American Express Love Dining is one of the biggest dining programmes in Singapore, offering up to 50% off the bill at more than 70 venues island-wide.
The savings can really stack up for those who dine out frequently, and unlike 1-for-1 programmes like The Entertainer which give you the cheaper of two main courses for free, Love Dining takes 50% off all food— appetisers, mains, desserts.
AMEX Love Dining |
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:
Card | Annual Fee (Principal Card)* |
Apply |
S$7,630 |
Apply |
S$1,744 |
Apply |
S$545 |
Apply |
S$327 |
*All cards come with 2x free supplementary cards |
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 may ask you to present your card before ordering, so they can check the card number and ensure it’s Singapore-issued.
Which restaurants participate in Love Dining?
The latest Love Dining list boasts a total of 24 restaurants, and 50 dining venues within 18 hotels.
The full list can be found below. I’ve included a New tag for venues that have been added since my previous update in mid 2024.
👨🍳 Restaurants (24) | |
|
|
T&Cs | |
🏨 Hotels (50) | |
|
|
T&Cs | |
*No Love Dining @ Hotels savings available; cardholders instead enjoy 20% off total bill ^No Love Dining @ Hotels savings available; cardholders instead enjoy 35% off total bill |
American Express has compiled a list of all participating locations on Google Maps, which can be viewed here.
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 and advance reservations are required:
👨🍳 Love Dining Restaurants |
|
🏨 Love Dining Hotels |
|
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 third party reservation sites or apps like Chope, Makan+ and Quandoo.
- Restaurants: Napoleon Food & Wine Bar, Wooloomooloo Steakhouse, and Xin Cuisine Chinese Restaurant
- Hotels: Copthorne King’s Hotel Singapore, Fairmont Singapore, Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel, JW Marriott Singapore South Beach, M Hotel Singapore City Centre, Orchard Hotel Singapore, Pan Pacific Orchard, Paradox Singapore Merchant Court and Swissôtel The Stamford
Again, 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.
🍽️ 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 Merchant Court ^33% at Fairmont Singapore, Swissotel The Stamford, Paradox Singapore Merchant Court |
👍 50% off for up to 4-5 adults |
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 Quenino by Victor Liong and Wooloomooloo only allow Love Dining discounts for their set menu options.
How is service charge and GST calculated?
At most restaurants, service charge and GST are based on the post-Love Dining discount amount.
For example, if I’m a party of two and spend S$100 on food:
- 50% Love Dining discount reduces the amount payable to S$50
- After 10% service charge (S$5) and 9% GST (S$4.95), the amount payable becomes S$59.95
However, there are some restaurants like Sen of Japan which base service charge and GST on the pre-Love Dining discount amount.
For example, if I’m a party of two and spend S$100 on food:
- 50% Love Dining discount reduces the amount payable to S$50
- After 10% service charge (S$10) and 9% GST (S$9.90), the amount payable becomes S$69.90
Then there are other restaurants like Barossa which base service charge on the pre-Love Dining discount amount, and GST on the post-Love Dining discount amount. There doesn’t seem to be a consistent policy around this,
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.
Copthorne King's Hotel Singapore
For Princess Terrace Café:
- Children of age 7 to age 12 can enjoy children’s buffet price and hence will not be considered as guest diners in the calculation of Love Dining @ Hotels savings.
- Children of age 13 and above will be considered as a guest diner in the calculation of Love Dining @ Hotels savings
For Tien Court Restaurant and Connections:
- 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
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 kids’ menu at restaurants serving a la carte or enjoy children’s 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 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
Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel Singapore
For Food Capital:
- Children of age 7 to age 12 can enjoy children’s buffet price and hence will not be considered as guest diners in the calculation of Love Dining @ Hotels savings.
- Children of age 13 and above will be considered as a guest diner in the calculation of Love Dining @ Hotels savings
For Riverside Terrace, SanSara and The Lobby Lounge:
- 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
JW Marriott Singapore South Beach
For Akira Back:
- Children below the age of 6 are not counted as guest diners.
- Children of age 6 to age 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 13 and above will be considered as a guest diner in the calculation of Love Dining @ Hotels savings
For Beach Road Kitchen:
- Children of age 6 to age 12 can enjoy children’s buffet price and hence will not be considered as guest diners in the calculation of Love Dining @ Hotels savings.
- Children of age 13 and above will be considered as a guest diner in the calculation of Love Dining @ Hotels savings.
M Hotel Singapore
For Cafe 2000 and The Buffet Restaurant:
- Children of age 7 to age 12 can enjoy children’s buffet price and hence will not be considered as guest diners in the calculation of Love Dining @ Hotels savings.
- Children of age 13 and above will be considered as a guest diner in the calculation of Love Dining @ Hotels savings.
For J Bar:
- 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
Orchard Hotel Singapore
For The Orchard Cafe:
- Children of age 7 to age 12 can enjoy children’s buffet price and hence will not be considered as guest diners in the calculation of Love Dining @ Hotels savings.
- Children of age 13 and above will be considered as a guest diner in the calculation of Love Dining @ Hotels savings.
For Bar Intermezzo and Hua Ting:
- 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
Pan Pacific Orchard 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
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 kids’ menu at restaurants serving a la carte or enjoy children’s 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.
- Under the Merchant’s children dining policy, kindly note that MOGA welcomes all guests for lunch and transitions to an adult-only venue from 6PM onwards for dinner service. Children aged 18 years and below are not allowed at MOGA from 6PM onwards
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 à la carte menu at Wan Hao Chinese Restaurant/Crossroads Café/Lobby Lounge, it will be considered as a guest diner in the calculation of Love Dining @ Hotel savings
Sofitel Singapore City Centre
- 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
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 kids’ menu at restaurants serving a la carte or enjoy children’s 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 children’s 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. In practice, however, not every restaurant is strict with this rule, and I’ve been able to take away leftovers at numerous Love Dining establishments.
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 |
|
Eve of CNY and 15 days of CNY |
|
Eve of Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day |
|
Eve of Easter Sunday and Easter Sunday |
|
F1 Singapore Grand Prix |
|
Hotels
Copthorne King's Hotel Singapore
- Eve of Public Holiday(s) in Singapore
- Public Holiday(s) in Singapore
- Special Occasions namely, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day in Singapore
- Special events as determined by the Hotel
Fairmont Singapore
- No blackout dates for Asian Market Café, 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
Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel Singapore
- Eve of Public Holiday(s) in Singapore
- Public Holiday(s) in Singapore
- Special Occasions namely, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day in Singapore
- Special events as determined by the Hotel
JW Marriott Singapore South Beach
- Eve of Public Holiday(s) in Singapore
- Public Holiday(s) in Singapore
- Special Occasions namely, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day in Singapore
M Hotel Singapore
- Eve of Public Holiday(s) in Singapore
- Public Holiday(s) in Singapore
- Special Occasions namely, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day in Singapore
- Special events as determined by the Hotel
Orchard Hotel Singapore
- Eve of Public Holiday(s) in Singapore
- Public Holiday(s) in Singapore
- Special Occasions namely, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day in Singapore
- 31 days of Chinese New Year (Hua Ting Restaurant only)
- Special events as determined by the Hotel
Pan Pacific Orchard Singapore
- Eve of Public Holiday(s) in Singapore
- Public Holiday(s) in Singapore
- Special Occasions namely, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day in Singapore
Paradox Singapore Merchant Court
- Eve of CNY at Ellenborough Market Café
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)
Sofitel Singapore City Centre
- Eve of Public Holiday(s) in Singapore
- Public Holiday(s) in Singapore
- Special Occasions namely, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day in Singapore
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 Singapore Grand Prix (Sunday)
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 Offers?
AMEX Offers are stackable with Love Dining benefits, wherever the two overlap.
For example, previously there was an AMEX Offer that gave 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.
Some excellent deals on here, Pan Pacific has great dining.
For example, if I’m a party of two and spend S$100 on food:
50% Love Dining discount reduces the amount payable to S$50
After 10% service charge (S$50) and 9% GST (S$9.95), the amount payable becomes S$59.95
Should the numbers in brackets be $5 and $4.95 respectively instead?
@milelion Typo in Service charge amount
fixed that, thanks!