227 Best Restaurants in Singapore

This casual, cafeteria-style, Indian restaurant is one of the best (and busiest) of its kind in Little India. Standout dishes include the signature fish-head curry, as well as the fish tikka, mutton mysore, and prawn masala, but choose whatever sounds good, and you'll still do well. Everything is served on large banana leaves; cracker-like papadam and two scoops of the day's vegetables come with every meal. Spice levels vary, but if the heat catches up with you, ask for curd (traditional yogurt) or raita (yogurt with cucumber and seasonings) to help cool things down. Fun fact: Founder/owner Mr Chellappan was so inspired by the Apollo 11 mission, he named the restaurant after it!

This former church's compelling interior—soaring ceilings, ample arched windows, stained glass, and rows of chandeliers hanging over curved banquettes—has helped draw many faithful diners to this European restaurant. The kitchen takes an artsy, nouveau approach to a menu of dishes designed to "transport you down the rabbit hole," from classic bouillabaisse to lobster and kombu linguine. The outdoor patio, a gin and wine garden with whimsical topiaries, has also garnered quite a following as a place to sip on elegant cocktails while listening to the laid-back house DJ.

Sandwiches, freshly baked breads, quiches, and a variety of sweet and savory pastries make up the menu at this popular café, the perfect spot to grab a quick bite and caffeinate while shopping the area's boutiques. The lighting mounted in wooden boards suspended from the ceiling by rope, the exposed brick and white-washed walls, and the soft, down-tempo beats all make for a relaxing interior. There are also a few shaded tables outside. As the name would suggest, Tiong Bahru Bakery started in this area, but there are now multiple branches across Singapore.

This large, airy upstairs hawker center is busy from morning to night. Highlights include Loo’s Hainanese Curry Rice (#02–67/68, look for the snaking queue), which serves pork, chicken, prawns, and chap chye (cabbage) smothered in traditional Hainanese curry sauce. Jian Bo Shui Kueh (#02–05) is another local favorite, serving chwee kueh (steamed rice cake topped with preserved radish) to especially long lines at the weekend. There’s also a popular wet market downstairs, with stalls selling meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, and fresh flowers.

Tucked away in a quiet residential block in Queenstown, this small space is the gold standard of coffee roasting on the island. Initially started as a bean and machine wholesaler, the regular stream of coffee aficionados visiting for a drink soon convinced the owners to turn this space into a working café. You’ll find single-origin beans from across Asia, Africa, and South and Central America, delicious filter blends, and a selection of cakes and pastries. It’s the perfect place to enjoy a great brew and experience a slice of Singaporean life.

Grab a hefty bagel from this cult favorite. The menu is comprehensive, so you can design your bagel by type (plain, sesame, etc.) and schmear (cream cheese, vegemite etc.); and add a whole world of extras. The classic and "bagelwich" menus are rotate regularly, though if in doubt, the Personal Best featuring spam, peanut butter, hash browns, and egg is always a winner. The coffee is good, too.

This hole-in-the-wall bakery serves some of the best baked goods in Singapore. Despite the name, it’s not quite as out in the sticks as Woodlands, but you’ll need to go a little farther north than usual to reach these goodies. Bakes change depending on the season, but not much beats a cup of their filter coffee and a fudgy, rich brownie. It’s the perfect place to load up on picnic treats for a hike around MacRitchie Reservoir.

In business for more than a century, this hole-in-the-wall eatery serves what's arguably Singapore's best murtabak. Stuffed with mutton, chicken, or beef, it's a bit like a folded dough omelette with egg mixed in, roti prata (a fried flat bread), onions, and spices, all of it grilled together and served with a side of curry sauce. It's cheap, it's filling, and the sidewalk tables are great for people-watching. Curries, rice dishes, and other regional specialties are also available, but the murtabak is what keeps locals coming back.

Standing on the Singapore River with waterside views, this breezy food center is well-known for the quality of its hawker stalls. Famous stalls include No. 18 Zion Road Fried Kway Teow (#01–17), serving smoky noodles with cockles, fish cake, and Chinese sausage; and Michelin-rated Zion Road Big Prawn Noodle (#01–17), serving spicy noodles with large prawns, pork rib, and fried onions. As always there’s a huge range of choices, with everything from xiao long bao (steamed Chinese dumplings) to cheng tng (a "healthy" sweet soup dessert with dried fruit, nuts, and mushrooms). Evenings and weekends are the busiest times, so come early to get one of the tables facing the river.

Perched at the top of The Outpost Hotel, this rooftop bar, day club, and restaurant serves up crowd-pleasing modern Asian dishes like soft shell crab pasta and platters like the "Taste of Archipelago" (including tasting portions of nasi biru, tempeh goreng, and papa gulai chicken) offer a sampling of Southeast Asian flavors. Sundown sessions are particularly popular (weekdays 5–8 pm) for unobstructed views of the Singapore Straits; at the Sunday pool parties, DJs spin from 3 to 10 pm. On weekends and holidays, there’s a minimum per-person spend.

Located opposite the historic Bukit Timah Railway Station—and named after the year in which it was built—this bright, open café was once the railway staff quarters. It's a great spot to stop for a quick coffee or ice cream from the all-day menu, particularly if you’re planning on walking another section of the Rail Corridor. The inside dining area uses antique furniture to reflect what life may have looked like then, but the outside, set among lush greenery, is equally as charming. 

An unpretentious Italian fusion restaurant, 8picure belies its understated look with excellent cooking and a warm, cozy atmosphere. Chef Gabriel explains each of the meticulously crafted dishes in person, with quality ingredients like Iberico pork and New Zealand lamb used throughout the set and à la carte menus. The compact wine and sake list is well-curated.

A bustling, palm-lined hawker center on the edge of the Botanic Gardens, Adam Food Center has a high hit rate of great stalls to choose from. Highlights include Warong Pak Sapari (stand 9) for fragrant mee soto (Indonesian noodles in chicken broth); and Noo Cheng Adam Road Big Prawn Noodles (stand 27) for juicy prawns served with pork ribs and noodles. There’s everything from rich mutton curry to refreshing ice kacang (shaved ice with sweet topping), so "chope" your table and get ordering.

This true Tiong Bahru classic has been serving neighborhood residents since the 1970s. The porridge served here is a savory Cantonese-style congee, usually with slices of pork or fish added. For those feeling brave, the mixed pork congee includes offal. Ah Chiang’s secret is that the creamy porridge is cooked over charcoal, imparting a subtle flavor. Note that at lunchtime the shop can be busy, and there may be an additional wait as the congee cooks over coals.

This hugely popular Muslim eatery serves a dizzying array of dishes and cuisines, including Thai, Indian, Malay, Western, and Mediterranean. Despite the ambitious menu, the quality is unmatched for a place this size, with quick, friendly service and a great selection of (non-alcoholic) drinks.

For a quick coffee on the go, Alchemist at International Plaza is a small, hole-in-the-wall joint that nevertheless deserves all the attention it gets. Aside from espresso, latte, and iced options, the rotating filter coffee is a great value, and the hot chocolate is rich and addictive.

This corporate executive favorite encased by floor-to-ceiling windows serves up mod Italian food with a side of sweeping Marina Bay views. Wine aficionados can pair their meals with a selection from more than 200 premium Italian wines and collection of vintages.

Look for the fabric-covered doorway opposite the HSBC building on Claymore Hill to find this sleek Japanese restaurant. Inside, there are counters made of hinoki wood, a Zen minimalist design, and elegant, kimono-clad servers. The beautifully presented cuisine here includes sukiyaki (skillet-grilled beef and veggies), shabu shabu (hot pot), and sake sherbets. Aoki also presents kaisekis (formal banquets) in which each dish looks prettier than the last, as well as pricey omakase courses, in which the chef chooses the food for you. Fish is flown in from Tokyo's huge Tsukiji fish market several times a week.

Locally sourced ingredients, including produce from head chef and restaurateur Beppe de Vito’s family farm, take center stage at this ritzy Michelin-starred Italian fine-dining restaurant. With artfully prepared dishes made with exotic ingredients like fennel pollen, ancient wheat from Puglia, and water from the Dolomites, your meal will be one to remember. You can end it on the National Gallery's rooftop, where Dessert & Cocktail Bar by Art has another cozy venue with stunning views of Marina Bay. 

One of the city's best Spanish restaurants is all about good meat and excellent wines. Start with Pan Casero and Jamon Iberico, and then tear into a portion of Costillar de Ternera, the popular juicy short ribs of glazed Angus beef. The pan-Iberic selection of wines from most regions of Spain, paired with international sparkling Rose, Brut, and Bollinger, will excite wine lovers and connoisseurs. 

Take your taste buds on a tantalizing tour of Italy with chef de cuisine Natalino Ambra. The classy eatery, located in the iconic Raffles Hotel, is complete with an open kitchen retrofitted with a wood-fired rotisserie and pizza oven and serves up bold food, including a flavorful octopus with white beans and pancetta ham; prime charcuterie; and pizzas spruced with 36-month aged Parmesan. Their "Tentazioni" tasting menus allow you to taste a wide range of delicacies, from vitello tonnatto to beef tenderloin to a delicious hazelnut chocolate mousse.

Hotpot meals are a big part of modern local culture, as the communal dining experience is considered a convenient way to celebrate special occasions with family and friends. Homegrown chain Beauty In The Pot is one of the country’s most popular, serving up tasty collagen-infused broth into which you can dip gourmet cuts of meat, handmade noodles, and other ingredients.

This hotpot restaurant at The Star Vista mall (one of six locations in Singapore) employs rich, fragrant broths to cook an assortment of extras waiting on the table. This branch is an easy introduction to the world of hotpot: a spacious, art deco–themed room with space for bigger groups (and you’ll need them to finish that broth!). Prices start from around S$16 for a single pot of broth, including the signature Beauty Collagen Broth (made from pork bones), but you can mix and match with smaller pots available. The build-your-own menu style makes hotpot a great choice for vegetarians—choose from a wide selection of greens, vegetables, mushrooms, and tofu (all from around S$5 per portion).

Dive into stone-fired pizza at this hip spot in Mandarin Gallery. The long-fermented pizza dough is crisp and generously topped with unique ingredients like sliced steak and French’s mustard bechamel ("I Wish I Was A Baller"), or chorizo ragu with Hokkaido octopus ("Summer in San Sebastian"). There’s a great wine list and a selection of beers, with fries, salads, and wings to round off your order. The team are so confident you’ll love their mood-setting 1970s and '80s rock playlist, you can even listen at home on Spotify.

When you have a meal at this cozy, open-kitchen restaurant with a rooftop bar, it feels like you’re dining at a friend’s—a friend with one-Michelin-star culinary chops. Here, the flame-kissed grilled mains are the draw, but you should also leave room for popular starters like the foie gras semifreddo and the house-made charcoal-baked bread.

Carnivores with a taste for succulent slices of marinated beef, pork, lamb, and other meats sliced off jumbo-sized skewers can take a 20-minute cab ride from downtown to this busy all-you-can-eat churrascaria (barbecue) restaurant in the affluent Bukit Timah neighborhood. You'll pay a set price for the meats, sides, and desserts. Vegetarians along for the ride can find ample solace at Brazil Churrascaria's large buffet bar, which serves more than 15 hot and cold salads, appetizers, traditional dishes, and soups.

This buzzy, breezy microbrewery, sprawling along a prime stretch of real estate on the Singapore River, across from Clarke Quay, serves Western-friendly favorites like burgers and pizzas, buffalo wings, beer-battered fish-and-chips, and chargrilled steaks, along with lighter fare like grilled fish and soups. The portions are hearty—perfect for soaking up pours of Brewerkz's award-winning craft beers. You'll find the brewery's signature beers and up to ten seasonal and guest brews on tap, along with a well-chosen list of bottled beers and ciders, all made locally at its 8,000-square-foot brewery.