Raffles To Marina Bay

Eat and meet

Raffles to Marina Bay

Indochine

Elegant Southeast Asian cuisine

1 Empress Place, Asian Civilizations Museum
T: 6339 1720

Adjacent to the Asian Civilizations Museum, it seems fitting that this elegant waterfront restaurant specialises in the cuisine of Southeast Asia. The results are more homage than duplication — don't expect the S$40 Cambodian-style chilli prawns or S$25 papaya salad to taste anything like ... read more
The Equinox

Dining in the sky (with matching prices)

Swissotel the Stamford, Stamford Rd
T: 6837 3322

It's high praise that the food is on par with the view at Equinox, a fine-dining restaurant on the 70th floor of the downtown Swissotel. The chef may be French, but fusion dishes like tom yum lobster bisque and pan-fried duck breast with Chinese seven spice suggest he's trained in Asia. ... read more
Palm Beach Seafood

Singapore's original chilli crab and more

1 Fullerton Rd
T: 6227 2332

As the creators of the original Singapore chilli crab, Palm Beach could charge whatever they want and still have a loyal following However prices are comparable to other upscale seafood spots and the new waterfront restaurant is stunning. While the signature chilli crab with mantou (fried buns) to ... read more
CHJIMES

Romance under the stars

30 Victoria St

As you dance the night away at a Le Baroque or flirt with the waitresses in French maid outfits at the Cosafe Café, bear in mind that this colonial building used to be a convent. The nuns are long gone and CHJIMES has been converted into a dining destination and its central courtyard is a ... read more
1960s Singapore Food Trail

Sample Singaporean classics

30 Raffles Avenue, Singapore Flyer

Sample Singaporean classics in a nostalgic setting at this new food centre at the base of the Singapore Flyer. Enamel plates, faded signs and old furniture are meant to conjure up a 1960s kampung atmosphere and many of the hawkers have been cooking for even longer. Long line-ups form to order ... read more
Inle Myanmar Restaurant

Authentic Burmese food.

#B1-07A Peninsula Plaza, 111 North Bridge Road
T: 6333 5438

Singapore's own "Little Myanmar", the basement of Peninsula Plaza is full of small restaurants like Inle serving authentic Burmese food. The oily curries taste like a failed fusion of Thai and Indian food, but signature dishes like mohinga (noodles and chickpea fritters in fishy broth) and ... read more
Gluttons Bay

Handpicked by the Makansutra team

8 Raffles Avenue, #01-15
T: 6438 4038

Enjoy $5 dishes and a million-dollar view of Marina Bay at this outdoor hawker centre beside the Esplanade Theatre. Each stall has been handpicked by the Makansutra team — Singapore's top hawker critics — as being an exemplary example of a classic hawker dish. Choose from fried carrot cake, ... read more
Timbre

Small concert specialists

45 Armenian Street (Timbre @ Substation)
T: 6338 8030

What started as a student hang-out showcasing local bands has grown into Singapore's premiere venue for small concerts with three locations in the city centre. Timbre @ The Arts House has a stunning riverside location and attracts the biggest names (Bob Dylan performed earlier this year), but we ... read more
Celebrity Chef Restaurants at Marina Bay Sands

Master-planned menus

10 Bayfront Avenue
T: 6688 8513

The Marina Bay Sands is where the action is for some of Singapore's finest high-end restaurants and we're not talking just Singaporean chefs either. If you watch Top Chef, you'll be excited to hear celebrity chefs Wolfgang Puck, Daniel Boulud, Guy Savoy, Mario Batali and Santi Santamaria have all ... read more
The Tiffin Room

Colonial nostalgia and curry

Raffles Hotel, 1 Beach Rd
T: 6412 1816

Get your fill of curry and colonial nostalgia during tiffin, a midday meal that has been a Raffles Hotel tradition since the 1890s. The North Indian fare — tandoori chicken, lamb curry, samosas and plenty of vegetarian options — is tasty but the spice level has been turned down for ... read more
Town Restaurant @ The Fullerton

A boozy splurge

Fullerton Hotel, 1 Fullerton Square
T: 6877 8128

The restaurant at this colonial gem serves Western and Singaporean cuisine all day, but is best known for its Sunday champagne brunch. You won't have an appetite until Monday after feasting on their gourmet spread of salads, sushi, roasted meats, Indian curries, made-to-order pastas and a ... read more
Yozukana Japanese Restaurant

Go for the cheap(er) lunch sets

1 Liang Seah Place #01-03/04
T: 6336 3103

It's no secret that high-quality Japanese food is expensive, but Yozukana keeps its bento-style lunch sets under S$20. The sets include miso soup, your choice of main like spicy chicken or seafood, rice, and fruit. It's easy to spend a lot more on dinner, especially if you get into the premium ... read more
Soup Restaurant

Heritage Chinese cuisine

3 Temasek Boulevard, #B1-059 Suntec City Mall
T: 6333 9886

It's all about the broth at this restaurant specialising in heritage Chinese cuisine. Simple ingredients like pork, ginseng and mushrooms are cooked low and slow to develop flavours so complex you'll be licking the bottom of your bowl. Soup's signature dish, the Samsui ginger chicken, isn't eaten ... read more
Food For Thought

Conscience-safe eating

8 Queen St
T: 6338 9887

Satisfy your caffeine cravings and your conscience at this cosy downtown cafe that donates 10% of its profits to charity. Espresso-based bevvies start from S$3 and tea drinkers are catered to with herbal blends. If you're hungry there's a full menu of mains and original dishes like Asian-style ... read more
Kopitiam Foodcourt

A broad affordable range of options

51 Bras Basah Rd

Catering to the guests at the budget hotels on Bencoolen, this downtown food court offers everything from Hong Kong-style dim sum to a taco bar. While we were not impressed by the Mexican food (a taco with fries?!), the Thai, Vietnamese Japanese, Chinese and local choices are much better and most ... read more
The Food Place @ Raffles City

3rd floor, Raffles Place Mall, 252 North Bridge Rd

6338 8055

With its minimalistic decor and healthy choices like a salad bar, Raffle City's food court is more cosmopolitan than most. If you're in the mood for more calories, we recommend the seafood tempura from the Japanese stall, fresh pastas cooked to order, and the namesake dish from the Scissors-Cut ... read more
Nalan Restaurant

Great value sets

109 North Bridge Rd, B1-01 Funan Digital Mall
T: 6336 6404

For vegetarian food outside of Little India this small restaurant by Funan IT mall is a solid choice. Excluding meat from their menu hasn't limited the selection and there's North and South Indian style soups, flatbreads, curries, tandoori vegetables,and paneer (cheese) prepared every way ... read more
Ah Teng's Bakery

Colonial style on the cheap

Beach Rd, Raffles Hotel
T: 6412 1816

It is possible to treat yourself to a spot of tea at Raffles Hotel without going into debt. A much more affordable alternative to The Tiffin Room, Ah Teng's Bakery offers a similar colonial setting with antique tables and delicate china cups of steaming Earl Grey. The service isn't as refined — ... read more
Chili Padi Nonya Cafe

A delicious Nonya bargain

470 North Bridge Rd #01-02
T: 6339 7745

Blending Malaysian and Chinese cooking with a healthy dose of their namesake chilli, this cafe specialises in Nonya cuisine. All meals are buffet-style and selection varies by the time of day, but the laksa (spicy coconut noodle soup) and kueh (bite-sized sweets) are always available and always a ... read more