Review: Singapore Airlines SilverKris first class lounge, Sydney
Hidden by a discreet door, Sydney SilverKris first class lounge is a secret worth uncovering.
By Staff Writers, January 21 2025
Country
Australia
City
Sydney
Airport
Sydney - Kingsford Smith
Alliance
Star Alliance
Airline
Singapore Airlines
Cabin-class
First
Notes
The Good
- Buffet and à la carte dining
X-Factor
- Refined, intuitive service
Introduction
Singapore Airlines’ SilverKris first class lounge at Sydney International Airport is rather well hidden. If you’re not on the ‘guest list’, you probably wouldn’t even notice it was there.
For those on the inside with a first class boarding pass in hand or perhaps a top-tier Solitaire PPS Club member card in their wallet, there’s rather a lot to enjoy, from its feeling of a private club to the à la carte menu infused with the flavours of Singapore.
Exclusivity is perhaps its biggest selling point though. Given SQ’s A380 features just six First Suites, and Solitaire PPS Club status isn’t overly common, you rarely see more than a dozen people in the lounge, meaning it’s always peaceful and serene.
Location & Impressions
You’ll find the Singapore Airlines SilverKris first and business lounges by following signs to gates 51 and above. It’s the same neighbourhood as high flying hangouts from Emirates and Star Alliance member Air New Zealand.
Once you reach the centre of that pier, take the escalator up and you’ll soon spot the lounge entrance. Both first and business share a common reception, and if you're eligible to access the first class space, staff will buzz you through a subtle door to the right.
That door to the right is your exclusive entrance.
Glide through and you’ll enter what’s essentially a living room featuring a smattering of comfy lounges and fabric lamps, four high-backed seats angled for conversation, plus a very large television (which is curiously positioned away from the lounges).
Your first sight on entering the lounge.
These same high-backed chairs are also found over by the windows.
This is separated from the timber-floored buffet and dining area by black metal screening, and beyond that, a business nook with individual sunflower yellow booths, each involved by high privacy walls, and ultimately window side seating.
Screening creates clearly defined zones without them feeling enclosed.
Those business booths double as both work spaces and more private dining tables.
Booths are designed for privacy, though you can still converse with the adjoining visitor.
Restrooms and two showers are well-appointed and stocked with fresh flowers plus an array of toiletries, so you can start your journey not only feeling fresh but smelling great too.
Access
Sydney SilverKris First Lounge is exclusively for first class passengers on Singapore Airlines or its Star Alliance partners, as well as Solitaire PPS Club members. Each lounge-worthy visitor is entitled to one guest.
It’s a rather tight entry list, and a stark contrast to Sydney Qantas First Lounge, which welcomes Platinum-grade frequent flyers of Qantas, Emirates and its Oneworld equivalent alongside travellers seated in first class.
Dining
As you’d expect, Sydney SilverKris First Lounge is a delicious step up in the culinary stakes from its business neighbour, plating up both a buffet and à la carte menu.
Our morning visit saw breakfast in full swing, with Korean-style pumpkin and corn congee, sauteed mushrooms and roast tomato, in addition to yoghurts and buttery pastries laid out on the stone buffet top.
The leather-bound menu listed smashed avo, smoked salmon benedict and eggs your way, together with Singaporean classics such as Kaya toast, seafood congee and chai tow kway ‘fried carrot cake’ (it’s nothing like Western carrot cake).
Smoked salmon Benedict with poached eggs and salmon roe.
As the morning rolled on the all-day menu came into play: chicken satay, prawn and egg maggi goreng, and a soup of the day with a crusty bread roll were a few of the standout options.
Over at the buffet were Thai-style fried rice, chicken korma and party pies, plus an assortment of dips, salads and cakes for the sweeter-toothed travellers out there.
It's a small buffet selection but each dish is packed with flavour.
Salad or cake? It's a tough decision.
Taittinger Brut Champagne was the sole Champagne on offer, complemented by a list of seven wines (three red, three white and one rosé), spirits and cocktails.
Help yourself to juice, soft drink or a steaming hot cup of tea.
Juices, barista coffee and tea were of course available too.
Work
You won’t find a business centre in the lounge. Instead, your best place to get a little work done is the booth seating, which each houses a large bench and desk-level AC and USB power.
There's no chance of running low on juice thanks to two AC and two USB outlets.
The L-shaped seat allows you to easily swivel around and face outward when work is done, transitioning from business to leisure mode without changing seats.
Fast and free WiFi reached speeds of around 240 Mbps during our visit.
Verdict
As expected, Singapore Airlines' first class lounge is a supremely inviting space to spend a couple of hours, yet it’s not just the food or Champagne that set it apart (though they are certainly appreciated). It’s the refinement – the service and serenity.
Singapore Airlines is well-known for its intuitive hospitality, and in this particular lounge, the first class experience begins long before your feet even leave the ground.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
09 Feb 2015
Total posts 408
Brisbane lounge needs a bigger space and a better offering. When they opened the existing space in 2016 I think, they did not factor in growth. Always crowded and lacking services like Sydney have.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
24 Aug 2011
Total posts 781
Feels as if SQ treats BNE as "regional".
04 Sep 2019
Total posts 68
regional at best, more like country
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer P1
23 Aug 2014
Total posts 158
Staff are lovely and very accomodating as described - they were happy to modify a few of the dishes from the menu upon request last week and the privacy and absence of crowds is a welcome experience after the (also excellent but busier and less private) Qantas Sydney F lounge
Still a far cry from the London F lounge offerings in the wine and spirits department though, particularly with the single malt offerings.
The fact that it is restricted to only Solitaire PPS helps with the peace and calm considerably.
21 Jan 2025
Total posts 2
If I arrive in SQ F, am I eligible for lounge access?
QF
11 Jul 2014
Total posts 1090
I'd review it as 5/10 the impressive part is your ticket on arrival to Singapore gets you into The Private Room that has luxuries like private bedrooms which scores a 10 / 10.
21 Jan 2025
Total posts 2
Thank you UUAA, I´ve been in TPR last year, it is a class of its own, you are right.
Nevertheless I´m interested in talking about the chance to get an access in SYD, cause I would like to take a shower and have a breakfast after the flight.
Saying that I´m aware of unwritten rules like eligibility for an entry to TPR even after an flight in SQ F.
17 Nov 2016
Total posts 16
Carlo, you will only be able to go airside after your flight if you have another connecting international flight. If Sydney is your final destination, you will have to clear immigration and customs and not allowed back airside.
United Airlines - Mileage Plus
12 Sep 2011
Total posts 337
Looks like it is exactly the same is lat time i used it on 2019 on Thai First SYD-BKK-HKG Is it stil lthe bad shower with spray rather than shower? Still Appeles toiletries?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
15 May 2019
Total posts 34
Having visited this lounge recently, I reckon it is way better than the Qantas First lounge. You're able to find a seat, it feels somewhat exclusive and the food and beverage offering is substantially better than QF - obviously more limited in range but far better in quality.
United Airlines - Mileage Plus
12 Sep 2011
Total posts 337
Agree greg959, only 1 downside )or 2) is there is no free massaz in QF First, and shittly shower nozzle in SQ First Lounge shower where it is more like a mist than a proper showr... Must be SDG orchestrated years ago by SingaporeInc
17 Nov 2023
Total posts 72
Take note Qantas / Virgin:
Any premium lounge worth its salt will have good old fashioned meaty treats like PARTY PIES, unlike the vego crap being served most of the time in our local airlines' lounges ...
United Airlines - Mileage Plus
12 Sep 2011
Total posts 337
Agreed! With the toxic Kraft or WE dressings on the otherwise reasonable salads! No olive oil or balsamic vinegar like we have in Lufthansa First Terminal and First Lounges
29 Jan 2012
Total posts 221
Couldn't agree more - too much forced effort trying to 'Bespoke and infuse" today's lounge menu's - how about we simplify and have what the public enjoy., at least as an option. I believe some airlines returned to offering a simple Hamburgers in F Class as an option with success!
13 Aug 2015
Total posts 41
One disappointing thing to note is that the “all day” menu doesn’t come into play until the mid-afternoon departure SQ222.
Unfortunately ahead of SQ232 which is currently departing at 12:15pm, you have a breakfast menu for a la carte. I’m sure most travelers have well and truly had their breakfast before 11:30am. At that time of day it’d be great to have the chicken satay on offer as a snack before lunch on board, but no, for that you need to wait until mid-afternoon. Feels penny-pinching.
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