DON'T bother calling Paul Bains on Sundays between late morning and mid-afternoon.
Chances are, the British founding member of the Sunday Brunch Club is lounging in a hotel cafe and won't want to be disturbed as he sips champagne and tucks into seafood.
Founded in 2005, the club has about 80 local and expatriate members who meet once a month for brunch at different locations.
So far, they have covered 11 venues, mostly in hotels.
But they are set to enjoy more options, now that many stand-alone restaurants have jumped on the brunch-wagon.
Since last December, at least five restaurants around the island have introduced weekend brunch to their menus.
The late morning meal, technically a cross between breakfast and lunch, is hugely popular in countries like Australia and Germany.
Some restaurants here say they are introducing it in response to requests from customers. Others, like Rivercafe in Robertson Quay and Le Bistrot at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, wish to capitalise on their sleepy locations, which are perfect for brunch.
Le Bistrot's restaurant manager Thaddeus Yeo says: 'I've always liked the idea of having brunch but there was no such place in East Coast.'
Foodies can expect a cosmopolitan range of brunch menus, too.
Le Bistrot offers French-inspired grub, while Paulaner Brauhaus in Millenia Walk - a brunch veteran of five years - serves up a German spread. Others feature Australian, New Zealander and Italian styles.
While restaurants like Magma in Chinatown and Senso Ristorante & Bar in Club Street offer buffet-style brunches, others like The Cellar Door in Bukit Timah and Pierside Kitchen & Bar in One Fullerton feature a la carte menus.
At Senso, general manager Ivan Haller believes that brunch buffets allow customers to 'choose what they like and gives them flexibility'.
Some customers, he said, arrive at the start of brunch and leave only when the restaurant closes, choosing to sip cognacs at the bar after brunch hour.
Meanwhile, the same concept of leisurely eating also applies to a la carte brunches. Unlike buffet brunches, customers are served directly at their table and are not pressured to eat as much as they can to get their money's worth.
Though some customers linger over brunch for several hours, Ms Shareen Khattar, managing director of The Marmalade group which owns Pierside, says she doesn't mind.
'Brunch should be savoured and enjoyed at a leisurely pace. It also makes for a nice vibe in the restaurant,' she says.
While there is no free flow of champagne at a la carte brunches, customers can order alcoholic beverages and often at a discounted price.
Rivercafe's owner Steven Hansen says the eatery is bringing to Singapore a slice of the Australian brunch culture.
'This is the same experience you get in Sydney or Melbourne, where you have your brunch in a small cafe or restaurant and have the option of having wine,' he says.
Most of the restaurants LifeStyle spoke to say the brunch business has been extremely brisk.
Pierside, for example, has enjoyed full house every Sunday since it started serving brunch this month.
Others have also hit the jackpot by targeting families. Magma and Samba Steakhouse in Katong Village offer a kid's menu, while Paulaner Brauhaus has a children's play area.
It is a yummy trend for brunch-lovers like student Shibani Mahtani, 19, who eats brunch regularly with her parents.
'There's more variety now and it gives family members a good chance to get together,' she says.
