Dempsey Hill's Restaurant Renaissance: Every New Opening Tracked

Dempsey's 2026 Transformation

Once known as Singapore's laid‑back colonial‑era dining enclave, Dempsey Hill has undergone a rapid‑fire restaurant renaissance in Q1 2026. Twelve new venues have opened between January and March, pushing total F&B outlets to 48—a 33% increase from end‑2025. The catalyst was the completion of the “Dempsey Connect” covered walkway linking the cluster to the Botanic Gardens MRT station, which boosted weekend footfall by 40% year‑on‑year. Now the area is drawing a younger, higher‑spending crowd: average diner age has dropped from 48 to 36, and average spend per head has risen from S$85 to S$112.

New Openings & Concepts

The new arrivals are decidedly upmarket. Mercury (replacing the old PS.Cafe) is a S$4.2‑million investment by the same group behind Odette, offering a 12‑course tasting menu at S$298. Banyan Supper Club has taken over the former Cluny Court space, operating as a members‑only supper club with a S$15,000 annual fee. Other notable openings include Kappo‑style sushi bar Shun (12 seats, omakase from S$380), modern Indian restaurant Rasa (helmed by a chef from London's Gymkhana), and natural‑wine bar Vigneron with 200 labels exclusively from female‑owned vineyards. The diversity reflects a deliberate curation by landlord SLA to avoid cluster saturation.

The Numbers

• New restaurant openings Q1 2026: 12 (total outlets now 48)
• Footfall increase year‑on‑year: +40% (weekends)
• Average spend per head: S$112 (up from S$85 in 2025)
• PSF rents for new leases: S$18–S$25 (up 22% from 2025)
• Most expensive tasting menu: S$298 (Mercury)
• Cheapest new entree: S$38 (Vigneron's bar bites)
• Seat capacity increase: +420 seats (total now 2,150)
• Average diner age: 36 (down from 48)
• Projected 2026 F&B revenue for Dempsey: S$180 million (up 35%)

Rental Impact

The rental surge is reshaping tenant mix. Legacy tenants like Jones the Grocer and Huber's Bistro have seen rents jump from S$12‑S$14 psf to S$18‑S$22 psf upon lease renewal, forcing some to downsize or incorporate higher‑margin concepts. New leases now include a “curation clause” requiring landlord approval of menu and pricing—a first for Singapore's F&B scene. Despite the increases, vacancy remains near zero, with a waiting list of 18 operators. Analysts predict Dempsey's psf rents could reach S$30 by end‑2027 if footfall growth sustains, potentially pushing out mid‑tier brands and cementing the area as Singapore's premier luxury dining destination.