Swensen's Unlimited @ VivoCity — Restaurant in Singapore

I’m caught between giving a 2 or 3 star for this place. On the one hand, I feel that the staff did their best, but on the other hand, it’s ridiculous that even with a reservation, we had to wait so long to get in. There must be something wrong with the processes, and I suspect it’s probably somewhere at the top that went wrong, or just our plain bad luck to visit on a wrong day.

We had made a reservation for Monday (Youth Day) 1pm lunch. Arrived at Vivo at around 12pm and decided to just head to the library to wait for 1pm (bad move). We were appalled to see long lines outside when we finally headed to the restaurant at 1255pm and were told that even with a reservation, we had to join the long queue.

I saw the staff were really trying their best, the manager-like guy in white shirt was going up and down the queue with a receipt kind of paper, asked my husband (more than once) how many pax, and generally looked very busy and flustered so I tried to be calm and patient. But having 3 hungry and tired kids with us adds a lot to the stress.

We finally got in at almost 1.45pm (waiting since 12.55!) and I think I got quite mad when I realised the family in front of us had a 1.30pm reservation and got in ahead of us. Fair play to them, they were smart to queue earlier, but when I make a 1pm reservation, is it wrong to assume I should get in at around 1pm if I was never late?

So honestly, I don’t know where it went wrong. I saw the two white-shirt staff were drenched in sweat and they just looked so busy, so I don’t want to be too harsh on them.

Incidentally we were celebrating our youngest’s birthday and we made a request in the online reservation which they probably missed in their busyness. Nevertheless, we asked politely again, if there was something for the birthday boy, or if there wasn’t, we could put together an ice-cream sundae (to be fair, my kids loved this) and just wanted a candle. Manager guy was nice, said there was something, we just sit and wait.

So we waited.

And waited.

The birthday boy was dozing off already. My husband said maybe we should just forget it and go, but i decided to ask again anyway, (yes it’s on the way, please wait, we’ll call you). And then… finally (after 20 min?) the staff brought another staff over, put a birthday hat on my toddler, and sang happy birthday to him. The ice cream dessert with a candle she’d put together was an upside down pistachio (I think, it’s greenish) icecream cone. Again A+ for effort, F for the wait time.

So in summary, I really don’t know if it’s just our bad luck today or there’s something terribly wrong with the processes. I didn’t even eat that much, because I was more tired from the wait...

Visited Swensen's Vivo after peak hours on 28 July 2025 ard 320pm. Food spread n choices n ambience all good. This time my family was greeted and was attended couple of times by one Mdm Judy. She is very friendly n polite which made our dining felt awesomely peaceful. Another was the chef (unknown name) tall guy whom actually told me to hold on as he topped up Butter Chicken when he saw me closing back the pot lid. Yes its normal service but because of his auto reaction n thoughtfulness with an extra politeness, its a service above normal. Well, there was 1 lady in the icecream section (midage with spec maybe non-chinese) she need to learn from the rest in politeness n service. As much we cant see your smile or face expression cos ure wearing a mask but ur voice tone n ur body language can be a learning n judging point. As i asked for a flavour which wasnt in the list as i hvnt finished scanning thru, she only replied as "What" n repeated "What" again to me when i explained. Maybe she a lil tired or hvg red flag lols. But totally no excuse for a service worker. Other than that, all good unlike my previous visit in June.

On 25 June 2025 lunch hour, ive had a bad encounter as ive booked online few hours earlier but ended up in the queue for closed to half an hour. Not only that, those infront of me abt 4-5 customers just did their online qrcode bookings on the latest timings (cos i asked them personally) n yet we whom had booked n secured a time slot much earlier were served even later than these ppl. I felt its a suckup system n despite i showed my bookings twice to the counter staffs, they treated me same as those whom just came to queue n just scan. Totally no justice. N they gave these ppl entered 1st n no seats avail for us whom reserved our seats? Wth so i booked hours in advance for making the website to look good is it? Hope the owner or ceo or top mngt of yours can look into this. May such encounter does not happen to anyone else. Or else just scrap the booking reserve system if ur side has plan B C D etc during peak hours. Well i tried to visit agn hoping such matter dont occur twice. I didnt post any vids on this in June infact i wanted to cos i was really pissed off. So this is my feedback for June visit n as for this time in July, overall it was...

We had an amazing dining experience at Swensen’s Unlimited Buffet located in VivoCity. We visited on a weekday evening for the dinner buffet, and everything from food to service was excellent. The buffet offers a wide variety of dishes, including Indian food, Western cuisine, a range of meat dishes, and an incredible ice cream and dessert section.

The food was very delicious, fresh, and full of flavor. We especially loved the Indian items and the perfectly balanced spices. There’s also a good selection of baby- and child-friendly food options, which was great for our 3-year-old child. It’s definitely a family-friendly place with something for everyone.

One of the highlights was the dessert section, which had so many varieties of ice cream, chocolates, fruits, and sweet toppings. It’s a dessert lover’s paradise!

The staff were friendly and helpful, and they arranged a comfortable seating area for our family. The environment is clean, cozy, and perfect for relaxing and enjoying your meal.

The buffet is promoted at $38, but be aware that GST and service charges are added. Even with the additional costs, we felt the experience was great value for money.

Very important tip – You should definitely book a reservation in advance. This place is very popular and attracts a lot of people, especially during dinner hours. To avoid waiting time or standing in a queue, it’s best to book your time slot directly through Swensen’s official website. This way, you can ensure seating for your group and have a smoother experience.

Another special highlight is that Swensen’s is a great place to celebrate birthdays and corporate events. They are very supportive and make the experience memorable. If you’re celebrating a birthday, they provide a beautifully decorated cake and a special dessert plate for the birthday person—free of charge. The staff even gathers to sing a birthday song in a fun and joyful way, creating a wonderful surprise moment that brings smiles and joy to everyone at the table. Their attention to detail and warm hospitality make it a perfect spot for celebrations, whether it’s with family, friends, or colleagues.

Overall, Swensen’s Unlimited Buffet is a fantastic place for a quality buffet experience with family and friends. We will surely...