The Best Places to Eat in Singapore
One of my favourite reasons to visit Singapore is the food. The coming together of different cultures has resulted in a wide variety of exceptional cuisine from China, Indonesia, Malaysia, India, and western dishes too. The possibilities are endless. Fine dining to the best value hawker centres, and everything in between. Here is my list of the best places to eat in Singapore:
Browse the 10 Best Places to Eat in Singapore
1. Jumbo Seafood @ Riverside
Sweet Chilli Crab is the signature dish of Singapore. One of the best and most well known places to try it is at Jumbo Seafood – Riverside Point, located right on the water of Clarke Quay. However, the reason, in my opinion, why this Chinese restaurant is one of the best places to eat in Singapore is the quality of some of the other dishes on the extensive menu. Service can be slow, but the pork ribs glazed with honey, supreme seafood fried rice, and venison with spring onions and ginger were what made this one of the best meals of our trip.
2. SONG FA bak kut teh
From humble beginnings, in 1969, selling pork ribs and a peppery soup dish from a pushcart, to what is now multiple restaurants across Singapore. There are a few more dishes on the menu these days, like braised chicken feet or sliced fish soup. However, the main attraction is pork. Specialising in dishes from the ancient Teochew region of China. Expect queues at peek times, but they move fast, as you order, pay, then find a seat.
3. PUTIEN Marina Bay Sands
Location: Marina Bay Sands, L1-05, The Shoppes
Must try dish: Shredded pork with sesame bun
Located in the iconic Marina Bay Sands shopping mall, it’s one of the cleanest restaurants I’ve been to, and using only the freshest ingredients. This modern Chinese restaurant chain has come a long way since opening its doors in 2000. Now with 70 locations across Asia, one of them (Kitchener Road) having a MICHELIN STAR. There are some really exciting dishes on the menu, from seafood to deep-fried duck with yams, that arrives on a dish hidden amongst liquid nitrogen.
4. Best Satay 7 & 8
Location: Satay Street – Lau Pau Sat Market
Must try dish: Chicken satay and spicy peanut sauce
Next on my list of the best places to eat in Singapore is in fact a couple of hawker stalls, specialising in the most incredible satay skewers. At the famous street food market Lau Pa Sat. There is street-side seating though, surrounded by skyscrapers. After ordering your selection of chicken, beef & mutton or prawn skewers, choose a table and then collect them when your buzzer goes off.
5. Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice
Location: 1 Kadayanallur St, #01-10/11 – Maxwell Food Centre
Must try dish: Hainanese Chicken Rice
Tian Tian Chicken is another prominent hawker stall. This time located at Maxwell Food Centre in China Town. It makes my list of the 10 best places to eat in Singapore because the quality of this chicken rice dish is exceptional, and a must try for anyone visiting the city. Don’t be tempted by other places in the same market that look very similar. You’ll want to head to this award winning location, despite the queue.
K-drama mugs & more at Gift Lane Studio Design:
6. Beng Thin Hoon Kee
Location: 65 Chulia St, #05-02 OCBC Centre
Must try dish: Scrambled eggs with chistorra sausage
If you’re looking for a hidden gem in Singapore, then this is it. It’s not easy to find since moving from it’s original location in Hokkien Street. You need to go through an indoor car park to the lifts, up to floor 5, then turn right out into another car park, and there it is. Serving Fujian cuisine, the service is very friendly, and they even have robots delivering food to tables, and singing happy birthday.
7. Tong Ah Eating House
Now it’s time for breakfast on my list of the best places to eat in Singapore. More specifically Kaya toast. Soft boiled eggs, a toast sandwich filled with coconut custard (kaya), and washed down with a black coffee (kopi) with condensed milk. Created by Hainanese immigrants adapting what they’d seen on British ships docked in Singapore. Tong Ah Eating House has been serving this dish for decades, at a very reasonable price, and is one of the best places to try it.
8. Toast Box
Location: 133 New Bridge Road (+ many other locations)
Must try dish: Kaya toast + iced milo
Toast Box is another one of the best places to eat in Singapore specialising in kaya toast. With locations all over the city, you shouldn’t have any problems locating one of these modern establishments. The traditional Singaporean dish is on point, they have oat milk and chocolate milk options. There can be quite a queue, but thankfully it moves quickly.
9. The Legend Roasted Meat Rice & Noodle
Location: Floor 4, Hong Lim Market & Food Centre
Must try dish: Crispy roast pork
No Website
One of my favourite places to eat in Singapore is at this modest hawker stall in the Hong Lim Market & Food Centre. The reason being the incredibly tasty crispy roast pork, char siu pork or roast duck. Some of the best I’ve had anywhere. All on noodles or rice, that comes with a delicious free soup on the side.
10. Newton Food Centre
Location: 500 Clemenceau Avenue North
Must try dish: Black pepper crab @ Alliance Seafood
No Website
Last on my list of the 10 best places to eat in Singapore is in fact a whole Hawker Centre. Newton Food Centre is featured in the blockbuster movie Crazy Rich Asians. In my opinion it’s one of the most attractive. There’s a huge variety of quality cuisine on offer. Some of my favourites include Newton Mee Gorang Stall, for roti canai and curry dipping sauce, or the MICHELIN Guide listed Alliance Seafood for black pepper crab. Follow that by quenching your thirst with a sugar cane and lime drink from Thong Lai Cold Drinks & Beer. Note, you first find a table, then give the number to the vendor, and they’ll bring your food over.
Related Articles
See more Singapore articles here.