Walk into Encore by Rhubarb today and the first thing you notice isn’t the refreshed room, it’s Chef Paul Longworth at the door, still greeting every guest with the same warmth he’s carried since the restaurant first opened in 2014.
Back then, Rhubarb Le Restaurant was an intimate fine-dining darling founded by Longworth and his long-time front-of-house partner, French maître d’ Jérôme Desfonds, both alumni of Au Petit Salut. Even in those early years, the pair were lauded for their earnest service, technically pristine modern European plates and genuinely fair pricing – traits that feel increasingly rare in Singapore’s fine-dining landscape.
A decade on, Rhubarb has evolved once more. When the quiet hush of white-tablecloth dining began losing steam – and when Rhubarb itself sometimes saw empty rooms – Longworth listened. Diners wanted something more relaxed and social, without losing the precision that made the restaurant beloved in the first place. So he pivoted.
The Michelin star may have disappeared during the rebrand, but the standards have not. The menu is still surprisingly accessible: $48 for lunch, $88 for dinner. It’s a bold move in this economy, but one that feels true to Rhubarb’s founding values. The renovation mirrors the shift – gone are the draped tables and formal symmetry of the old room; in their place, a brighter, more contemporary dining space built for conversation rather than ceremony, with sleek blue banquettes and photographs of Singapore icons on the walls.
The kitchen continues to deliver the kind of food that made Rhubarb a quiet classic. A warm mini baguette and olive bread basket with French butter sets the tone. A duck rillette tart follows, rich and silky, brightened by pear and koji purée. The restaurant's signature white onion emulsion is airy but deeply flavourful, layered with black truffle purée and neat cubes of mushroom. It’s the sort of dish that makes you want to tear into your bread for dunking so be sure to hang onto that bread basket.
For mains, I opt for the olive oil-poached snapper paired with miso foam, passionfruit velouté and an elegant quenelle of beetroot, with xiao bai cai and parsley oil-laced mash keeping things grounded. It’s thoughtful, balanced cooking, reminiscent of the Rhubarb of old, but looser, with ingredients from the local wet market instead of having to stick with what's seen as classically French cuisine. But dessert keeps things more traditional, with a chocolate mousse and crème fraîche – nostalgic and quietly indulgent.
Rhubarb’s legacy has always been rooted in hospitality. In 2014, it was a fine-diner punching above its weight; in 2025, it’s a restaurant that’s evolved with its diners instead of outgrowing them. Paul still moves through the dining room with the enthusiasm of someone who loves this job, a rare sight in an industry that burns out even the best.
The inspectors may have walked away (for now), but diners haven’t. During my visit during Saturday lunch, the dining room was packed with a mix of families celebrating birthdays, couples on a date and tourists who stumbled upon the restaurant from social media. And that, more than any plaque on the wall, is what makes Rhubarb one of Singapore’s most enduring restaurants.