Often considered to be the food capital of Asia, Singapore has attracted some of the world’s best chefs who have come to set up their award-winning restaurants in the city. A rise in gourmet venues run by leading chefs in recent years has given way to a new style of eating out, which has further raised Singapore’s fine dining profile. Here we compile a list of the 10 best restaurants in Singapore.
[See also: The 10 Best Hotel Suites in Singapore]
Odette
Three-Michelin-starred Odette pays homage to chef Julien Royer’s grandmother who taught him that “the most remarkable dishes can come from the purest ingredients”, serving modern French cuisine guided by chef’s lifelong respect for seasonality, terroir and artisanal producers.
Once the restaurant reopens, guests will have the opportunity to marvel at its interior décor, designed by Sacha Leong, which reflects chef Julien’s culinary philosophy with a soft color palette and a transparent, glass-enclosed kitchen. Guests will also note the restaurant’s art, led by Singaporean artist Dawn ng, with its universe of shapes and forms that float and pirouette from Odette’s ceiling.
Jaan by Kirk Westaway
From the 70th floor of Swissotel The Stamford, where Singapore’s skyline and waterways are mesmerizing, Jaan by Kirk Westaway is one of the most romantic restaurants in Singapore. The Michelin-star restaurant is led by executive chef Kirk Westaway who promises an elegant reinterpretation of British gastronomy with an emphasis on seasonal products and natural flavors, reminiscent of his childhood in England. Guests will find both meat and vegetarian menus with high-quality ingredients along with an extensive wine menu.
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Zén
The restaurant can accommodate 40 diners in a sophisticated interior that features an elegant private dining room and a dining space. Guests will be charmed by the restaurant’s stunning Murano chandelier and enchanting green and blue ceiling panels, in harmony with the colours of Singapore’s Marina Bay.
Shinji
After successfully setting up his first sushi restaurant in Tokyo – which currently holds two Michelin stars –, in 2010 chef Shinji Kanesaka ventured outside of Japan to open his second restaurant, Shinji, in Singapore’s Carlton Hotel. The one-Michelin-starred restaurant pays homage to the core of Japanese culture, art and age-old Japanese culinary traditions through its omakase menu. The minimalist menu selection with high-quality and seasonal ingredients is entrusted entirely to and executed by a team of Japanese artisan chefs.
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After being allocated a Japanese chef from behind a wooden counter, diners will be able to watch the preparation of their meal as it is overseen by master chef Koichiro Oshino. They will enjoy the bright and harmonious interior design of the restaurant, visualized by Japanese interior designer Junzo Irikado as a “delicate yet lively house”, with its intimate 16-seater sushi counter.
Les Amis
Founded in 1994 and located in the heart of the city, the three-Michelin-starred Les Amis restaurant offers contemporary European cuisine and boasts one of the biggest wine cellars in Southeast Asia. Chef Sebastien Lepinoy offers a collection of recipes featuring a plethora of prized seasonal ingredients sourced from all over France which pay homage to French gastronomy.
Les Amis is a charming 76-seat restaurant with patterned carpeting, polished granite floors, chandeliers, and walls partially fashioned from red velvet, which create an environment that is both elegant and comfortable for diners.
Two-Michelin-starred Zén is the sister restaurant to Frantzén in Stockholm. The man behind these restaurants is Swedish chef Bjorn Frantzén, who trained in France and spent time in Japan where he discovered kaiseki, which he described as “the highest form of tasting menu.” Offering delicious neo-Nordic dishes with Japanese influences, Zén’s eight-course tasting menu is carefully curated around local and world-class ingredients.
Diners will find that the culinary experience at Zén is paired with a wonderful exploration of the 1926 shophouse in which the Swedish restaurant is located. Before dinner, guests will be offered an apéritif and amuse-bouche on the first floor. They will then proceed to the second floor to try the tasting menu, delicately prepared by Scottish head chef, Tristin Farmer, and his team. Afterwards, petits fours and coffee will be served in the living room on the top floor.
Shoukouwa
The two-Michelin-starred restaurant offers fresh seafood flown daily from Tokyo’s Toyosu Market. This temple of Edomae sushi will delight guests with the 18-courses Omakase En menu offering cooked dishes and sophisticated sushi. The restaurant prides itself on serving only the best seasonal seafood and produce with minimal cooking and manipulation.
Diners will have the opportunity to eat at one of the exclusive eight counter seats and witness head chef Kazumine Nishida at work. For more privacy, guests can also book a six-seat private room.
In times of Covid-19, the restaurant offers a home-dining experience under the name Shoukouwa@Home. Diners will have the privilege of trying the En Omakase menu and signature dishes such as the Hokkaido hairy crab and Abalone, prepared by chef Nishida and Tori, from the comfort of their home.
[See also: The 11 Best Restaurants in Hong Kong]
