Element at Amara Hotel

Fresh from its revamp, Element’s plush, expansive dining room and airy alfresco deck facing the quieter Tras Street are open. Besides buffet spreads featuring Asian and Western dishes and a good selection of fresh seafood on ice with free- flow non-alcoholic drinks ($45 at lunch, $48 at weekend brunch, $55 at dinner), plus sweet treats ($16 supplement at lunch or dinner), the restaurant’s also enlisted the Spanish cooking chops of Basque-native Chef Mikel Badiola to include an à la carte element to meals here. Standouts include the classic Spanish tortilla de patata ($10) and the rustic marmitako de atun ($28) – a rich Basque stew of prawn, fish and burnt bread, which adds a surprising depth of flavour to the dish. On the drinks front, the bar features cocktails on draft ($12), wines by the glass via an Eurocave dispenser and snack-size pinchos to pad the stomach.