Singapore restaurants steering the city’s food scene

Singapore is a well regarded food capital, balancing myriad Michelin stars with a renowned hawker culture. Its culinary diversity extends to cuisine types: Singaporean, Malay and Chinese flavours sits alongside French, Australian and Korean influencers, but what is unique is how cultural influences meld together. You might find an omakase menu featuring deep-fried turmeric frog legs, or a fragrant bowl of laksa noodle soup, fired up with Southeast Asian curry broth.

When paired with one of the most daring and refined cocktail bar scenes in the world, you know you’re in for a good night. Whether looking for eminent fine dining or no-frills flavour, plan ahead with our vetted list of standout Singapore restaurants.

Born

Best for: French-meets-Chinese fine dining with narrative flair
Location: 1 Neil Road, #01-01, Singapore 088804
Price: ££££ 

Born, the brainchild of progressive Malaysian chef-founder Zor Tan, offers a contemporary rendition of Chinese culinary heritage. Located in the historic Jinrikisha Station building on Neil Road, this one Michelin-starred restaurant exudes a unique charm best experienced at the central 12-seater counter that envelopes the quietly efficient open kitchen. The nine-course menu (priced at 270 USD) is themed “Circle of Life” and reflects the different stages of Tan’s story from childhood to fatherhood, showcasing the vast experiences under his belt from stints at top venues like Jaan and the now-defunct Restaurant Andre. You’ll want to set aside ample time (we recommend around three hours) to appreciate the storytelling elements and tableside theatrics that the staff deliver throughout the entire course: trust us, it’s worth it.

Burnt Ends

Best for: Michelin-starred flame grilling in an open kitchen
Location: 7 Dempsey Road, #01-02, Singapore 249671
Price: $$$$

Keeping a restaurant alive in a fast-paced city like Singapore is a gruelling challenge. Yet Burnt Ends has remained a hot seat for more than a decade – it even moved to its current Dempsey location to expand capacity. Led by Australian chef-owner Dave Pynt, the kitchen’s customised four-tonne dual cavity oven and four elevation grills consistently grilled meats cooked to juicy perfection and infused with Burnt Ends’ signature delicate smoky flavour. Steaks, mainly sourced from Australia, are the highlight, but you’ll find anything from quail eggs to aubergine getting the flame-kissed treatment here. Prices are not cheap (around 132 USD per head), but it is undoubtedly worth the splurge, served in a wood and metal interior that reflects the restaurant’s ethos. Alongside the restaurant, the capacious building houses a bakery, cocktail bar and wine cellar.

Candlenut

Best for: Elevated yet authentic Peranakan dishes
Location: 17A Dempsey Road, Singapore 249676
Price: $$$

Peranakan cuisine is where Chinese ingredients meet Malaysian and Indonesian spices and cooking techniques, and few do it as well as chef-owner Malcolm Lee’s Candlenut. A love letter to his mother’s cooking, the one-Michelin-starred restaurant uses Lee’s generations-old family recipes to create a menu that honours Peranakan culture, while adding innovative twists. Signature dishes like the Chef’s Mum’s Chicken Curry exemplify this approach. Pair it Candlenut’s buah keluak fried rice (made with an earthy, oily-black paste made from nuts of the Pangium edule tree) for the full experience.

For those unsure of what to order, the “Ah-ma-kase” (a play on the word omakase; “ah ma” meaning “grandmother” in a Chinese dialect) menu takes diners on a journey with dishes inspired by the highly gratifying meals you might experience in a Peranakan matriarch’s household. For more on Peranakan culture, check out the Peranakan Museum (one of the best museums in the city).

The Coconut Club

Best for: The city’s best nasi lemak in a two storey shophouse
Location: 269 Beach Road, Singapore 199546
Price: $$

Nasi lemak is a Malay dish of rice cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaves, served with accompaniments such as boiled egg, peanuts and cucumber. While you can grab one at a hawker stall for as little as 3 SGD, The Coconut Club’s higher price is justified by its use of premium ingredients and intricate cooking methods. Kampong and Mawa coconuts are harvested daily then cold-pressed to create the fragrant rice at the heart of each dish. The signature ayam goreng berempah nasi lemak features fried organic chicken marinated for 12 hours in house-made rempah (a spice paste). For sides, definitely get a homemade otah to share – a charcoal-grilled fish cake with barramundi chunks, traditional herbs and spices, and wrapped in a banana leaf.

Kotuwa

Best for: Unabashed Sri Lankan cuisine, loaded with bold flavour
Location: 46 Kim Yam Road, Singapore 239351
Price: $$$

Leave it to chef-owner Rishi Naleendra to deliver standout cuisine from his hometown of Colombo to the Singaporean masses. Market-fresh Sri Lankan mud crab is a highlight here. For the full experience, order the whole crab cooked in curry, plus a side of hoppers (crispy bowl-shaped pancakes made with fermented rice) to mop up the sauce. Next, have the kottu rotti, a Sri Lankan street-food classic of chopped rotti (a type of flatbread), vegetables and eggs, mixed with gravy. You might fancy a drink or two from their cocktail menu to wash down the bold flavours.

JB Ah Meng

Best for: No-frills restaurant for wok-fried cuisine and celebrity spotting
Location: 534 Geylang Road, Singapore 389490
Price: £

Located in Singapore’s red-light district of Geylang is a local haunt loved by everyday folk and celebrity chefs alike. Bib Gourmand recipient JB Ah Meng needs little introduction – Anthony Bourdain once declaring he would like to incorporate its White Pepper Crab dish into his food market in New York City, an offer owner Wang Feng (nicknamed Ah Meng) politely declined. Today, the bustling zi char (wok-fry) restaurant remains the only place you’ll get a taste of its gently spicy and naturally sweet crab dish. Many also come for the crisp-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside san lou bee hoon, a thin noodle dish made famous in Johor Bahru (aka JB) in Malaysia, and which resembles a pancake.

Lucha Loco

Best for: Modern Mexican 
Location: 15 Duxton Hill, Singapore 089598
Price: $$$

Despite its name, the only wrestling action you’ll find here is the jostling for a table at this perennially popular spot in central Singapore. That should give you an idea of how busy this place can be, especially during after-work hours, when the CBD crowds throng in. Mexican staples like tacos and quesadillas are safe bets here, but save space for the blue swimmer crab tostadas as well. Food goes hand in hand with a tequila- and mezcal-heavy cocktail list, which flow through the night.

Mustard Seed

Best for: Omakase tasting menu with Singaporean flavour
Location: 75 Brighton Crescent, Singapore 559216
Price: $$$$

Singaporean chef Gan Ming Kiat puts a Japanese twist on local cuisine at the small but mighty Mustard Seed. The restaurant began as a private-dining experience in Gan’s parents’ home, before evolving into a popular fine dining spot on Brighton Crescent, which is an unusual neighbourhood for such an upscale restaurant. Gan’s innovative menu combines Singaporean flavours with Japanese techniques in an omakase-style tasting menu (175 USD) that changes every two months. Watch the chef at work from one of only 13 intimate counter seats. Some of Mustard Seed’s inventive dishes include buah keluak mee pok (flat egg noodles), deep-fried turmeric frog legs and beef tartare kueh pie tee (crispy tart shell). Take note that reservations are required.

Nae:um

Best for: Innovative Korean fine dining in a warm, understated atmosphere
Location: 161 Telok Ayer Street, Singapore 068615
Price: $$$$

One Michelin-starred Nae:um offers contemporary Seoul cuisine, blending French techniques with Korean flavours. Chef-owner Louis Han’s seasonal menus draw inspiration from his memories, recounting lively, sometimes raucous pojangmachas (street-food tents) in Seoul.  Han’s dishes are a proud showcase of elevated takes on traditional Korean cuisine that never stray far from his roots. The staff here thrive on exceptional hospitality, with Han himself serving the petit fours and escorting guests to the door, adding a personal touch to the dining experience.

Nouri

Best for: Michelin-starred borderless cuisine unlike anywhere else
Location: 72 Amoy Street, Singapore 069891
Price: $$$$

Chef Ivan Brehm’s crossroads cooking concept explores the intersection of cultures from around the world through a considered tasting menu (241 USD). Each dish offers a journey of discovery, showcasing flavours and traditions from different locations and eras. Dumplings – found in various forms across many cultures – are reinvented with confit chicken skin, served in a light beef consomme alongside a Wagyu ’nduja roll. As with the food, the interiors and overall experience also defy easy categorisation. A fantastic wine list is guided by knowledgeable sommeliers, who can recommend unique wine and sake pairings.

Appetite

Best for: An omakase menu, listening bar and art gallery
Address: 2A Amoy Street, Singapore 069891
Price: $$$$

A sibling venture to Michelin-starred restaurant Nouri, listed above, Appetite is a hybrid space with a dining room, art gallery and listening bar from chef Ivan Brehm. It follows his fascination with food as a lens for exploring themes of identity, memory and cultural narratives, with a “research kitchen” at its heart.  A high-end Omakase menu is priced from 520 USD per person, while records line the neighbouring listening bar. Art rotates every three months and there is an eclectic programme of events spanning public talks, workshops and performances. This multifaceted venture pushes the boundaries of what a fine dining experience can be.

Odette

Best for: Acclaimed French gastronomy with three Michelin stars
Location: 1 St Andrew’s Road, #01-04, National Gallery, Singapore 178957
Price: $$$$

The shining star of Singapore’s fine dining scene, three-Michelin-starred Odette has maintained its position as top dog for years, thanks to its flawless execution of modern gastronomy. The restaurant reopened in 2025, following a top-to-toe refurbishment and a newly revised menu (from 286 USD per person). Clever use of sustainable produce from Southeast Asia and Japan, prepared in a modern French style, demonstrates chef-owner Julien Royer’s fascination with Asian flavours and ingredients. It is evident in dishes like prized peony shrimp from Hokkaido, glazed in spicy, tangy yuzu kosho and served on a bed of dashi jelly and crème fraîche, crowned with caviar. Another signature is the Kampot pepper-crusted pigeon, which is arguably the best of its kind. The restaurant is located within the beautiful National Gallery, so follow your meal with a tour of the world-class collection.

Shoukouwa

Best for: Sushi as good as it gets
Location: 1 Fullerton Road, #02-02A One Fullerton, Singapore 049213
Price: $$$$

Renowned for its Ginza-style sushi, Shoukouwa is where you head to for the freshest seafood, flown in four times a week from Japan’s famed Toyosu Market. Using these premium ingredients, Japanese chefs craft ever-changing omakase menus featuring delicacies like uni, abalone and seasonal fish. Go for the top-tier En Omakase (382 USD) and sit at the sushi counter for a front-row view of chefs preparing appetisers, nigiri sushi, and catch of the day. The extensive selection of fine sakes and wines, curated by Singapore’s first Master of Wine, will impress any oenophile.

Willow

Best for: Pan-Asian cuisine and Japanese ingredients with fine French flair
Location: 39 Hongkong Street, Singapore 059678
Price: $$$$

There’s lots to like at one Michelin-starred restaurant Willow, whether it’s the contemporary Asian approach, an exciting and unexpected blend of flavours, or the use of seasonal premium ingredients (many sourced from Japan) that inform a menu that is cohesive despite its myriad influences. Chef Nicholas Tam and his team present dishes like the standout koshihikari rice served with fatty kuromutsu (a deep sea fish from Japan) and roasted bone broth. By unleashing each seasonal ingredient’s full potential in creative ways, Willow effectively demonstrates its commitment to sustainability.

Wine RVLT

Best for: Minimal intervention wines and fun sharing plates
Location: 38 Carpenter Street, #01-01, Singapore 059917
Price: $$

What’s a natural wine bar doing on a best restaurants list? It could be the vino talking, but RVLT serves up some of the best food in town. These aren’t dainty, fine dishes but casual, hearty and darn satisfying plates as unadulterated as its wines. Expect to find homemade chicken nuggets served with fermented sriracha, cod fish otah fritters served with burnt garlic aioli, and glazed short ribs accompanied by homemade banchan (Korean small side dishes). Many of RVLT’s minimal intervention wines are unique, too, as its owners also operate artisanal wine distributor Raw Wine. So pop open a bottle or two and be assured that none of those sickly sulphates are in your glass.