11 Best Restaurants in Singapore

This large, airy upstairs hawker center is busy from morning to night. Highlights include Loo’s Hainanese Curry Rice (#02–67/68, look for the snaking queue), which serves pork, chicken, prawns, and chap chye (cabbage) smothered in traditional Hainanese curry sauce. Jian Bo Shui Kueh (#02–05) is another local favorite, serving chwee kueh (steamed rice cake topped with preserved radish) to especially long lines at the weekend. There’s also a popular wet market downstairs, with stalls selling meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, and fresh flowers.

In business for more than a century, this hole-in-the-wall eatery serves what's arguably Singapore's best murtabak. Stuffed with mutton, chicken, or beef, it's a bit like a folded dough omelette with egg mixed in, roti prata (a fried flat bread), onions, and spices, all of it grilled together and served with a side of curry sauce. It's cheap, it's filling, and the sidewalk tables are great for people-watching. Curries, rice dishes, and other regional specialties are also available, but the murtabak is what keeps locals coming back.

This bustling food center is a true local's haunt, with more than 80 hawker stalls selling everything from succulent Hainanese chicken rice to tangy satay. When it comes to picking where to eat, use the golden rule of every hawker center in Singapore: choose the stalls with the longest lines. Leng Kee Fish Soup (#02–192) is always popular for its light broth and large portions, as is Terry Katong Laksa (#02–194) for its warming coconut flavors. For a stall that is rather unique, visit Go Pasta (#02–199)—it's rare to find (fairly) authentic Italian dishes at a local hawker center.

This dining-in-the-sky experience ticks a number of boxes: it’s unique, the food is good, and it features an incredible view. As you travel up and down Mount Faber in a private cable-car cabin, you'll tuck into a four-course dinner (Deluxe) with welcome drinks at the Arbora Bistro at Mount Faber Peak, or a main and dessert (Private). For added extravagance, book the Champagne Cabin, replete with a cheeseboard and oysters alongside your bottle of sparkling. Whichever you choose, the view of Sentosa Island and the surrounding South China Sea will be spectacular.

Simple and unassuming, this spot close to the jetty and near the bicycle rental shops is a good place to have a cold drink after exploring the island. You can't go wrong with any of the wok-fried dishes or the chilli crab.

Celebrating Singaporean heritage dishes across 27 different vendors, this basement food court's stalls sell everything from crispy fried carrot cake to spicy prawn noodles and rich chicken satay. The food court takes its design inspiration from the British colonial decor of the early 1890s, with a light blue, ivory, and copper-gold palette, and lush green plants.

Rare Shan and Thai Buddha statues and stunning views of the Singapore River complement amazing Cambodian, Vietnamese, and Laotian food at this classy riverside restaurant. There's a focus on nutritious dishes at IndoChine, and although the lemongrass, chili, mint, and curry flavors are generally on the subtle, non-spicy side, some plates do pack a punch. Arrive by 7 pm and try to score a table with sunset views over the river.

Located just off the boardwalk by the Esplanade–Theatres on the Bay, this outdoor, hawker-style cluster of food stands offers a delicious (albeit slightly expensive) variety of local and regional specialties. Here you'll find chili crab, grilled prawns, chicken rice, fried carrot cake, meat satay, and much more served into the wee hours of the morning.

This restaurant is located close to the jetty and has a laid-back island vibe, like all the other places. It's a good place to grab a fresh, cold coconut drink, but if you're hungry, the dishes to try include the not-too-spicy sambal kangkong (stir-fried water spinach with chili) and the black-pepper crab.