What to Eat When You’re in Singapore

For the foodie, exploring a new place isn’t just an experience you can see, hear and touch, it’s an experience you can taste. It’s the sort of thing you employ all of your senses to enjoy – even if you’re just using them to hunt down the nearest restaurant!

If you’re landing in Singapore though, you’re in for a treat, because the city-state nation is a riot of culinary experiences, covering everything from traditional Singaporean rustic dining to outrageously refined, colorful desserts. Food is so loved in Singapore that it’s actually a national pastime.

We think that Singapore’s dining is worth making the trip, and that’s without getting into the world-class culture, nightlife and architecture on offer within the country. However, today we’re going to focus on the food and bring you a handful of dining options for those indecisive souls with hungry bellies. Here’s what to eat whilst you’re in Singapore:

Local Cuisine

Singapore boasts an extremely multicultural population made up of ethnic Chinese, Indians, and Malays joined by Thais and many westerners, but it’s the traditional local food that you can’t afford to miss when you’re in the country.

Consisting primarily of rice and meat dishes but with a huge variety of flavors on show, Singaporean dining is a communal, open and, often, very affordable way to spend an hour or two. For a perfect introduction to Singaporean cuisine, we can’t think of a better first stop than the Old Airport Rd Food Centre, a pretention-free spot with cold beer and ultra-fresh and tasty local meals for low prices.

For a more upscale experience, why not try the National Kitchen by Violet Oon. Situated in astonishing décor and offering total refinement of some Singaporean dining classics, it’s a fine choice – it’s just a shame they don’t deliver.

Thai Food

Travelling to Singapore to eat Thai food? It’s not as crazy as it sounds. As noted here, Singapore is home to hundreds of Thai restaurants, largely started and staffed by Thai people who have settled in the country, marrying the iconic flavors of their birth country to the effortless dining culture of their adopted nation, with dishes like pad Thai becoming a staple.

In fact, Singapore’s Thai food is regularly ranked as the best outside of its home nation, so checking it out whilst you’re there is highly recommended. There are dozens of cheap Thai food joints found dotted throughout Singapore, but if you were pushing us for a favourite? Well, Sawadee might just have to take the crown (and don’t miss the olive rice!)

Desserts

Singapore has a sweet tooth, and it doesn’t take long to find that out. Bakeries are a common sight and dedicated dessert parlors can be found all over the place, mixing in traditional Singaporean flavors with western desserts and local treats to create amazing experiences.

In fact, Singapore’s café culture outstrips all of its neighboring nations, so whenever you find yourself hankering for something sweet, you’ll find a local spot nearby with something for you. It’s a fact that often surprises, but we’d never recommend leaving Singapore without digging into something filled with cream and wrapped in sweet, flaky pastry.