Singapore is the kind of food city that reminds me of a great wine list – the range is the point. You can move from a $3 bowl of chendol to a three-Michelin-star tasting menu in the same afternoon, and both will hold up to serious scrutiny. As a sommelier, I’m drawn to places where quality isn’t reserved for a certain price point, and Singapore is one of the few cities in the world where that’s genuinely true across the board.

Read on for my favorite spots from my most recent visit.

Fine Dining

Odette

Three-Michelin-star French restaurant inside the National Gallery Singapore, helmed by Chef Julien Royer. The tasting menu weaves together classical French technique and a deep respect for Southeast Asian ingredients and traditions.

Known For: One of the most awarded fine dining experiences in Asia, consistently ranked among the World’s 50 Best Restaurants

Closed: Sunday

Pro Tip: Reservations open months out and fill quickly.

Burnt Ends

One-Michelin-star modern barbecue restaurant by Chef Dave Pynt in Dempsey Hill, built around a custom four-tonne, dual-cavity wood-fire kiln. The menu changes daily.

Known For: Counter seating facing the open kitchen and a strong list of boutique Australian wines

Closed: Sunday and Monday

Pro Tip: Reservations are very competitive – book early via their website (or try your luck at the counter for walk-in seats).

Cocktail Bars

Jigger & Pony

Singapore’s top-ranked cocktail bar, located inside the Amara Hotel. Currently No. 3 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars. The room is sleek and velvet-lined, the cocktail program rigorously executed.

Known For: A classics-forward program elevated with precise technique and high-quality ingredients, and one of the strongest overall bar experiences in Asia

Open Daily

Pro Tip: Reservations are accepted and worth making – and maybe consider their new spot BOP.

Native

Three-storey shophouse on Amoy Street with a cocktail bar, restaurant, and fermentation lab. Every drink is built from regional spirits and locally foraged or fermented ingredients – zero-waste and deeply intentional.

Known For: Pan-Asian cocktails with no classic menu and no international brands – a genuinely original point of view on what a Singapore bar can be

Closed: Sunday

Pro Tip: Come with curiosity and let the bartenders guide you – the menu rewards conversation.

Nutmeg & Clove

Pastel-pink heritage bar in the Civic District, currently No. 50 on the World’s 50 Best Bars. The cocktail menu is a love letter to Singapore’s communities, neighborhoods, and food culture – each drink named for a local person or place that shaped the bar.

Known For: Singapore heritage-inspired cocktails told through locally sourced ingredients and storytelling

Open Daily

Pro Tip: Ask about the stories behind the drinks (the context is everything).

Atlas

Grand Art Deco lobby bar, with one of the most spectacular interiors in Asia and a consistent presence on the World’s 50 Best Bars list. The back bar gin tower climbs three storeys and holds over 1,100 gins.

Known For: The gin collection and vintage martini program – including pours from bottles dating to the 1910s

Closed: Sunday

Pro Tip: Walk in and look up before you do anything else. Reservations are recommended for evenings and the afternoon tea.

Hawker Culture

Ah Tai Hainanese Chicken Rice

Stall #01-07 at Maxwell Food Centre, run by Mr. Ah Tai who spent decades at the famous Tian Tian stall before opening his own. The chicken is consistently the juicier, more nuanced plate.

Known For: Poached chicken rice that locals consistently choose over the more tourist-famous option next door

Closed: Tuesday

Pro Tip: Go right at opening to avoid the lunch rush – look for the blue plates, that’s how you know it’s Ah Tai.

Ah Zhong Roasted Delights

Stall #01-93 at Maxwell Food Centre, a popular roasted meat stall with consistently excellent char siew – caramelised edges, perfect fat-to-lean ratio, and that sticky-sweet finish.

Known For: Char siew with a balance of tenderness and caramelisation that earns a steady, loyal queue

Closed: Tuesday and Wednesday

Pro Tip: The three-combo rice (char siew, siu yuk, roast duck) is the move.

Old Amoy Chendol

Three-generation stall at Chinatown Complex Food Centre, serving only chendol – made entirely from scratch every day. Sarawak gula melaka syrup is charcoal-brewed; coconut milk is cold-pressed daily.

Known For: One of Singapore’s most carefully sourced and executed versions of a dish that’s often done carelessly

Open Daily

Pro Tip: This stall sells only chendol – that’s the whole point. Order one, find a seat, and pay attention.

Kaya Toast & Traditional Pastries

YY Kafei Dian 喜园咖啡店

Old-school Hainanese kopitiam along Beach Road near Bugis. The buns are baked in-house daily and split the difference between crispy and pillowy in the best possible way.

Known For: Handmade kaya buns with house-made kaya spread and proper old-school kopi

Open Daily

Pro Tip: Go early – the buns and sugar doughnuts sell out.

Ya Kun Kaya Toast

Singapore’s most iconic kaya toast chain, in business since 1944. Charcoal-grilled toast with house-made kaya and cold butter, served with half-boiled eggs and strong kopi – this is the classic format.

Known For: The benchmark kaya toast set experience, consistent across decades

Open Daily

Pro Tip: The original flagship is at Far East Square (18 China Street) – a more atmospheric setting than the mall outposts.

Tong Heng 東興

Chinatown institution since 1935, now in its fourth generation. All pastries are handmade and baked daily without artificial preservatives.

Known For: Diamond-shaped egg tarts and seasonal mooncakes – a rare surviving example of traditional Cantonese pastry craft in Singapore

Open Daily

Pro Tip: Go early for the egg tarts while they’re still warm. The char siew puffs are also worth picking up.

Honorable Mention

Long Bar at Raffles Hotel

Birthplace of the Singapore Sling, created in 1915 by bartender Ngiam Tong Boon. Not a cocktail destination, but a piece of Singapore’s history worth experiencing once – peanut shells on the floor and all.

Known For: The Singapore Sling and the colonial atmosphere of Raffles Hotel

Open Daily (walk-ins only)

Pro Tip: Go for the experience and the history, not the cocktail craft. Weekday mornings see the shortest waits.

Ready to plan your Singapore trip? Reach out through the button below – I’ve traveled this city with serious intention and I’m happy to help you build the right itinerary!