Food & Dining in Singapore

Food is Singapore's national obsession. The city-state punches far above its weight in culinary diversity and quality.

Hawker Centres

The heart of Singapore's food culture. Open-air food courts with dozens of stalls:

Why hawker centres are amazing:

Incredible variety—Chinese, Malay, Indian, Western all in one place
Affordable: S$4-8 per meal
Authentic, often family recipes passed down generations
Michelin-starred stalls exist!
Air-conditioned food courts (kopitiams) also available

Top hawker centres:

Maxwell Food Centre: Chinatown, iconic Tian Tian chicken rice
Old Airport Road: Huge, over 160 stalls
Chinatown Complex: Largest, 200+ food stalls
Tiong Bahru Market: Hipster favorites
Lau Pa Sat: Historic, convenient for CBD workers
Chomp Chomp: Evening food paradise

Hawker etiquette:

Reserve seats with tissue packet before ordering (chope-ing)
Return your tray after eating
Some stalls cash only—check before ordering
Queue patiently—long lines often mean good food

Iconic Singapore Dishes

Must-try local food:

Dish	Description	Where to Try
Hainanese Chicken Rice	Poached chicken, fragrant rice	Tian Tian, Maxwell
Laksa	Spicy coconut curry noodle soup	328 Katong Laksa
Char Kway Teow	Wok-fried flat noodles	Hill Street Fried Kway Teow
Chili Crab	Crab in sweet-spicy sauce	Jumbo, Long Beach
Roti Prata	Indian flatbread with curry	Mr and Mrs Mohgan's
Bak Kut Teh	Pork rib herbal soup	Song Fa
Satay	Grilled meat skewers	Lau Pa Sat
Nasi Lemak	Coconut rice with sambal	Adam Road
Kaya Toast	Sweet coconut jam toast	Ya Kun, Killiney Kopitiam
Hokkien Mee	Prawn and pork noodles	Nam Sing

Restaurant Scene

Beyond hawker centres, Singapore has everything:

Casual Dining (S$15-40 per person):

Din Tai Fung: Taiwanese dumplings
Tim Ho Wan: Dim sum
PS.Cafe: Brunch favorite
Salted & Hung: Western
Birds of a Feather: Sichuan

Mid-range (S$40-80 per person):

Burnt Ends: BBQ, must-book
Lolla: Mediterranean
Nouri: Crossroads cuisine
Meta: Modern Korean

Fine Dining (S$150-400+ per person):

Odette: 3 Michelin stars
Les Amis: French fine dining
Zén: 3 Michelin stars
Burnt Ends: 1 Michelin star

Grocery Shopping

Supermarkets:

FairPrice: Local chain, reasonable prices
Cold Storage: Higher-end, Western products
Giant: Budget option
NTUC FairPrice Finest: Premium range
RedMart: Online delivery

Specialty groceries:

Little Farms: Organic, health food
Four Seasons Organic Market: Organic produce
Mustafa Centre: Indian groceries (24 hours!)
Wet markets: Fresh produce, seafood, meat

Monthly grocery budget: S$350-600 for single person

Eating Out Costs

Type	Cost per Person
Hawker centre	S$4-8
Food court	S$6-12
Casual restaurant	S$15-40
Mid-range restaurant	S$40-80
Fine dining	S$150-400+
Coffee (kopitiam)	S$1.50-2.50
Coffee (cafe)	S$5-8
Beer (hawker)	S$6-10
Beer (bar)	S$12-18

Alcohol

Alcohol is heavily taxed in Singapore:

Beer: S$6-10 at hawker/coffee shop, S$12-18 at bars
Wine: S$12-20/glass at restaurants
Cocktails: S$18-30 at bars
No alcohol sales 10:30pm - 7am (retail)

Dietary Accommodations

Vegetarian/Vegan: Increasingly easy. Indian restaurants are great. Modern vegan options expanding.

Halal: Widely available. Many hawker stalls and restaurants are halal-certified. Look for Muis halal certification.

Kosher: Limited but available. Chabad Singapore can advise.

Allergies: Restaurants increasingly aware. Always mention—peanuts and shellfish are common ingredients.

Food Delivery

GrabFood: Most popular
foodpanda: Good coverage
Deliveroo: Premium options

Delivery fees: S$2-6 + possible surge pricing. Platform fees and tips add up—often 30-50% more expensive than eating in.

Pro Tips

•Embrace hawker centres—they're the best food value on earth
•Queue for popular stalls—locals know what's good
•Chope (reserve) your seat with a tissue packet before ordering
•Try the local kopi (coffee)—it's strong and sweet
•Book popular restaurants weeks in advance

Food & Dining