Locals Recommend These 12 Best Lunch Places in Singapore
In Singapore, lunchtime is a playground for culinary creativity. With its melting pot of cultures, SG eateries often blend diverse culinary traditions to craft innovative and tantalising lunches.
There’s a dizzying array of options, so we’re here to narrow down some of the best lunch places to try in Singapore. Forks out!
Miznon Singapore
Address: 6 Stanley St, #01-01, Singapore 068725 (Google Maps)
Contact: +6590155319
Hours: Monday to Wednesday and Sunday, 11 AM – 10.30 PM; Thursday to Saturday, 11 AM – 11 PM
Price: $$
At the Israeli bistro Miznon, the menu is divided into two sections: eleven different pitas and eight Out Of The Pita dishes. Diners receive complimentary plain pitas and tahini (toasted sesame seed paste) dip to start!
We tried the ABU kebab which featured a delicious blend of lamb beef meatballs and raw vegetable salad with tahini sauce. A healthier alternative is the flavourful ratatouille plate with tahini, chilli, and hard-boiled egg.
Pro-tip: The mezze platter (falafel, veggies, and sides) is generous and perfect for sharing.
Uncle Ho’s Tuckshop
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Address: 100 Pasir Panjang Rd, #01-04 Old Behn Meyer Building, Singapore 118518 (Google Maps)
Contact: +6596245761
Hours: Daily, 11 AM - 8.30 PM
Price: $$
At Uncle Ho’s Tuckshop, the Hanoi bun cha reigns supreme. This Vietnamese dish features grilled pork balls in a sweet and sour sauce served with rice vermicelli and various aromatic herbs.
We didn’t mind that we had this for lunch on a non-rainy day. The warm sauce complements the vermicelli and pickled veggies perfectly and seems refreshing even though it was served hot.
There’s also a pleasingly unique banana flower salad with shredded chicken, toasted peanuts, coriander, mint leaves, beansprouts, fried shallots, and fish sauce.
Pro-tip: Order the house-made plum drink for a refreshing palate cleanser.
Merci Marcel
Address: 390 Orchard Road, 01-03 Palais Renaissance, Singapore 238871 (Google Maps)
Contact: +6567352608
Hours: Sunday to Monday, 8 AM – 11 PM; Tuesday to Saturday, 8 AM – midnight
Price: $$
Merci Marcel is an authentic French restaurant-café located near the Thai Embassy in Orchard. The restaurant features large, open-air arched windows that provide a view of the gardens and allow a pleasant breeze to flow through.
A must-try is the restaurant’s reinterpretation of the signature French dumpling pasta, Ravioles de Royans, filled with cheese and luxurious foie gras.
But we were happy enough to devour the scrambled eggs with truffle paste and aged parmesan, along with a croissant made from 100% French butter. Simple and delicious, just how we like our lunch!
Pro-tip: Have some cappuccino with dark chocolate as a mid-day pick-me-upper.
Whitegrass Restaurant
Address: 30 Victoria St, #01-26/27 CHIJMES, Singapore 187996 (Google Maps)
Contact: +6568370402
Hours: Tuesday to Saturday, noon – 2.30 PM and 6 – 10.30 PM
Price: $$$
For a bit of indulgence, we recommend having lunch at Whitegrass Restaurant. Its renowned head chef, Takuya Yamashita, blends classic French fare with contemporary Japanese cuisine.
He offers a five- or eight-course seasonal tasting menu, starting with cold and hot appetisers, followed by fish, meat, and dessert.
Before delving into the courses, guests are treated to flavorful snacks like compressed oxtail served atop a hollowed-out bone! It’s a unique, luxurious, and tasty experience.
Pro-tip: The chef’s interaction at each table added a memorable touch to the dining experience.
Burnt Ends
Address: 7 Dempsey Rd, #01-02, Singapore 249671 (Google Maps)
Contact: +6562243933
Hours: Tuesday to Wednesday, 6 – 11 PM; Thursday to Saturday, noon – 2.30 PM and 6 – 11 PM
Price: $$$
Though pricey, Burnt Ends has become a go-to for decadent lunches.
Its S$20 Sanger boasts a fluffy brioche bun, pulled pork shoulder, coleslaw, and chipotle aioli. It’s a crowd favourite thanks to its generous size and affordable price.
Burnt End’s masterpiece, the beef marmalade, is an explosion of decadent flavour. Not surprisingly, we were told the beef brisket is smoked and reduced for up to nine hours!
Pro-tip: Opt for a counter seat for the best view of the action.
Cappadocia Turkish & Mediterranean Restaurant
Address: 69 Bussorah St, Singapore 199482 (Google Maps)
Contact: +6596779072
Hours: Daily, 11 AM – 11 PM
Price: $$
Cappadocia Turkish restaurant, located near Arab Street in Singapore, serves authentic Turkish, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern cuisine in a cosy atmosphere.
We went for lunch as a group and were pleasantly surprised by the menu items Meze Tabagi (appetiser platter of small dishes) and Karisik Kebab Maxim (mixed grilled meat platter). Both were generously portioned and could easily satisfy 3–4 people!
Pro-tip: There’s outdoor seating if you want an al fresco lunch.
Restaurant Labyrinth
Address: Raffles Ave., #02 – 23, Singapore 039802 (Google Maps)
Contact: +6562234098
Hours: Wednesday to Thursday, 6.30 – 11 PM; Friday to Sunday, noon – 2.30 PM and 6.30 – 11 PM
Price: $$$
Labyrinth is arguably one of the most expensive restaurants we’ve been to, but we’re here to tell you it’s worth trying even as a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Like a maze, you’ll find yourself turning a food corner and stumbling upon something extraordinary.
This Michelin-starred restaurant’s tasting menu offers a three-hour gourmet lunch experience. Its Singapore chilli crab features sweet crab meat shredded into a glass cup and topped with chilled ice plant leaves.
Yes, it’s a crab-flavoured sorbet of sorts. Surprisingly, the combination of briny crab meat and cold spicy ice cream on warm fried bread is a sensation.
Pro-tip: Enjoy the delightful wine pairing showcasing Asian winemakers.
Restaurant Ibid
Address: 18 N Canal Rd, Singapore 048830 (Google Maps)
Contact: +6591518698
Hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 7 – 11 PM
Price: $$$
Chef Woo Wai Leong, a lawyer turned chef and winner of MasterChef Asia 2015, showcases his East-meets-West cooking style at Ibid.
Fine examples of this inventive fusion include his black grouper. It features a quick-seared smoky, crisp skin over plump fish slivers, served with tofu butter and bright pumpkin.
For the extra-peckish, his duck dish is marinated in a master stock of soy sauce and spices for a week, then roasted and basted to perfection to feature crispy skin and juicy, medium-rare meat.
Pro-tip: Trust the sommelier who can expertly match each dish with carefully selected wines.
Restaurant JAG
Address: 41 Robertson Quay, #02-02 STPI Creative Workshop and Gallery, Singapore 238236 (Google Maps)
Contact: +6568718973
Hours: Tuesday to Thursday, 6 – 10.30 PM; Friday to Saturday, noon – 3 PM, 6 – 10.30 PM
Price: $$
Another Michelin-starred gem in Singapore, Restaurant JAG, offers an unassuming setting reminiscent of family-run European restaurants. Since 2018, it has been renowned for its contemporary French cuisine and vegetarian degustation menus.
With its Discovery Degustation Menu approach, each dish is unique, and tailored to guests’ dietary restrictions and preferences. For instance, its chestnut halibut has been pureed, sliced, shaved, friccaseed, and crumbled for different flavours and textures!
Pro-tip: JAG uses a farm-to-table approach with an emphasis on sustainable ingredients.
Cure
Address: 21 Keong Saik Rd., Singapore 089128 (Google Maps)
Contact: +6593384207
Hours: Wednesday, 6 – 10 PM; Thursday to Saturday, noon – 2 PM and 6 – 10 PM
Price: $$$
Cure, a bistro-inspired establishment by owner-chef Andrew Walsh, offers the Nua Irish cuisine tasting menu. It blends Irish classics with original twists and quality ingredients.
We had the Gallagher Speciale oyster barbequed on bincho (Japanese charcoal) and infused with smoked beef fat for a savoury richness.
It’s enhanced by the brininess of Avruga caviar and the salty butteriness of miso beurre blanc (Japanese-French butter sauce).
Pro-tip: Keep an eye out for creative presentations, like the main menu served in a handmade printed snack box.
Candlenut
Address: 17a Dempsey Rd, Singapore 249676 (Google Maps)
Contact: +6518003042288
Hours: Daily, noon – 3 PM and 6 – 10 PM
Price: $$
Candlenut’s menu blends Chinese and Malay ingredients with local spices and techniques, creating tangy, aromatic, spicy, and herbal dishes. It’s the first Peranakan restaurant to receive a Michelin star.
Local ingredients shine such as the buah keluak (Southeast Asian nut) of its braised chicken, the black nut sambal. The skewered meat comes with a rich sauce that is perfectly paired with steamed white rice.
Pro-tip: Munch on the complimentary fish crackers before starting your lunch.
Les Amis
Address: 1 Scotts Rd, #01 – 16 Shaw Centre, Singapore 228208 (Google Maps)
Contact: +6567332225
Hours: Daily, noon – 2 PM and 7 – 9 PM
Price: $$$
Les Amis offers two tasting menus with five and seven courses or à la carte options. Appetisers are varied with an especially memorable one in the form of a light tarte made from filo dough topped with caramelised onions and mushroom bits.
We had the roasted Challans duck breast with ginger-caramel pear and were amazed by how its strong flavour was balanced by the sweetness of the fruit.
Pro-tip: The upscale ambience and impeccable service here are ideal for special occasions.