for Asian dishes, Indian food or other international offerings. The concept officially launched in July 2026 and focuses on the diversity of Italy’s regional cooking.

For us, the journey begins in Naples with Pasta Patate e Provola, a comforting combination of pasta, potatoes and soft scamorza cheese. Finished in LUCE’s signature Parmesan wheel, it is rich, creamy and unapologetically hearty.

We were lucky to enjoy it prepared for us tableside personally by Chef Giuseppe Di Gaetano, Chef de Cuisine of LUCE.

Rich and comforting, it is the sort of dish that demonstrates how Italian food does not always need expensive ingredients to be satisfying.

From Rome comes the Rigatoni con Ragù di Coda alla Vaccinara, featuring slow braised oxtail ragù with rigatoni and Pecorino Romano. This was one of the more robust pasta dishes we tried, with the meat bringing depth and richness to the sauce.

The Pollo con Peperoni alla Romana, braised chicken with sweet peppers, capers and herbs, offered familiar homestyle flavours and felt like something you could imagine being served at a family table rather than a hotel buffet.

The Amalfi Coast section moves towards seafood. Scialatielli allo Scoglio combines fresh pasta with scampi, squid, mussels and clams, bringing together the flavours of the Mediterranean in one generous serving.

The seafood worked well with the pasta, while the Seppioline Ripiene all’Amalfitana, stuffed cuttlefish with lemon zest, olives and tomato, delivered a brighter and more distinctly coastal flavour profile.

The final Italian stop is Puglia, the home region of LUCE’s Chef de Cuisine Giuseppe Di Gaetano. The Cozze Gratinate alla Tarantina, baked mussels inspired by the coastal city of Taranto, is a dish worth trying, especially for seafood lovers.

Of course, a buffet at LUCE would not be complete without its seafood-on-ice selection. Japanese oysters, Boston lobster, snow crab legs and Australian spanner crab add plenty of premium appeal to the spread.

The live pasta experience is another highlight, whereby diners can customise our own pasta.

There are also substantial carving options, including Brandy and Mustard Marinated Angus Beef Striploin, Roasted Free Range Whole Chicken stuffed with Truffle Butter, Spice Yoghurt Marinated Australian Lamb Leg and Baked Whole Norwegian Salmon with Classic Puttanesca Sauce. We appreciated that the buffet did not force diners to stay within one culinary theme.

For those who want something beyond Italy, the international section makes up roughly one third of the buffet. Singapore and Asian favourites include Stir Fried Tiger Prawns with Premium XO Sauce, Ayam Masak Lemak, Braised Barramundi with Bitter Gourd and Black Bean Sauce, and Soy Sauce Braised Pork Belly. There is also an Indian selection featuring Traditional Butter Chicken, Fish Methi, Mixed Vegetable Biryani, Aloo Baigan Masala and Vegetable Curry Samosas.

This variety is one of LUCE’s strengths.

Additionally for carbs lovers, the array of freshly prepared pasta and pizza will ensure you do not go home until you are at your max from eating.

For us, however, the appeal of La Dolce Domenica lies in the Italian journey itself. It was genuinely fun moving from one region to another and discovering how different Italian food can be. Many people associate Italian cuisine mainly with pizza and pasta, but this brunch reminds diners that there is much more to the country’s cooking, from rustic Roman meat dishes to seafood from the Amalfi Coast and hearty flavours from southern Italy.

Do leave room for desserts:

If you are looking for a Sunday buffet where Italian food takes centre stage without completely excluding other cuisines, LUCE’s La Dolce Domenica is an enjoyable option. Come hungry, take your time and approach it like a culinary holiday through Italy. On our visit, that was exactly what it felt like.

At S$98++ per adult, the Sunday brunch includes free flow soft drinks, juices, coffee and tea, while children aged six to 11 dine at S$49++. Those looking to make the afternoon more celebratory can add free flow alcoholic beverage packages from S$42++ per adult. The brunch is served every Sunday from 12pm to 3pm.

LUCE’s La Dolce Domenica Sunday Brunch

Address:
LUCE, Frasers House, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Singapore,
Level One, 80 Middle Road, Singapore 188966

Opening Hours:
Sunday Champagne Brunch, every Sunday, 12pm to 3pm.
Lunch Buffet, Monday to Saturday, 12pm to 2.30pm.
Dinner Buffet, Monday to Sunday, 6pm to 10pm

Contact:
+65 6825 1008

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