32 Best Restaurants in Singapore

Nestled among the exotic flora of the Botanic Gardens and in a colonial house named after an important 20th-century botanist, Corner House is chef David Thien’s “ode to Asia with French undertones." The setting is exceptionally romantic, matched only by the omakase experience and curated wine list. The menu uses French techniques to present Asian ingredients in innovative ways, and each dish comes with an accompanying note to expand on the chef’s inspiration.

The inventive dishes at this seafood-centric, Michelin-starred restaurant reinvent Singaporean classics with local produce. Within its five-course lunch and nine-course dinner menus, chicken rice is packaged into dainty dumplings, chilli crab is transformed into ice cream, and kaya toast is elevated with caviar—but the flavors stay distinctively Singaporean.

Mingle with Singaporean tycoons and celebrities at the island's finest French restaurant, where you can admire the adjoining bar's grand chandelier and curtain-draped wine cabinets before adjourning to the intimate dining area. The breathtakingly expensive seasonal menu changes regularly, but expect such exquisite French classics as foie gras, roasted whole pigeon, and white asparagus. Their wine list is considered one of the best in Asia, with more than 1,800 Old World wines, 90% of which are from France (in particular Burgundy and Bordeaux).

Slow-food champion Sam Wong runs this private dining experience from his vintage-furnished terrace house, at the back of which sits his wildly untamed fruit and vegetable garden. You’ll have to book months ahead for a table, but the wait for his painstakingly made food—like a signature roast duck that undergoes three days of preparation and features homemade spices—is worth it. The price is per head for an eight- to ten-course meal.

If you’re celebrating a special occasion or looking to experience some Michelin-starred fine dining, you won’t be disappointed by Meta’s multi-course fixed menu inspired by Chef Sun Kim’s Korean heritage. With a minimalist design and open kitchen, the restaurant gives you the opportunity to watch the chefs at work as you enjoy a languid afternoon or evening of tasting (the restaurant advises customers plan 2.5 hours for their meal). The wine pairing is highly recommended.

At this intimate 24-seater run by celebrated chef Emmanuel Stroobant, you’ll be served delicate, Asian-inflected French cuisine alongside a panoramic view of the Marina Bay waterfront. The chic, Michelin-starred establishment is a favorite among many not just for its fine food but also its inclusive offerings such as special menus for vegetarians.

It may be rough around the edges, it's in the red-light district of Geylang, and the cost of a full meal would make some fine-dining establishments blush, but there's good reason why the late food magnate Anthony Bourdain named Sin Huat one of the "10 places to eat before you die." Chef Danny's rich, gooey, briny, magnificent crab (or prawn) bee hoon (vermicelli-like rice noodles) is a stunning dish. Pair it with on-the-shell scallops slathered in black bean sauce and a plate of kailan (fresh greens) with garlic for a meal to remember.

The second Singaporean venture by Wolfgang Puck serves Californian food with an Asian twist, including a locally-inspired "kaya toast" with foie gras. Perched on the 57th floor of Sands SkyPark in the Marina Bay Sands, the restaurant offers unparalleled views of the hotel’s famed infinity pool and the city skyline from its alfresco bar and lounge and its indoor dining room.

Experience Edomae-style delicacies at this 22-seater sushi restaurant in Palais Renaissance. All ingredients are delivered directly from Japan, including organic rice from a farm in Yamagata prefecture and spring water from Hokkaido. Chef Tomoo Kimura is driven by attention to detail; personal touches like the ceremonial tea set hand-painted by the chef’s master and centuries-old noren (room dividers) are used to create an elegant feel to the dining experience.

For a really special treat, this celebrated eatery by chef Richard van Oostenbrugge of Amsterdam's Restaurant 212 will do the trick, offering pricey but precise and elegant tasting menus. In the convivial, communal setting, you might sit next to strangers. The menu varies from season to season, but the usual fine-dining suspects are in the line-up. Call ahead to nab the best seats in the house: at the Chef’s Table directly facing the open-concept kitchen.

This former church's compelling interior—soaring ceilings, ample arched windows, stained glass, and rows of chandeliers hanging over curved banquettes—has helped draw many faithful diners to this European restaurant. The kitchen takes an artsy, nouveau approach to a menu of dishes designed to "transport you down the rabbit hole," from classic bouillabaisse to lobster and kombu linguine. The outdoor patio, a gin and wine garden with whimsical topiaries, has also garnered quite a following as a place to sip on elegant cocktails while listening to the laid-back house DJ.

Locally sourced ingredients, including produce from head chef and restaurateur Beppe de Vito’s family farm, take center stage at this ritzy Michelin-starred Italian fine-dining restaurant. With artfully prepared dishes made with exotic ingredients like fennel pollen, ancient wheat from Puglia, and water from the Dolomites, your meal will be one to remember. You can end it on the National Gallery's rooftop, where Dessert & Cocktail Bar by Art has another cozy venue with stunning views of Marina Bay. 

Carnivores with a taste for succulent slices of marinated beef, pork, lamb, and other meats sliced off jumbo-sized skewers can take a 20-minute cab ride from downtown to this busy all-you-can-eat churrascaria (barbecue) restaurant in the affluent Bukit Timah neighborhood. You'll pay a set price for the meats, sides, and desserts. Vegetarians along for the ride can find ample solace at Brazil Churrascaria's large buffet bar, which serves more than 15 hot and cold salads, appetizers, traditional dishes, and soups.

Chef Rishi Naleendra’s Cloudstreet is rooted in both his Sri Lankan heritage and his training in Australia. The menu promises to “champion ingredient-driven cuisine,” and there’s always a heavy focus on seasonality in the creative tasting menus. The chef’s counter allows diners to engage and interact with the team as they move through the menu, delving deeper into the inspiration behind the elegant dishes. There’s also a great curated wine list, featuring wines from independent winemakers from all over the world.

If you can splurge on just one meal in Singapore, Iggy's is worth considering. Hailed as one of the top restaurants in Asia, this intimate Euro-Japanese fusion spot has mouthwatering dishes like A5 Miyazaki Wagyu beef and Maine lobster, as well as one of the best wine lists on the island. Multi-course tasting menus are available for lunch and dinner, with separate dishes designed for vegetarians.

Both the exceptional views and cuisine at JAAN, proud holder of two Michelin stars, are a perfect option to splash some cash in style. The highly curated and choreographed three-hour-long dining experience showcases Chef Kirk Westaway's take on contemporary British dining from the vantage of Raffles City's 70th floor. Choices of three- or five-course menus can pair with flights of three or five wines. 

Potted plants line the entrance of this chic, Parisian-style restaurant, and, in its casual dining area, French film posters cover the walls from floor to ceiling. Daily specials are scrawled on chalkboards, but the set menu includes meat, seafood, and such French specialities as snails, foie gras, and crème brûlée, and there's an exhaustive selection of French wines, as well as a large range of whiskies, vodkas, gins, liqueurs, rums, and Armagnacs.

Acclaimed French chef Anne-Sophie Pic’s first foray into Asia is a sensory delight with its soft, pastel space and delicate creations imbued with Asian flavors. The food includes the restaurant’s iconic berlingots (pyramid-shaped pasta parcels) filled with cheese fondue and complemented by red Kampot peppers native to Cambodia.

NAE:UM— meaning a fragrance that evokes memories—is a contemporary take on traditional Seoul cuisine, blending Western cooking techniques wth Korean flavors. Founder and chef Louis Han regularly changes the seasonal tasting menu to reflect the stories and memories of home, with menu titles like "Han River Sunset" and "Front Yard Barbecue." The dining room is a calming space just back from the busy Telok Ayer Street, with impeccable service from Han’s team.

Chef Ivan Brehm’s mixed background—Italian, Spanish, German, and Brazilian—provides the inspiration for what he calls "crossroads cooking." Nouri’s dedicates himself to combining ingredients, techniques, and flavors from across the globe in intriguing tasting menus. The light, airy dining room and marble chef’s counter create a serene atmosphere, with service and wine pairings that are both top-notch.

The sight of sharks and manta rays swimming past your dinner table at this elegant restaurant in the S.E.A. Aquarium makes for quite the memory. Sure, watching more than 40,000 sea creatures behind floor-to-ceiling glass as you tuck into a plate of blue cod or langoustine might induce guilt, but you can ease your pangs with the knowledge that the kitchen works with sustainable sources. Book in advance to secure a table right beside the floor-to-ceiling glass panels.

Any self-proclaimed gourmand needs to add this classy restaurant, often considered one of Asia's best (and certainly one of Singapore's top tables), to their culinary bucket list. The dishes in its four- to six-course (called "acts") lunches and seven-course dinners vary seasonally but maintain the same respect for great artisanal produce, brought to life by French culinary arts and a touch of Japanese flair. Reservations are necessary and encouraged at least one month in advance, with a S$200 deposit per person. Children under 7 are not allowed.

For some of the best sushi outside of Japan, make your way to this spartan Edo-style restaurant by lauded chef Shinji Kanesaka inside the Carlton Hotel, where you’ll be served sublime nigiri sushi across a counter carved from a single, 220-year-old, Japanese cypress tree. Here, simplicity takes precedence so that the cultural and culinary traditions can shine.

The two-Michelin-starred Shoukouwa offers perhaps the most intimate dining experience in all of Singapore, with just eight counter seats and a private room for six. Reservations are a must, but for your trouble, you get elegant omakase meals created with obsessive attention to detail—even the sushi rice is dressed in a meticulously crafted mix of artisanal vinegars. There is an extensive, well-curated sake menu to complement the omakase set menus.

This contemporary restaurant and Rosé bar on the 70th floor of the Swissôtel The Stamford hotel doesn’t just serve up beautifully plated sharing dishes, it also doles out fabulous views of Singapore (and, on a clear day, Malaysia and Indonesia). The staff’s quiet, attentive service contributes to the elegance, as does the warm, modern decor. The two or three-course lunch sets are varied and good value.

Situated at the heart of foodie Keong Saik Road, chef Mano Thevar’s eponymous modern Indian restaurant provides a refreshing take on cuisine not often considered fine dining. Recognizable dishes like Chettinad chicken roti are given a unique twist with European techniques and flavors from the Malay peninsula. The fun atmosphere, extensive menu, and multiple vegetarian options make this a great choice for those wanting to experience fine Indian dining.