60 Best Restaurants In Singapore For All Budgets And Occasions

What Are the Best Restaurants in Singapore Right Now?

Singapore has more Michelin-starred restaurants per square kilometre than almost any city on earth — and yet the most memorable meals here often happen in a hawker centre at 11pm. Whether you're planning a splurge-worthy anniversary dinner or a casual Saturday lunch with friends, the city's dining scene in 2025 is operating at a level that genuinely rivals Tokyo and Copenhagen. The sheer range — from $4 char kway teow to $400 omakase — is what makes Singapore the most exciting food city in Southeast Asia. Knowing where to point your chopsticks, however, requires insider knowledge, and that's exactly what this guide delivers.

According to the Michelin Guide Singapore 2024, the city now holds over 50 Bib Gourmand awards alongside its starred restaurants — a statistic that underlines just how deep the quality runs at every price point. You don't need a black card to eat brilliantly here. You need a shortlist. Chef Julien Royer of Odette, Chef Han Li Guang of Labyrinth, and restaurateur Loh Lik Peng of Unlisted Collection have collectively reshaped what Singapore dining means to the world — and their restaurants are non-negotiable starting points.

"Singapore's dining scene in 2025 isn't just about Michelin stars — it's about a city that treats every meal, from hawker stall to fine dining, as a cultural statement."

Which Fine Dining Restaurants in Singapore Are Worth the Splurge?

Fine dining in Singapore is worth the splurge when the experience matches the price tag — and at Odette, it almost always does. Chef Julien Royer's three-Michelin-starred French restaurant inside the National Gallery Singapore is the benchmark. The signature Brittany Blue Lobster with fermented black bean and lemongrass broth ($68 as a standalone, or part of the $398 tasting menu) is technically precise dishes you'll eat anywhere in Asia. Book at least six weeks in advance — tables disappear within hours of the reservations window opening.

Labyrinth, helmed by Chef Han Li Guang, takes a different approach: it's one Michelin star, but arguably more emotionally resonant. Han's cooking is a love letter to Singapore's hawker heritage, reinterpreted through a fine dining lens. His Chilli Crab Ice Cream — yes, really — has become one of the city's most talked-about desserts. The eight-course tasting menu runs at $228 per person and is worth every cent for the storytelling alone. If you only do one fine dining meal in Singapore, Labyrinth gives you the most distinctly Singaporean experience of any starred restaurant in the city.

Odette
📍 1 St Andrew's Road, #01-04 National Gallery Singapore, Singapore 178957
📞 +65 6385 0498
⏰ Tue–Sat: Lunch 12pm–1:30pm, Dinner 6:30pm–8:30pm
🗺 View on Google Maps

Labyrinth
📍 8 Raffles Avenue, #02-23 Esplanade Mall, Singapore 039802
📞 +65 6223 4098
⏰ Tue–Sat: Lunch 12pm–2pm, Dinner 6:30pm–9pm
🗺 View on Google Maps

What Should You Order at Singapore's Best Mid-Range Restaurants?

Mid-range dining in Singapore — roughly $40 to $100 per person — is where the city truly shines. You should order the wood-fired whole chicken at Burnt Ends, the dry-aged beef short rib at Butcher Boy, or the XO har cheong gai at Cheek by Jowl for a genuinely outstanding meal without the tasting-menu commitment. These restaurants punch well above their price class and regularly outperform spots that cost three times as much.

Burnt Ends, run by Chef Dave Pynt, is the gold standard of the genre. The custom-built four-tonne, dual-cavity oven that anchors the open kitchen is not a gimmick — it produces a depth of char and smoke that changes how you think about grilled food. The Maison Lehmann egg with caviar ($28) is the dish everyone photographs, but the real order is the beef short rib with pickled mustard seeds ($52). Reservations open monthly and sell out in minutes; walk-ins at the bar counter are your best strategy if you missed the window.

1. Burnt Ends: Beef short rib with pickled mustard seeds ($52) — the definitive dish
2. Butcher Boy: 45-day dry-aged sirloin with chimichurri ($68) — for serious carnivores
3. Cheek by Jowl: XO har cheong gai ($26) — Singapore's best prawn-paste chicken, full stop
4. Cloudstreet: Fermented rice with cured sea trout ($38) — Chef Rishi Naleendra at his most inventive
5. Nouri: Crossroads bread service with seasonal accompaniments ($18) — Chef Ivan Brehm's philosophy in one bite

Burnt Ends
📍 20 Teck Lim Road, Singapore 088391
📞 +65 6224 3933
⏰ Wed–Sat: Lunch 11:45am–2pm, Dinner 6pm–10pm; Tue: Dinner only
🗺 View on Google Maps

Is Singapore's Hawker Scene Still the Best Cheap Eat in Asia?

Singapore's hawker scene is still the best cheap eat in Asia — and it's not particularly close. A full, satisfying meal at a hawker centre routinely costs between $3.50 and $8, and the quality ceiling is astonishing. Hawker Chan on Smith Street, run by Chef Chan Hon Meng — the world's first Michelin-starred hawker — serves his legendary soy sauce chicken rice at $3.80 a plate. The queue at peak lunch hour runs 45 minutes, and it is worth every minute of it.

Beyond the famous names, Maxwell Food Centre remains the most reliable all-rounder for hawker dining. Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice (stall #01-10) draws the longest queues, but the real insider move is heading to the popiah stall at the far end for a $2.50 fresh roll that most tourists never find. Singapore's hawker culture was inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2020 — a recognition that cemented what locals already knew: this is living culinary history. Don't treat it as a budget fallback; treat it as a destination in its own right.

Maxwell Food Centre
📍 1 Kadayanallur Street, Singapore 069184
⏰ Most stalls open daily 8am–9pm (individual stall hours vary)
🗺 View on Google Maps

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best restaurant in Singapore for a special occasion?

Odette at the National Gallery is widely considered Singapore's best restaurant for special occasions, offering a three-Michelin-starred French tasting menu from $398 per person in a stunning heritage setting.

How much does a meal at a hawker centre in Singapore cost?

A full hawker centre meal in Singapore typically costs between $3.50 and $8 per person, making it affordable quality dining options in any major city globally.

Is Burnt Ends Singapore worth the hype?

Yes — Burnt Ends consistently delivers one of Singapore's best mid-range dining experiences. Chef Dave Pynt's wood-fired cooking is genuinely distinctive, and the beef short rib alone justifies the booking effort.

What is the best area in Singapore for restaurant-hopping?

Tanjong Pagar and Keong Saik Road offer the densest concentration of quality restaurants across all price points, from hawker stalls to Michelin-starred spots, within a ten-minute walking radius.

How far in advance should I book fine dining restaurants in Singapore?

For top-tier restaurants like Odette and Labyrinth, book four to six weeks in advance. Burnt Ends releases reservations monthly and sells out within hours — set a calendar reminder for the first of each month.