In Singapore there is so much to offer in terms of food, that it is impossible to have tried everything. It is therefore better to also go out for lunch, then you have a better chance of tasting a lot. The hawker centres or dim sum are always good for lunch, but if you want to have something “fancier”, then you can certainly go here for a delicious lunch in Singapore:
Tip: In the map, turn the different layers on or off via the left square button in the grey bar.
NB: Read my blog Singapore’s hawker centres: UNESCO cultural heritage, my recommendations for Dumplings & Dim Sum or my favourite restaurants in Singapore (at some of those restaurants you can of course also have a delicious lunch).
1. My Awesome Café
This restaurant makes me so very happy! Colourful lanterns and paper wishes on the ceiling, wooden bar tables, huge portions and always friendly staff. Note: The portions are really huge, so go here especially if you are hungry.
At My Awesome Café you are also at the right place for Friday afternoon drinks with beer and snacks or for a chill dinner. If you are not already asked to write down a wish on the colourful papers, you can ask the staff for the basket with all the tools to immortalise your wish on the garlands in the restaurant.
Location: 202 Telok Ayer Street, Singapore 068639, website
2. Miznon Singapore
At Miznon you eat Israeli street food. The well-known TV chef Eyal Shani founded Miznon in Tel Aviv and now there are only a few branches around the world, including Miznon Singapore!
Tip: Read here about my experience of eating at Miznon in Tel Aviv (and other nice restaurants in Tel Aviv) and more about Israeli food in the blog series about my 10-day road trip in Israel.
The pita you eat here will take you straight to the delicious fresh herbs and scents of the Middle East. Choose one of the vegetarian options or go for a pita kebab. The mezze is a wonderful option to celebrate the end of the working day together.
Bonus: You can get unlimited pita parts with dip at the bar 🙂
Location: 6 Stanley Street #01-01, Singapore 068725, website
Miznon also did a temporary collaboration with SO, making it possible to eat the delicious dishes of the Israeli kitchen Miznon has to offer in the SO Hotel (see photos below). Always checkt the internet or Instagram to see if there are some nice collaborations or pop-up restaurants.
3. Privé
If you just don’t know where to have lunch anymore, Privé is always a good option. The first Privé restaurant started in the marina at Keppel Bay. Privé at Marina at Keppel Bay is a nice option if you want something other than the city; on the island in the harbour between the huge yachts it feels like you have ended up in Saint Tropez. Nowadays you can find the Privé restaurants throughout Singapore, for example Privé Tiong Bahru, Privé Robertson Quay (along the river) and Privé Botanic Gardens.
You are always in the right place at Privé, because with a wide choice of Italian, French and Asian cuisine, there is always something you feel like eating at that moment.
Tip: At Privé children are more than welcome! Looking for inspiration for travelling with children, take a look at the page Tips with Kids.
Locations: website
– Privé Keppel Bay: 2 Keppel Bay Vista, Singapore 098382
– Privé Tiong Bahru: 57 Eng Hoon Street, #01-88, Singapore 160057
4. Merci Marcel
Mais Oui! At Merci Marcel you imagine yourself in France with fresh buttery croissants and pain au chocolats (which you can also pick up at Marcel to go). You will also find classics such as the Croque Marcel and Eggs Benedict, Brioche and Tarte Flambée on the menu. My personal favourites are the Marinated Crab Tartine and the Red Snapper Ceviche. Of course you can also come here for wine with delicious French cheese and meat platters or a dinner with dishes inspired by the French cuisine.
Merci Marcel can be found at three locations in Singapore: Club Street, Orchard Road and Tiong Bahru. If you’re at Merci Marcel on Orchard Road, be sure to take a look at Maison Marcel, a nice boutique with all kinds of nice stuff for your home.
Location: website
– Club Street: 7-9 Club Street
– Orchard Road: Palais Renaissance 390 Orchard Road, 01-03;
– Tiong Bahru: 56 Eng Hoon Street #01-68.
5. Park Bench Deli
Fancy a particularly well-filled sandwich? Then you have to go to Park Bench Deli, or “PBD”. The Pastrami Reuben sandwich is highly recommended! When I was still living in Singapore, the interior of PBD had a raw, industrial look with lots of graffiti, screaming colours and loud music. In the meantime, the building has been renovated and it looks (on the photos) a little less raw and more seating areas have been created. The well-filled sandwiches seem unchanged. There is often a thick queue (Singaporeans love queues), so make sure you go on time if you’re hungry.
Location: 179 Telok Ayer Street, Singapore 068627, website
6. PS.Cafe at Harding
There are multiple PS. Cafes in Singapore, but PS. Cafe at Harding is my favourite because of its green location on Dempsey Hill. This cool café has huge glass fronts and if you take a seat outside you are literally in the jungle.
The menu consists of a wide choice of tasty dishes and most of them are also healthy. My favourites are the PS. Crab & Prawn Laksa (spicy Singaporean soup), the Green Goddess Pesto Penne and TIGER Beer-battered Fish & Chips.
Tip: Don’t forget your anti-mosquito stick if you want to sit outside!
Locations: 28b Harding Road, Singapore 249549, website
Another beautiful location is PS. Cafe at Palais Renaissance. A chic and quiet spot on the always busy shopping street Orchard Road.
7. Raffles Courtyard
A visit to ‘the Raffles’ should be on your list anyway when you are in Singapore, so why not combine it with a nice lunch? An ode to Singaporean cuisine in Raffles Hotel’s historic tropical garden. The Raffles Hotel was built during colonial times and the building breathes history. Surrounded by huge white arches and swaying palm trees, Raffles Courtyard is a haven of peace in the hectic city.
You’ve come to the right place for a nice lunch in the shade, but also for drinks it is good to relax here with a refreshing cocktail. Or do like the English and have a cup of tea.
NB. In the Raffles the famous cocktail Singapore Sling originated in 1915, so you should definitely taste it here! The best thing is actually in the historic, colonial Long Bar where you still throw your peanut shells on the floor.
Location: Raffles Arcade, 328 North Bridge Rd, Singapore 188719, (entrance via the North Bridge Road entry), website
8. Bollywood Veggies
Bollywood Veggies is far off the beaten track, but if you have time to spare in Singapore (or a road bike, as we had), then a lunch here is really nice. The restaurant is located in the middle of the jungle and during the drive there you will see a completely different Singapore than the big city. The kitchen is farm-to-table and works with local products, most of which come from the huge vegetable garden behind the restaurant. A must to order here is the banana cake; whether you eat it on the spot or take it with you for a later moment. By the way, don’t forget your anti-mosquito spray here!
Tip: Visit the huge (vegetable) garden behind the restaurant. At the very back is a pond where many storks gather. At Bollywood Veggies you can also organise various events.
Locatie: 100 Neo Tiew Rd, Singapore 719026, website
9. Uncle Ho’s Tuckshop
Maybe a bit of a stranger in this list, because you are not nearly as cozy here as at the other restaurants, but the Vietnamese food here is so delicious, that Uncle Ho’s Tuckshop is definitely worth to mention! Uncle Ho’s Café in Republic Plaza is a bit more fun decorated, but here you are in the middle of an office building. Of course you can always take it away and eat it somewhere else 😉
At Uncle Ho you should at least try the dishes Bun Cha Ha Noi, Pho or Banh Mi. And take a homemade lemongrass pandan drink with it. Delicious!
Location:
– Uncle Ho’s Tuckshop: 01-04 Pasir Panjang Road, Old Behn Meyer Building, Singapore 118518;
– Uncle Ho’s Café: 19 Raffles Place, Republic Plaza #02-05, Singapore 048619, website
Need more restaurant inspiration in Singapore? I wrote a blog about my favourite restaurants in Singapore before and at some of the restaurants I mentioned there you can also have a delicious lunch, for example at Publico Ristorante, Chopsuey Cafe Dempsey Hill, Latteria Mozzarella Bar and National Kitchen by Violet Oon.
Fancy real Singaporean food? Then get inspired by my blog about Singapore’s hawker culture, which has recently been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, or my blog about the best places for Dumplings & Dim Sum in Singapore. Fancy a day at the beach – and good food – read my tips about best beach clubs in Singapore. Also in my blog about the best rooftop bars in Singapore you will find addresses with cool views where you can certainly eat well!
If you want to know more about my life as an expat in Singapore, I would like to refer you to my blog about the first months as an expat and my experience on the Cruise to Nowhere.
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