Free-Entry Paris-Themed Pop-Up In Singapore: Free Mini High Tea, Lover’s Bridge, Enchanted Garden & More

Lifestyle Fashion Accessories Activities & Events

By Rachel Yohannan on 15 Feb 2022

Senior Digital Editor

Crazy cat lady who loves afternoon tea, kawaii Japanese fashion, and all things Sanrio.

Paris is probably on every couple’s travel bucket list, especially since it’s been dubbed the City of Love for how romantic it is. This February 2022, take the chance to whisk yourselves off for a mini French escapade - sans expensive flight tickets - with a free-entry Paris-themed exhibition pop-up in Singapore.

On top of dreamy life-sized installations modelled after the capital of France and its rustic cobblestoned streets and alleys, as well as a lover’s bridge, this pop-up has a “riverside” cafe space serving up complimentary mini afternoon tea sets, no strings attached.

More more outing ideas, check out our list of 20 new things to do in February 2022.

Read on to find out more about the Van Cleef & Arpels Paris-themed exhibition in Singapore!

“A journey through the Poetry of Time” by Van Cleef & Arpels Singapore

Photo from GirlStyle Singapore

Titled “A journey through the Poetry of Time”, this Paris-themed pop-up exhibition in Singapore is by French luxury brand Van Cleef and Arpels, created to celebrate their intricate timepieces, their watchmaking processes and the 4 main inspirations of their designs: Love stories, fairies and ballerinas, Poetic Astronomy, and Enchanting Nature.

Photo from Van Cleef & Arpels

Upon entering, you’ll be met with an illuminated lover’s bridge installation, built around the main entryway. This is a recurring motif you’ll be seeing later, both as part of the decor and the watch designs.

Photo from Van Cleef & Arpels

Step in and be instantly transported to the streets of Paris in a nighttime setting, lit aglow with coloured lights that change from pink to purple and blue every few minutes. The little “windows” you see on the various buildings are actually display cases carrying some of the brand’s exquisite timepieces and trinkets - both new launches as well as timeless models.

Photo from GirlStyle Singapore

Feel free to wander into the buildings, as each one is a themed gallery of its own with experiential elements in store.

Themed experiential galleries

Photo from GirlStyle Singapore

There are 4 themed experiential galleries for you to explore, and our favourite was Enchanting Nature - a garden-like setup with a gazebo in the middle that’s surrounded by plants and set against a blue sky backdrop. As you can probably guess, the pieces displayed here all follow a botanical theme, featuring plenty of florals and butterflies.

Photo from Van Cleef & Arpels

Next, head on over to Opera, where you’ll get to catch a whimsical animation featuring a fairy - the main emblem found in all the Lady Arpels Féerie watches.

Photo from Van Cleef & Arpels

Photo from GirlStyle Singapore

There’s also the intergalactic Poetic Astronomy room that’s designed to look like a planetarium. The watches here all follow a similar theme with celestial motifs like planets, stars, the sun and moon - and of course, lots of sparkly diamonds embedded into the bezels and straps.

Photo from GirlStyle Singapore

P.S.: Look into the telescope for a surprise!

Postcard station

Photo from GirlStyle Singapore

Write a message to your loved one at the postcard station, where you get to pick 1 out of 6 designs specially illustrated for Van Cleef & Arpels. All of them come in soft shades of pink, purple, and blue, and feature the pair of lovers that’s central to the brand, set against various landmarks in Paris. Postcards will be mailed out for free and adorned with an exclusive postage stamp that you won’t be able to find anywhere else.

Photo from Van Cleef & Arpels

One of each postcard design will also be given to you as part of your door gift, together with a Van Cleef & Arpels tote bag.

Cafe with free mini afternoon tea & lover’s bridge

Photo from GirlStyle Singapore

Make sure you devote enough time for one of the main highlights - the cafe area. This is where you can rest your feet and enjoy some refreshments by a life-sized replica of the Seine River. It sounds almost too good to be true, but each patron gets their own mini afternoon tea set, along with their choice of beverage for absolutely free!

Photo from GirlStyle Singapore

Our afternoon tea set came with 3 sweet treats prepared by the chefs at MBS: Montblanc Tart, Illanka (pecan brownie with chocolate mousse), and Fraisier (pistachio mousseline and strawberry compote). Though dainty in size, they were rich and flavourful enough such that the portions were just right for a small indulgence before dinner.

We chose to wash it down with TWG tea, but you can also opt for coffee or fruit juice.

Photo from GirlStyle Singapore

Here with your beau? Make sure you stand atop the lover’s bridge and take a couple shot together!

Photo from GirlStyle Singapore

Tip: Clone the spotlights on the ceiling to create the illusion of stars in the night sky for extra romance factor!

Photo from GirlStyle Singapore

“A journey through the Poetry of Time” is currently running from now till 20 February 2022 at Marina Bay Sands Expo Hall B. Entry is free of charge, but reservations are required. At time of writing, slots have been fully booked, but you can keep checking the event website from time to time to see if there are any last-minute cancellations. Those with time to spare can also attempt to head down for a walk-in in case of no-shows, although this cannot be 100% guaranteed.