36 Best Shopping in Singapore

One of Orchard Road's best-loved megamalls contains eight levels of shopping and dining distractions. Key fashion tenants include UNIQLO, Zara, and Love, Bonito, though there are plenty of tech, jewelery, and homeware stores, too. Along the mall's open-air Discovery Walk is a clutch of buzzing bars and restaurants, including JiBiru Yakitori & Craft Beer, which deals in local and imported microbrews. Refuel with a caffeine hit at uber-cool spots % Arabica or Flash Coffee, or join the long lines for bubble tea at Gong Cha.

With a bold, sci-fi-inspired facade and a 56th-floor viewing deck replete with high-powered telescopes, this is not your everyday megamall, even by Singapore's lofty standards. In addition to local boutiques and more than 300 luxury shops, you'll find a cavernous food hall and a gourmet supermarket. But that's still not all: the fourth floor has the 3,640-square-foot ION Art Gallery, which regularly exhibits works by local and international artists.

The Japanese department store Takashimaya dominates this gigantic shopping mall, but there are also more than 130 other shops and dining outlets packed into the first few floors of the Ngee Ann towers. The basement food center is fun for snacking on everything from Hokkaido-style ice cream to bubble tea, and there's also, of course, a large food court if you're craving something more substantial. Books Kinokuniya—a must-visit—is one of the biggest bookstores in Southeast Asia, and special sales on clothing, housewares, and other goods are regularly held in the basement-level square.

Head to this long-established store inside the Tanglin Shopping Centre for an interesting selection of vintage Southeast Asian artifacts and collectibles, including original books, photos, maps, and prints.

Owned by the Shanghai-born art dealer and author Marjorie Chu, Art Forum is a beautiful contemporary art gallery with a focus on Southeast Asia. Paintings and sculptures from more than 150 local and international artists are on display within this restored, whitewashed terrace house, and Chu herself is a wonderful resource for learning about the region's evolving arts scene.

The trendy fashion retailer Club 21 offers sharp men's and women's clothing lines from such well-known designers as Marc Jacobs, Stella McCartney, and Alexander McQueen. Naturally, the price tags match the big-brand names. There are several other branches around Singapore.

This well-respected Singaporean tailor has stood the test of time by creating quality suits and custom-made dresses using the finest fabrics from Europe and Japan. Book an appointment for bespoke tailoring, or check out their mail order service online.

This shop sells rare and upscale fragrances and beauty products from more than 30 leading international brands, including Acqua Di Parma, Diptyque, and Hermès. Personal makeovers, beauty events, and fragrance profiling are available by appointment. There are additional outlets in the TANGS and ION Orchard malls along Orchard Road.

Not to be confused with the nearby mall Far East Shopping Centre, Far East Plaza is a five-story mall packed with stores selling everything from electronics to trendy street wear to bespoke tailoring, and much more. Although it's on the older side, it's still a popular Orchard-area hangout for local teens. Of course, it wouldn't be a Singapore mall if there weren't also dozens of restaurants, snack counters, and cafés.

Forum is one of the more family-oriented shopping malls on Orchard, with more than ten kids' clothing outlets and a variety of children's learning and fitness centers. There's also a delicious Cantonese dumpling restaurant called Jade Palace alongside a dozen restaurants and coffee shops.

Add a little glamour to your wardrobe with a gown fit for the red carpet from the award-winning Singaporean designer Francis Cheong. High-end jewelry and other accessories suited to fashionable finery are also available.

You'll find a number of men's and women's tailors in the Tanglin Shopping Centre, but Justmen's has a well-earned reputation as being one of the best.

Oversized, gem-encrusted pendants, bracelets, rings, and other glitzy wearables are on offer at this shop, one of a number of high-end jewelers in the upscale Paragon shopping center.

An old Orchard Road mainstay that now seems somewhat out of a place among the area's more modern and fashionable megamalls, Lucky Plaza is packed with six floors and a basement full of trinkets, clothing, jewelry, luggage, fashion accessories, and electronics—some of questionable authenticity. On the weekend, it's packed with locals looking for a bargain.

Expect works from some of the world's most-renowned contemporary artists at Opera Gallery, one of a dozen global branches of this elite Parisian art dealer.

Magnificent Persian carpets and rugs fill the Orientalist Carpet Gallery's large showroom. Custom-made carpets can be arranged, and you can learn more about the history of Persian carpets and how they're made by attending a "carpet appreciation" workshop.

Largely a mix of high-end fashion boutiques and beauty salons, this extravagantly marbled shopping emporium next to the unmissable Royal Thai Embassy also features a handful of Orchard's better eateries, including Sushi Kimura and P.S. Cafe.

The glossy Paragon is worth a stroll, whether you're just window shopping or on the hunt for high-end fashions, jewelry, and accessories at boutiques such as Gucci, Ermenegildo Zegna, Salvatore Ferragamo, or Prada. Marks & Spencer, Mothercare, and Muji all have outlets here, plus there are branches of popular chain restaurants like Din Tai Fung, Crystal Jade, and Ya Kun Kaya Toast.

Need an air-conditioned escape from the afternoon heat? Daiso, Muji, Marks & Spencer and Uniqlo stores, a Golden Village movie theater, a supermarket, and more than 50 food outlets are just some of the tenants of this enormous nine-level building at the bottom of Orchard Road.

Now a household name, this enormous department store first opened in Singapore in 1858. It spans six floors and 150,000 square feet and sells some of the most sought-after brands and labels in Singapore. On Black Friday, thousands of Singaporeans camp outside the night before ito get to Robinson's bargains first, whether fashion, furniture, or kitchenware. Outside of the sales, prices can be a little steep, but the quality is always good.

This is the place to drop off teens for a few hours while you shop your way through Orchard Road's manifold megamalls. Clothes and accessories from up-and-coming designers can be found in the Scape Underground basement space, while upstairs legions of cool kids browse streetwear and guitar shops, hang out in gaming centers and karaoke rooms, or snack at fast-food chains. The main attraction, though, is the 32,000-square-foot outdoor Somerset Skate Park, where kids whiz around on skateboards and scooters. There's also a movie theater next door, at Cathay Cineleisure Orchard.

One of Singapore's best places for close-to-haute couture at affordable prices is Scotts Square. The mall has a basement food court, plus a changing roster of farmer's markets, craft fairs, and other offerings to keep shoppers entertained. Check the website for the latest events.

Not to be confused with Tanglin Shopping Centre or Tangs, this aging four-level mall tends to get lost in the Orchard Road shuffle, given that it's tucked away at the far west end of Orchard Road. It nevertheless remains popular with local expats thanks to its Tasty Food Court, as well as the somewhat upscale Tanglin Market Place, which sells a fine selection of international foods.

This is a recommended first stop if you're in the market for Asian antiques or Persian carpets. Antiques of the Orient, which deals in vintage charts, maps, and other antiquities, provides a unique shopping experience, plus there are more than 10 tailors here specializing in custom-made suits and alterations.