A Foodie's Guide to Eating in Singapore

Singapore and food…the two go hand in hand and for good reason. The mix of Chinese, Malay, Indonesian and Indian cultures has influenced the development of Singapore, but it is most notable in the food scene. If you like your food, you will love Singapore.

I am not going to write a list of the best restaurants for this post, as I would likely be ambushed by people listing what they think of being ‘the best’. Nor am I going to tell you what the best dish is, as that would be an even more feisty debate! If I did do that, I would then need to tell you where the best place to get a particular dish is. Singaporeans have all these conversations, and they each have their own favourites. Hainanese Chicken rice, Laksa, chilli or black pepper crab, Char Kway Teow, Hokkien Mee are just some of the dishes you should try (even writing that list could tempt fate). The best way to find out is to get out there and sample as many dishes as you can fit in!

I often get asked where to go, so this list is a list of places, a majority of which I have been to (if I haven't been, then I know someone who has). I’ve been going to Singapore reasonably regularly for over 25 years, and in that time, the Michelin guide has introduced Singapore fine dining restaurants to their lists, so you can check that list out here. Whilst the list below, with links to their websites, touches on several high-end restaurants, some of which you will find in hotels, you do not need to eat at these establishments to experience the real taste of Singapore.

In that spirit, the one thing I would suggest you do at least once is go and visit a hawker centre. There are over 120 markets and hawker centres, with many local neighbourhoods having their own centre. Shopping centres in the Orchard and Marina Bay areas will have a hawker/food court inside if you would like to sit in air-conditioned comfort (and these are nothing like food courts in the UK). A couple of outdoor centres are listed below, so do get yourself there for some authentic food. It’s how the locals eat, they are relatively cheap, and you will get enormous value for money. 

Lau Pa Sat, Raffles Quay, Singapore

I’ve included a few Italian restaurants in the list below too, because if you are travelling with children, sometimes it is just easier to get a bowl of pasta in front of your little one. For those who love afternoon tea, you're covered too.

Hawker Food

• Lau Pa Sat, Raffles Quay

• Makansutra Gluttons Bay - overlooks Marina Bay Sands

Restaurants

• Summer Palace at the Conrad Orchard, near Orchard Road - Cantonese cuisine

• Yan Ting at the St Regis, near Orchard Road - Cantonese cuisine

• Hai Tien Lo at the Pan Pacific, Marina Square - Cantonese cuisine

• Golden Peony at Conrad Singapore, Marina Bay - Cantonese cuisine

• Cherry Garden at Mandarin Oriental - Cantonese and Teochew cuisine

• Min Jiang at Dempsey - alfresco early dinner on the decked terrace - Sichuan and Cantonese cuisine

• Candlenut at Dempsey - dinner – Peranakan cuisine (a fusion of Chinese/Malay flavours)

• Pangium at The Botanical Gardens - lunch (so you can see the Botanical gardens) - Straits cuisine

• Jumbo Seafood at Dempsey - go for the chill or black pepper crab

• Muthu's Curry, Little India, Race Course Road - focus on cuisine from Chettinadu, India

• Rang Mahal at the Pan Pacific, Raffles Boulevard - Indian fine dining cuisine

• Imperial Treasure, ION Orchard retail centre, Orchard Road - possibly the best shopping centre in Singapore, so combine some shopping with lunch or dinner - Teochew cuisine

Drinks

• One Fullerton - various establishments for views of Marina Bay Sands.

• Lantern at The Fullerton Bay Hotel - great service and views of Marina Bay Sands

• Spago Bar & Lounge, Marina Bay Sands - grab a sundowner and enjoy views of Gardens by the Bay and the Singapore skyline from the 57th floor

• Alley Bar, Emerald Hill (just off Orchard Road) - enjoy drinks in a refurbished traditional shophouse

Italian

• Da Paolo at Dempsey - get a table on the outdoor terrace for an early evening dinner

• Dolce Vita at the Mandarin Oriental, Marina Bay

• Basilico at the Conrad Orchard, near Orchard Road - all-day dining

Afternoon/High Tea

Lots of places offer afternoon tea, so you are not short of choice. Here are three of mine:

• Raffles - for a special occasion, go here - one of the world's most famous hotels

• The Rose Veranda at the Shangri-La, north end of Orchard Road

• Pacific Emporium at the Pan Pacific, Marina Square - a focus on local flavours

If you find yourself in the business district, look out for Club Street and Amoy Street, which have a wide range of casual restaurants and bars to sample, a lot which are based in old shophouses. It's buzzy and draws a mixed crowd of expats and locals, all looking to eat, drink and socialise.