28 Best Restaurants in Singapore

This internationally-renowned modern Australian barbecue restaurant, run by chef Dave Pynt, is always booked up, so plan your visit in advance. Classics like the Burnt End’s Sanger (pulled pork sandwich) are a must-try. Since reservations can be tricky to come by, try to snag a space at the bar, which tends to be a little easier and still offers a substantial menu. Alongside the main dining room, the building on Dempsey Hill now houses a bakery, wine cellar, cocktail bar, and large private dining room. 

Sunset Way is a residential area in Clementi and home to some of the West’s best-kept secrets, including this restaurant popular with fans who travel across the island to bag a table at this pioneering seafood spot. Seafood prices are based on market price, and there’s a huge à la carte menu of local classic dishes, such as seafood hor fun (thick rice noodles) and kong bak pau (braised pork buns). The kitchen is famed for its crab in golden sauce, made with pumpkin and chilli padi. Order with mantou (fried buns) to mop up the golden gravy. The restaurant was one of the first in Singapore to allow diners to pick their meal from the large tanks that display the day’s catch, and that process continues today.

Like jade itself, this upscale restaurant in a historic hotel has both exquisite and intriguing attributes. Inside you'll find a contemporary design that follows an eclectic Asian thread, with Vietnamese hanging lamps and Chinese calligraphy. Similarly, the food is fundamentally Chinese, but with creative modern accents, such as in the rich cocoa-flavored pork ribs with spinach in a raspberry vinaigrette. Jade's lavish weekend dim sum buffet is a Singaporean institution; reservations are a must.

The decor at this chic sumiyaki restaurant celebrating Japanese charcoal-grilling is as authentic as the food. It’s styled after traditional Japanese izakayas, with bar seating where you can watch the chefs delicately fan the meat and vegetables cooked over open coals. Dishes like pork belly with miso and octopus yuzu salad are washed down with an excellent selection of sake drawn from the different prefectures of Japan.

Inspired by the food of the Mediterranean, Lolla’s small plates menu combines flawless technique with seasonal, high-quality ingredients. Perched on Ann Siang Hill, the restaurant belies its status with a lively atmosphere that makes you feel instantly welcome. Chef Johanne Siy has a serious fine-dining pedigree, so it’s no surprise that dishes are exemplary, like the signature sea urchin pudding with squid ink custard. Note that only tasting menus are served on Fridays and Saturdays.

Cracking into a black-pepper or chilli crab is one of those signature Singapore dining experiences, and there are few places that do it better than Long Beach. There are four restaurant locations across Singapore, including the main branch on the East Coast, near where it first opened in 1946, but this Dempsey Hill branch stands out for its convenience and outdoor seating deck (plus you can stop for a pre-dinner pint or two of tasty microbrews at the nearby RedDot Brewhouse). Long Beach has other seafood specialties, including golden-stripe lobster and steamed razor clams with garlic, but the crab is the thing to go for—you won't be sorry, especially if you order it with fried mantou buns to sop up the sauce.

With creations like Heart Attack Fried Rice (rice stir-fried in beef drippings and served with U.S. Angus beef cubes on the side) and foie-gras satay, this Michelin Bib Gourmand listee specializing in creative Singaporean food is decidedly not for those on a diet. This sleek city outlet is the fanciest of the restaurant’s three locations (the other two stay true to its heartland roots), but the ability of its delicious and creative zi chars (Chinese "cook-and-fry" dishes) to induce food comas is consistent.

Housed in the historic Warehouse Hotel, this modern restaurant is named after the founder’s popo (grandmother), from whom their famed popiah (fresh spring rolls) recipe is said to have originated. Classic hawker dishes are given a refined update here with high-quality ingredients and impeccable service. Signatures include the aforementioned popiah, a do-it-yourself rolling experience that culminates in fresh, vibrant spring rolls with a more-ish filling; the skins are handmade daily by heritage hawkers. Other highlights include crisp kueh pie tee (pastry shells a spicy turnip, pork, and prawn filling) and sweet, smoky kurobuta char siew (barbecued pork collar). The adjoining Lobby Bar serves an eclectic menu of cocktails, featuring Singaporean twists on old classics, like the pandan-infused Singaporean sazerac, a perfect place to have a post-dinner nightcap.

This restaurant specializing in Thai and Shan (Burmese) cuisine is in a historic colonial building within the leafy surroundings of Labrador Park. The menu promises both modern and authentic dishes, with such recognizable classics like tom yam soup mixing with more innovative creations like duck with lychee. A romantic atmosphere, house-infused gins, and colonial-style decor add to the feel of a luxurious escape from the city.

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.

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.

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.

Honest, home-style French cooking set in a converted chapel needn’t be this good, but chef Julien Royer and his team deliver with this "neo-brasserie" concept on Dempsey Hill. From the beef and onion soup to the apple tart with salted caramel, the dishes are refined versions of the classics. There’s a touch of theater, too, in dishes such as the shared pepper steak, which is flambéed tableside. The space is gorgeous, with light pouring through the old chapel windows onto blue and tan pastel shades.

Billed as a love letter to India, this restaurant focuses on modern Indian cuisine. The food tries to tell a story, with the signature "This Is Also Not Aloo Gobi" offering a fun play on the traditional cauliflower potato dish, while cocktails use South Asian ingredients like ghee and masala to elevate classics. Everything from the newspaper-like menu to the themed room names (Officer’s Club, Jungle Lodge) reflects intricate and playful design, building a new, modern narrative of colonial India.The Champagne brunch on Saturday is a crowd favorite, and all menu options have a vegetarian alternative (if they aren't vegetarian already).  There is a smart-casual dress code requiring closed-toed shoes and long pants for men and prohibiting sports wear.

Frangipani perfumes the air as you ascend the steps to this former colonial house among the well-manicured gardens of Fort Canning. The menu, which changes with the season, includes homemade breads and a hearty selection of international dishes, such as seared scallops, pan-fried foie gras, rack of lamb, and lobster. Opt for a seat on the balcony, where you can admire the garden, which twinkles with soft lights at night. The easiest way to get here is to enter the park through the Singapore Philatelic Museum's parking lot.

Featuring a sumptuous interior inspired by the glamour of 1930s Shanghai, this lively restaurant offers a near-encyclopedic menu of Shanghainese classics: there are multiple varieties of soups, noodles, seafood, meats, and dim sum. Some selections, such as the suckling pig, must be ordered at least a day in advance, so call ahead if you have a taste for a specific delicacy and want to make sure it's available.

Jumbo more than makes up for its lack of polish through competitive prices on some of the best fresh seafood on the island. This East Coast Seafood Centre staple is the perfect place to crack into a chili or black-pepper Sri Lankan crab, a glorious, delicious mess of a dish that's a true Singaporean specialty—be sure to order it with sides of fried buns to sop up the sauce. Prices are by the kilogram; some crabs are large enough to feed up to four people, but smaller ones for two are also available. Jumbo's spacious outdoor seating area is ideal for families. Jumbo's has several other branches, including one at Blk 11 #01-16 Dempsey Road.

As the crowds that permanently pack it show, Jumbo Seafood is the place to get your hands dirty while savoring award-winning chilli and black-pepper crab, freshly snapped up from on-site seafood tanks. There's an extensive menu besides crab, including signature beef fillet with black pepper sauce and braised lobster. This riverside branch offers views of Clarke Quay and the Singapore River, so is a great spot in the evening.

This upscale, rooftop, Marina Square restaurant is within a tranquil garden replete with a koi pond, stone lanterns, bamboo, and a pavilion. Keyaki's attentive staff is dressed in kimonos and happi coats, and the menu includes what is perhaps Singapore's best teppanyaki, a mix of meat and vegetables stir-fried right at your table, as well as delicious sushi and sashimi and good-value bento lunches.

Woodfired Filipino-inspired food isn’t necessarily what you’d expect along Robertson Quay, but this classy restaurant delivers exciting cooking in a laid-back atmosphere. Taking inspiration from Pinoy barbecue, the open kitchen-led space is roomy and attractive, centered by the sounds of cooking in the pugon (traditional brick oven). Signatures include house-aged duck, crab fat risotto, and (for dessert) halo halo, made from purple yam ice cream with coconut jam and meringue.

Located within the Civic District's historic Chijmes building, Singapore's branch of Hong Kong's Lei Garden is known for having one of the best dim sum spreads in the city (prixe-fixe and à la carte menus are also available). It's packed with lunching office workers on weekdays and with families on weekends, but the jostle is worth it to savor such standout dishes as Peking duck, grilled rib-eye beef, and scallops with bean curd in black bean sauce.

At what's billed as "the world's highest urban craft brewery," the pricey platters of meat and seafood served in the slick indoor dining area are beside the point. Instead, get here no later than 6 pm on a clear day, hunker down in one of the too-few outdoor deck tables, and bask in the stunning panoramas over the marina, with the spaceship-like pool deck of the Marina Bay Sands hotel to your right and the impressive CBD skyscrapers to your left.

In a quiet, unpretentious building in Gillman Barracks, this seafood lover’s delight focuses on simple preparations of fresh fish centered around the day’s catch. The menu is ever-evolving, and though there are nods to local flavors (like spicy sambal sauces), the fish is always the star of the show. Japanese influences come through in some of the high-quality seafood and the well-curated wine and sake list.

A fridge tucked away in the corner of an unassuming kopitiam (coffee shop) hides this ultra-cool restaurant in the heart of Boat Quay. Serving “guerilla-style” Chinese food, the restaurant has an atmosphere to match, with the dark entrance corridor giving way to a Chinese-style speakeasy, where old-school crockery and medicine counter drawers clash with comic-book wallpaper. The food is no less experimental—the signature "Dragon’s Claw" is a crocodile foot braised in Chinese herbs—and an impressive cocktail menu explores Chinese and Singaporean ingredients. For less adventurous eaters, there are more traditional Chinese/Western dishes, like the Irish roast duck and spicy firecracker chicken.

A step above the island's more rough-and-ready seafood centers, Tung Lok Seafood lets you feast on daily catches that include everything from Alaskan king crab to Australian barramundi and lobster, or follow the locals' lead and grab a cracker to break into a succulent chili or black-pepper crab. Wasabi-mayo prawns, another of Tunk Lok's signature dishes, are highly recommended. A buffet with more than 50 items is served daily for dinner, as well as for lunch on the weekend.