American Express Love Dining is one of the biggest dining programmes in Singapore, offering up to 50% off the bill at 60 venues island-wide. The savings can really stack up for those who dine out frequently, covering significant portions of the annual fee and then some.
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| AMEX Love Dining |
When I first wrote this guide in 2023, my opinion was that the Love Dining programme had lost a lot of mojo. I think that was a fair assessment at the time, given the steady decline in participating venues. Big names had left, and the replacements were, in my opinion at least, lesser lights. In fact, I wasn’t very hopeful about the future of the programme at all.
But AMEX has really turned things around in 2024. There’s still five months left in the year, and we’ve already seen 16 new joiners for Love Dining- nine restaurants, six at hotels. And not just any joiners, but places that I really enjoy, and others I’m excited to try.
So I figure this is as good a time as any to give the Love Dining guide an update, and in this post, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know about the AMEX Love Dining programme.
Which cards are eligible for Love Dining?
Love Dining is available to all principal and supplementary cardholders of the following cards:
- AMEX Centurion
- AMEX Platinum Charge
- AMEX Platinum Reserve
- AMEX Platinum Credit Card
The benefit is not available to foreign-issued AMEX Platinum cards, and because some people try to flout this rule, venues are getting stricter on enforcement. Some restaurants (e.g. Burger and Lobster) now ask you to present your card before ordering, so they can check the 15 digit number and ensure it’s Singapore-issued.
Which restaurants participate in Love Dining?
The latest Love Dining list now boasts a total of 27 restaurants, and 33 dining venues within 11 hotels.
The full list can be found below. I’ve included a New tag for venues that have been added in 2024.
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| ๐จโ๐ณ Restaurants (27) | |
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| T&Cs | |
| ๐จ Hotels (33) | |
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| T&Cs | |
| *No Love Dining @ Hotels savings available; cardholders instead enjoy 20% off total bill | |
If you prefer to see the options on a map, MileChat community member Ernest has put together the following:
Are reservations necessary?
It depends. Some restaurants allow walk-ins, but others have a special allocation each night for Love Dining cardholders.
According to the T&Cs, the following venues have limited allocations:
- Swissotel The Stamford: SKAI Restaurant, SKAI Bar
- Fairmont Singapore: Prego, Mikuni
However, this list may not be complete, because there are reports that Burger & Lobster also has a limit of five tables a day for parties of two under Love Dining. Therefore, I would always recommend reserving in advance, or at the very least calling ahead before you head down to try for a walk-in.
And while we’re on the topic of reservations, a quick reminder that some restaurants will not offer Love Dining privileges when reservations are made on 3rd party reservation sites or apps like Chope, Makan+ and Quandoo.
- Restaurants: Atrium Restaurant, Napoleon Food & Wine Bar, Wooloomooloo Steakhouse, and Xin Cuisine Chinese Restaurant
- Hotels: Fairmont Singapore, Swissotel The Stamford, Paradox Singapore
Again, it is possible that the T&Cs are not complete. When in doubt, verify with the restaurant.
What’s the Love Dining discount?
Love Dining offers a 15-50% discount on a la carte food items during lunch or dinner, depending on the number of diners.
| ๐ฝ๏ธ AMEX Love Dining Discount | |
| Number of Diners | Discount on Food Bill |
| Card member | 15%* |
| Card member + 1 guest | 50% |
| Card member + 2 guests | 35%^ |
| Card member + 3 guests | 25% |
| Card member + 4-9 guests (hotels) or 4-19 guests (restaurants) | 20% |
| *10% at Fairmont Singapore, Swissotel The Stamford, Paradox Singapore ^33% at Fairmont Singapore, Swissotel The Stamford, Paradox Singapore |
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| ๐ 50% off for up to 4-5 adults |
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On Mondays, participating restaurants at Fairmont, Paradox, Pullman Singapore Hill Street and Swissotel The Stamford offer 50% off the food bill for up to five adults (four adults for Pullman). Both Paradox and Pullman confirmed with me via email that the offer even covers single diners (Fairmont and Swissotel did not reply). |
The discount does not apply to beverages, taxes or service charges.
Set menus are generally excluded, although Matera, Quenino by Victor Liong and Wooloomooloo only allow Love Dining discounts for their set menu options.
How are children counted?
Restaurants
For a la carte and set menu
Children aged seven and above are counted as one adult diner.
Children aged between 1-6 years old are counted according to the following scheme:
- 2 children= 1 adult headcount
- 3-4 children= 2 adult headcount
For buffet
Contact the restaurant for the most up-to-date information.
Hotels
The policy on children differs by hotel. I’ve extracted the relevant terms below.
Fairmont Singapore
- Children of age between 1 to 5 eat for free at buffet restaurants
- Only 1 child per paying adult is entitled to eat for free
- Children of age between 6 and 12 can order from the kidsโ menu at restaurants serving a la carte or enjoy childrenโs price at buffet restaurants and hence not considered as a diner in the calculation of Love Dining @ Hotel savings
- In the case of a party consisting of 1 Card Member and 1 child dining, Card Member and diner will have to order a dish per person in order to enjoy the varying discounts. Children will be considered as a diner in calculation of Love Dining @ Hotel savings when they order from the adult a la carte menu
- Children of age 13 and above will be considered as a diner in the calculation of Love Dining @ Hotel savings
- Love Dining @ Hotel benefits at Mikuni and Prego at Fairmont Singapore are based on the following system
- 1-2 children are equivalent to 1 adult
- 3-4 children are equivalent to 2 adults
Paradox Singapore Merchant Court
- Children of age between 1 to 5 eat for free at buffet restaurants
- Only 1 child per paying adult is entitled to eat for free
- Children of age between 6 and 12 can order from the kidsโ menu at restaurants serving a la carte or enjoy childrenโs price at buffet restaurants and hence not considered as a diner in the calculation of Love Dining @ Hotel savings
- In the case of a party consisting of 1 Card Member and 1 child dining, Card Member and diner will have to order a dish per person in order to enjoy the varying discounts. Children will be considered as a diner in calculation of Love Dining @ Hotel savings when they order from the adult a la carte menu
- Children of age 13 and above will be considered as a diner in the calculation of Love Dining @ Hotel savings
Pullman Singapore Hill Street
- Children below age seven (7) are not counted as guest diners
- Children of age seven (7) and above are counted as guest diners and are counted according to a communal dining concept which means:
- 2 children guest diners will be counted as 1 adult guest diner and
- 3 to 4 children guest diners will be counted as 2 adult guest diners etc.
Resorts World Sentosa
- Children below age seven (7) are not counted as guest diners.
- Children of age seven (7) and above are counted as guest diners and are counted according to a communal dining concept which means
- 2 children guest diners will be counted as 1 adult guest diner and
- 3 to 4 children guest diners will be counted as 2 adult guest diners etc
Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza
- Children of age four (4) and below are not counted as guest diners and are entitled to dine for free
- If Children of age five (5) and above orders from qualifying main course on the ร la carte menu at Wan Hao Chinese Restaurant/Crossroads Cafรฉ/Lobby Lounge, it will be considered as a guest diner in the calculation of Love Dining @ Hotel savings
St. Regis Singapore
- Children of age 4 and below are not counted as guest diners
- Children of age 5 and above are counted as guest diners
Swissotel The Stamford
- Children of age between 1 to 5 eat for free at buffet restaurants
- Only 1 child per paying adult is entitled to eat for free
- Children of age between 6 and 12 can order from the kidsโ menu at restaurants serving a la carte or enjoy childrenโs price at buffet restaurants and hence not considered as a diner in the calculation of Love Dining @ Hotel savings
- In the case of a party consisting of 1 Card Member and 1 child dining, Card Member and diner will have to order a dish per person in order to enjoy the varying discounts. Children will be considered as a diner in calculation of Love Dining @ Hotel savings when they order from the adult a la carte menu
- Children of age 13 and above will be considered as a diner in the calculation of Love Dining @ Hotel savings
The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore
- Children below age seven (7) are not counted as guest diners
- Children of age seven (7) to age twelve (12) are counted as guest diners according to a communal dining concept which means:
- 2 children guest diners will be counted as 1 adult guest diner and
- 3 to 4 children guest diners will be counted as 2 adult guest diners etc
- Children of age thirteen (13) and above are counted as a guest diner in the calculation of Love Dining @ Hotels savings.
The Fullerton Hotel Singapore
- Children of age 6 to 11 can enjoy childrenโs buffet price and hence will not be considered as a diner in the calculation of Love Dining @ Hotels savings
- Children of age 12 and above will be considered as a diner in the calculation of Love Dining @ Hotels savings
The Robertson House
- Children below age seven (7) are not counted as guest diners.
- Children of age seven (7) and above are counted as guest diners and are counted according to a communal dining concept which means:
- 2 children guest diners will be counted as 1 adult guest diner and
- 3 to 4 children guest diners will be counted as 2 adult guest diners etc.
W Sentosa Cove
- SKIRT and The Kitchen Table
- Children age 6 and below are not considered as a diner in the calculation of the Love Dining privileges
- Children age 7 and above are considered as a diner in the calculation of the Love Dining privileges
- WOOBAR
- Children of age 12 and below will not be counted as a diner in the calculation of the Love Dining privileges
- Children of age 13 and above will be considered as a diner in the calculation of the Love Dining privileges
What items are eligible?
Each diner must order at least one qualifying food item (usually a main course) to enjoy the Love Dining discount, which will then be applied to all food items on the bill, be it appetisers, mains or desserts.
Individual restaurants may exclude certain items from the Love Dining discount, typically those using more expensive ingredients like lobster or wagyu beef. These exclusions can be found in the T&Cs (Restaurants, Hotels); when in doubt, always consult your waiter before ordering.
Love Dining discounts are applicable for dining in only. Therefore, you’re technically not allowed to take away anything- even leftovers. Some places are more strict with this rule than others, however.
What are the blackout dates?
Restaurants
Standard blackout dates include:
- Eve of Public Holiday
- Public Holiday
- Valentine’s Day
- Mother’s Day
- Father’s Day
On top of this, certain restaurants have additional blackout dates:
| Period | Restaurants |
| 32 days of CNY |
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| Eve of CNY and 15 days of CNY |
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| Eve of Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day |
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| Eve of Easter Sunday and Easter Sunday |
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| F1 Singapore Grand Prix |
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Hotels
Fairmont Singapore
- No blackout dates for Asian Market Cafe, Mikuni, Prego
- The Eight and ANTI:DOTE will only offer a 20% discount on total food bill on eve of public holidays, public holidays, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Singapore F1
Paradox Singapore Merchant Court
- Eve of CNY at Ellenborough Market Cafe
Pullman Singapore Hill Street
- Eve of public holidays
- Public holidays
- Valentine’s Day
- Mother’s Day
- Father’s Day
Resorts World Sentosa
- Eve of public holidays
- Public holidays
- Valentine’s Day
- Mother’s Day
- Father’s Day
Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza
- Eve of public holidays
- Public holidays
- 15 days of CNY (Wan Hao Chinese restaurant only)
- Valentine’s Day
- Mother’s Day
- Father’s Day
- Thanksgiving Day
- Others (not specified)
St. Regis Singapore
- Eve of public holidays
- Public holidays
- 15 days of CNY (Yan Ting only)
- Easter weekend
- Valentine’s Day
- Mother’s Day
- Father’s Day
- Thanksgiving Day
Swissotel The Stamford
- No blackout dates for Kopi Tiam, SKAI Restaurant, SKAI Bar and Clove
- The Stamford Brasserie will only offer a 20% discount on total food bill on eve of public holidays, public holidays, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Singapore F1
The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore
- Eve of public holidays
- Public holidays
- Valentine’s Day
- Mother’s Day
- Father’s Day
The Fullerton Hotel Singapore
- Eve of public holidays
- Public holidays
- Valentine’s Day
- Mother’s Day
- Father’s Day
- Easter Weekend
- F1 Weekend
- Thanksgiving Day
The Robertson House
- Eve of public holidays
- Public holidays
- Valentine’s Day
- Mother’s Day
- Father’s Day
- Easter Weekend
- F1 Weekend
W Sentosa Cove
- Eve of public holidays
- Public holidays
- Valentine’s Day
- Mother’s Day
- Father’s Day
- Easter Sunday
- Special events as determined by the hotel
Can I use a digital card to pay?
According to the Love Dining T&Cs, a physical card is required for verification of eligibility at the point of payment, and digital payments modes are not valid unless otherwise advised by merchants.
Now, I know from experience that some places are fine with digital cards, but you can’t rely on that because the T&Cs are clear cut. If a restaurant chooses to accept a digital card, that’s a concession they’re making, which they’re not obliged to.
We have multiple Platinum cards. Can we split the bill to enjoy a bigger discount?
If you have a party of four and two AMEX Platinum cards, you might be wondering if you can split the bill such that you enjoy 50% off.
The answer is no. Per the T&Cs:
Diners from the same party are not allowed to split bills even if they request for separate tables. Love Dining @ Restaurants dining privileges are applicable to only one Card per table, per party, per occasion.
Definition of party is a group of two (2) or more persons dining at one (1) or more tables. Where there is a request for side by side or nearby tables, this will be considered one (1) party and the one (1) Card per table/per visit policy will apply. Request for side by side or nearby table is subject to availability.
I’ve heard horror stories of overentitled cardholders demanding the staff split the bill for them, or seat them at separate tables next to each other just so they can enjoy the larger discount.
Please don’t be that person.
Do I earn points on the full amount of spend?
As Love Dining is an upfront discount and not a statement credit, Membership Rewards points will be awarded on the discounted amount charged to the card.
Can I enjoy Love Dining benefits when paying with Kris+?
No. To enjoy Love Dining benefits, you must pay with the physical AMEX card (or digital card, at restaurants which accept it).
While there have been scattered reports of some restaurants allowing stacking of Love Dining and Kris+, that’s far from an entitlement. If they let you, great. If not, don’t make a fuss.
Does Love Dining stack with AMEX statement credits?
AMEX Platinum Charge cardholders enjoy S$200 of local dining credits every calendar year, valid at participating restaurants.
In Singapore, the list includes a few restaurants which are also part of Love Dining, namely:
- Asian Market Cafe
- Lawry’s The Prime Rib
- Si Chuan Dou Hua at UOB Plaza
- Wooloomooloo Steakhouse
Cardholders are perfectly at liberty to stack the dining credits with Love Dining benefits; all that matters is the nett amount charged to the card.
For example, if I spend S$400 on food at Si Chuan Dou Hua with a 50% Love Dining benefit, S$239.80 (S$200 + 10% service charge + 9% GST) will be charged to my card. That will then trigger a S$200 statement credit for local dining, making my nett out of pocket cost S$39.80.
Does Love Dining stack with AMEX Offers?
AMEX Offers are stackable with Love Dining benefits.
By way of example, there’s an ongoing AMEX Offer that gives S$80 off a minimum spend of S$400 at participating Marriott hotels and restaurants, including the Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza.
If I were to dine at Wan Hao Chinese Restaurant and spend S$800 on food, my total bill after the Love Dining benefit will be S$479.60 (S$400 + 10% service charge + 9% GST). This will then trigger the S$80 statement credit, making my nett out of pocket cost S$399.60.
Can I stack Love Dining with hotel points earning?
The picture here is mixed.
Officially, Marriott Bonvoy members cannot earn points on dining when a Love Dining discount is used. However, I’ve been able to get Accor Live Limitless points credited when submitting my Love Dining receipt as a retro-credit request.
Conclusion
American Express Love Dining can be a great way of saving on your dining out expenses, though the mileage you get really boils down to whether you fancy the participating restaurants.
Be sure to bring your physical AMEX card with you, and always clarify the qualifying items before ordering!
There are still some decent names left on the list, though I probably wouldn’t pay the annual fee they’re asking for the base card now that I already have Accor Plus.
Hi Aarong, have you noticed the date of the statement credits offer has been changed to 31/12/2024? I haven’t utilized the $200 dining credit for 2023 so far, does it mean I lost the opportunity to use it before the end of this year? or could it be if I were to use it today, I would get $200 back only for the credit of 2024?
There are additional blackout dates for Lawry’s (and possibly other restaurants). Lawry’s blocks 11-31 Dec according to Amex’s T&C or the entire December according to Lawry’s website.
What constitutes a 3rd party reservation site? Xin’s own website links to Tablecheck when you try to make a reservation online.
Lo Quay is permanently closed fyi.
thanks, will get that updated.
I am surprised that Pullman and Paradox allow single diners to be applicable for 50% discount on Mondays.
I tried on Swissotel & Fairmont recently, they say need to have at least 2 diners (or more) to be applicable for 50% off on Mondays. Seems like the T&Cs changed as I recall I am able to get 50% off for a single person on Mondays a few years ago (when Kopi Tiam@Swissotel is still around)
I could earn Marriot Bonvoy points at St Regis restaurents but not at Tangs Marriot.
Tried Love Dining at Spizza with 4 adults and was able to enjoy 50% discount.
Hi any ideas which restaurant at Fairmont, Paradox, Pullman Singapore Hill Street and Swissotel offer 50% for more than 2 diners on Mondays?
I think Asian Market Cafe is currently running promotion 50% for more than 2 pax.
Hi Aaron, I ate at Sen of Japan yesterday and used the 50% off, but they charged me service charge on the full undiscounted amount. Wondering if you have encountered that before?
The manager told me that the T&C said “discount excludes beverages, tax and service charge” as a justification, which I don’t think is intended (you can’t very well charge GST on the full amount can you?)
when i ate at tapas24, the service charge was on the discounted amount. i think each venue has its own policy, and there’s no rule as such on this.
Effective from 31 August 2024, Burger & Lobster will not be eligible for Love Dining privileges.
I just saw on Amex website
yes. this was the shortest LD stint ever.