The Best Casual Restaurants in Singapore

Keng Eng Kee Seafood is a well-established eatery that has been serving up divine zi char fare for generations. The menu includes a variety of signature dishes such as Coffee Pork Ribs, Pork Liver Claypot, Moonlight Hor Fun, and Black Pepper Crab. The restaurant is particularly known for its chilli crab and the unique experience of sharing meals on massive round tables.

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Tristin Farmer

Chef – Singapore , SG

The best hawker food in town (no more needs said) Paul and his team have incredible hospitality, delicious food and a must visit for supper!

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Known for its outstanding seafood and wok cookery, J.B. Ah Meng Restaurant is a popular spot often bustling with activity. The restaurant is particularly celebrated for its white pepper crab and seafood fried bee hoon, which are highly recommended by visitors. Advance booking is suggested due to its popularity.

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Victor Liong

Chef – Melbourne, Australia

A must on the way from or to the airport when in SG Simple, elegant and flavourful wok cookery from one of the city’s best cooks - outstanding seafood and wok cookery - JB Ah Meng slaps!

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Experience the unique blend of wood-fired cooking infused with Indian flavors at Revolver. The restaurant offers a protein-driven menu, seasoned with Indian spices, and served in a counter seat dining setting. With a bright and light ambiance, it's a perfect spot to enjoy a delicious tasting menu and engage with the chefs.

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Michael Ryan

Chef/restaurateur – Beechworth, Australia

Woodfired cooking with Indian flavours There are plenty of restaurants around the world, and in particular in Singapore, with a similar format-counter seating in front of a wood fired kitchen. But what sets Revolver apart is it's food. The vast and complex cuisine of India is used creatively and with a careful 'less is more' approach to produce that often sought after, but rarely acheived, goal of simple food with profound depth and nuance.

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At Wine RVLT, the atmosphere is casual and fun, making it a great spot to unwind. The wine bar is known for its good food and a wide selection of wines, primarily from the natural/minimal spectrum. The menu features a communal selection of snacks, appetizers, mains, and desserts, designed for friends to enjoy together.

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Dave Pynt

Chef – Singapore, Singapore

A casual and fun wine bar with a great vibe and good food. Wine RVLT is a bar that is absolutely fantastic and quite casual and fun. The place is run by Singaporeans but the place and the wines are sort of French. Wine RVLT is one of those classic wine bars where you go to have a great time, and they also serve some very good food.

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Kai Garden is a renowned Cantonese fine dining restaurant, recognized for its signature twists on traditional dishes. The restaurant offers a wide selection of exquisite Cantonese and Chinese dishes, including dim sum and roasts, all crafted by award-winning Group Executive Chef Fung Chi Keung. The recommendations highlight the Peking duck and char siew puff, as well as the double boiled cartilage soup and beetroot dumpling, as must-try dishes.

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Liguang Han

Chef – Singapore, Singapore

Another gem of a dim sum/chinese restaurant! The peking duck is highly recommended but the char siew puff is simply the best in Singapore. Double boiled cartilage soup is also amazingly thick and flavourful and the signature beetroot dumpling is also a must order!

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This place is known for its standout dish, chicken with 40 cloves of garlic, paired perfectly with a juicy Brouilly. Despite being located in South East Asia, it offers a unique culinary experience that brings a touch of Europe to your palate. They also provide takeaway and delivery services, ensuring your cravings are met even during these challenging times.

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Will Goldfarb

Chef/owner Room4Dessert – Ubud, Indonesia

Sometimes you just need chicken with 40 cloves of garlic and a juicy Brouilly in South East Asia. Ecco, poulet. Takeaway and delivery during Covid-19!

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Lolla is a modern Mediterranean restaurant that offers a simple yet inspired small-plates menu. The dishes are prepared mindfully, with Chef Johanne Siy, awarded Asia’s Best Female Chef in 2023, at the helm. The restaurant features an open kitchen with a zinc bar counter where diners can watch the chefs at work, and a communal table in the basement for larger groups, offering a relaxed and friendly dining space.

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Jon Cheng

Restaurant Critic – Everywhere, United States

Underrated gem of a star restaurant in Singapore. That isn’t to say that her simpler dishes don’t deliver the same thrill. They do, especially when that lipstick-red Carabinero prawn she serves is as big as a lobster and filled with meat so sweet that it had me ravenous for more. I will return.

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This small, bustling shop, named Mr & Mrs Mohgan Super Crispy Roti Prata, is renowned for its super crispy, buttery prata. Customers can choose from three delectable curries: fish, mutton, or dahl, and enhance their meal with chilli samba. Additionally, a kopi from Tin Yeang Restaurant is suggested to complete the dining experience.

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Colin Wood

Chef – Sydney, Australia

Super crispy roti prata. Very busy little shop inside a hall with the most delicious, butterycrispy prata. Choose from three curries: fish, mutton, or dahl, add chilli samba and order a kopi from Tin Yeang Restaurant. It’s a little way out but well worth the trip and soothing for those with jet lag.

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This unique establishment offers a fusion of Mexican and Indian cuisine, carefully curated by Chef Gaggan Anand. The menu is a blend of homestyle cooking from both cultures, resulting in a delightful mix of salsa and curries. The ambiance is lively, and the restaurant also boasts a remarkable selection of natural wines.

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Rasmus Palsgård

Food and wine writer – Copenhagen , Denmark

Mexican-Indian love This fusion of Mexican and Indian food takes both cuisines to new heights in the hands of Gaggan Anand and his team. Lively ambience and stunning dishes to share. Wonderful natural wine list.

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Offering a truly Singaporean dining experience, New Ubin Seafood CHIJMES serves up traditional seafood delights, succulent angus steak and heart-warming zi char dishes. The restaurant is known for its Singapore classics like hor fun and chili crab, which are highly recommended by visitors. It's a family-friendly place, where you can enjoy a gastronomic feast in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere.

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Daniel Modlin

Food & Wine Editor – Austin, TX

One of the only non-hawker center restaurants worth a visit. You could easily eat all of your meals in SG in hawker centers. And you should. But if you go to one restaurant, let this be it. Its a family affair, with SG classics: Get the hor fun and the chili crab and you won’t leave dissapointed.

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Samy's Curry Restaurant is well-regarded for its Indian cuisine, with a particular emphasis on their signature fish head curry. The curry, served in a banana leaf, includes various parts of the fish head and is described as a flavor bomb. Originating in the 1960s, this family-run restaurant continues to dish out nostalgic excellence in their menu.

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Dave Pynt

Chef – Singapore, Singapore

The fish head curry at Samy's is one of those incredible things you get to eat in life. The fish head curry at Samy’s Curry on Dempsey Road really exemplifies the Singaporean cuisine, where the locals eat the parts of the animal that are just delicious. The curry comes out in a banana leaf and is absolutely insane. The head has so many different components, like the back of the head, the cheek, where the jawline comes in and the eyeballs if you’re in to it. The fish head with a huge flavour bomb curry sauce is one of those incredible things you get to eat in life.

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This restaurant offers a unique blend of Indian and South Korean street food, created by Mano Thevar and Sun Kim. The menu boasts of incredible flavor profiles, innovative spicing, and clever cooking techniques, promising a fun and casual dining experience. The restaurant is located on Amoy Street and operates from 6pm to 11pm, Tuesday to Saturday.

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Tristin Farmer

Chef – Singapore , SG

Indian & South Korean street food by Mano Thevar & Sun Kim. Incredible flavor profiles, spicing and clever cooking. A’la carte, fun & casual

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Tien Court Restaurant is known for its solid dim sum lunch fare and Chaozhou cuisine served in a charming retro-styled dining hall. Recommendations include the pre-ordered drunken chicken and oyster omelette, alongside a variety of dim sum options. The sea cucumber dish is also highly recommended by visitors.

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Victor Liong

Chef – Melbourne, Australia

Charming dining room delivers solid dim sum lunch fare and Chaozhou cuisine in a retro hotel dining hall Go for lunch, pre order the drunken chicken and oyster omelette (a must have)- order all of the dim sum and the sea cucumber is one of the best

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Offering a variety of sandwiches, Two Men Bagel House Novena is a must-visit for sandwich enthusiasts. The menu is diverse, with each sandwich being unique and well-received. The restaurant also offers coffee and bagels, providing a complete meal for any time of the day.

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Bjorn Shen

Chef – Singapore, Singapore

Best sandwiches in Singapore hands down. These guys are making me broke. I’ve gone thru every sandwich on their menu and there are no duds at all. Everything is on fire.

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Experience the rich and diverse history of Asian cuisine at Violet Oon at ION Orchard, where you can taste classic Peranakan dishes. From the Kuay Pie Tee, a delightful pastry cup filled with a delicious stuffing and topped with shrimp, to the Beef Rendang, a tender dish in a flavorful sauce of kaffir and bay leaves. The restaurant also offers an adventurous dish, Buah Keluak Ayam, a classic Peranakan dish cooked with the pungent buah keluak nut, which is a must-try for adventurous eaters.

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Mimi Lan

Chef/ Consultant/ Foodie – Jacksonville, USA

Classic refined Peranakan cooking Located in the historic City Hall building which houses the National Gallery, National Kitchen by chef Violet Oon let me taste Perenakan food for the first time. Perenakan, or Nyonya cuisine, is a cuisine of the rich and diverse history of the Asian continent (influences by countries such as China, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia, etc.) We started with Kuay Pie Tee, a must, cute little pastry cups with delicious stuffing topped with shrimp. The grilled chicken satay was delicious on its own, but even better when dipped into the sweet & savory peanut sauce. The Beef Rendang was my guest’s favourite dish of the night and the expression on his face certainly made that evident. It really is one of the best dishes in this part of the world and for good reason. The beef rendang was so tender, in a yummy sauce flavoured with kaffir and bay leaves. But the most special dish we ate was something we will never forget: Buah Keluak Ayam, a classic Peranakan dish that was a bit adventurous bc it’s cooked with the pungent buah keluak nut that could be poisonous if not handled correctly. Being an adventurous eater, the story made me more excited to try the dish, and it was delicious, especially eaten with white rice. And enjoyed everything that our friend, a local, ordered for us. Chef Oon is a local celebrity chef, known for her exceptional Perenakan cooking.

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