Nice Restaurants in Singapore — 10 Worth Your Money in 2026

Finding a nice restaurants in Singapore isn’t the problem. Finding one that’s actually worth it — the food, the price, the whole evening — that takes more work. This list is 10 places that clear that bar. I’ve kept the descriptions honest. If something’s expensive, I’ll say so. If you need to book three weeks ahead, I’ll say that too.

Akasa is first because it’s the one I’d send a friend to without hesitation. The rest follow in no particular order.

1. Akasa | Indian Restaurant Singapore

79 Robinson Road, #01-03 CapitaSky, Tanjong Pagar

Indian restaurant in Singapore plays it safe. Akasa doesn’t. Chef Akhilesh Pathak runs a kitchen that takes North Indian cooking seriously — Awadhi-style slow cooking, a coal-fired tandoor that actually gets used properly, spices sourced for flavour rather than show.

The Dal-e-Akasa is black lentils cooked for 24 hours. That’s not a marketing line — you can taste the time in it. The Bhatti Ka Jheenga (tandoor prawns with sankeshwari chilli) is the other dish people talk about most. Order the butter chicken if it’s your first visit. It’s the benchmark dish.

What I like about Akasa beyond the food: it genuinely handles vegetarian and vegan diners well. Not a few token dishes — a full menu built around it. The tasting menus (veg and non-veg) are the best way to eat here if you have the appetite and the time.

Good for a romantic dinner, a birthday, a work dinner, or just a proper Tuesday night out when you want something that actually feels considered. The set lunch is the most affordable way to try the kitchen without committing to a full dinner spend.

Price: ~SGD 60–120 dinner / SGD 35–50 set lunch 

Tip: Book a week ahead for weekdays, two weeks for weekends — reservations here

2. Burnt Ends

20 Teck Lim Road, Keong Saik

Wood-fire cooking done seriously. Dave Pynt built four-tonne brick kilns into the restaurant and cooks almost everything over wood and coals. The result is a smokiness you can’t fake.

The beef cuts are the main event. If the David Pynt cut is on the menu that day, order it. The sanger — a pulled pork bun served at lunch — has its own fanbase at this point. Counter seating is available and worth requesting if you want to watch the kitchen.

It fills up constantly. Book early or you won’t get in.

3. Candlenut

Block 17A Dempsey Road

Peranakan food with a Michelin star, out in Dempsey. The buah keluak fried rice has been on the menu since the beginning and earns its place every time. The beef rendang is slow-cooked the way rendang is supposed to be — not a 30-minute shortcut.

The space is relaxed for a restaurant at this level. Good for families. The terrace works well on cooler evenings. Not the most dramatic room in Singapore, but the food doesn’t need the help.

4. Born

1 Neil Road, Jinrikisha Station

Nine courses. A story behind each one. Chef Zor Tan builds his menu around his life — childhood, his years cooking in Malaysia and Singapore, fatherhood. It reads a bit precious on the menu card, but at the table it actually lands.

The 12-seat counter faces the kitchen. The meal runs three hours. At around SGD 270 a head it’s not cheap, but for what it delivers, it’s fair.

Don’t book this for a quick dinner. Book it when you want the full thing. Check the dinner options at Akasa if you want something equally considered but at a lower price point.

5. Thevar

9 Keong Saik Road

Chef Mano Thevar uses Indian flavours as the starting point and goes wherever he wants from there. The sambal roast chicken has become one of those Singapore dishes people specifically travel to Keong Saik for. The wine list is thought through, not just bolted on.

One Michelin star. The room is small. Service is sharp. If you want modern Indian cooking with actual personality, Thevar and Akasa cover opposite ends of the same idea — and both are worth it.

6. Waku Ghin

Marina Bay Sands, 10 Bayfront Avenue

Chef Tetsuya Wakuda’s restaurant inside MBS is one of those places where the format is part of the meal. You move between rooms — aperitifs first, then the main courses, then dessert in a different space. The sea urchin with botan shrimp is the dish people mention years after eating it.

The wine list runs to around 3,000 labels. It’s expensive. For an anniversary or a milestone birthday, it earns it. For a regular Thursday, it’s a stretch.

7. Odette

1 St Andrew’s Road, National Gallery Singapore

Three Michelin stars. Regularly on the Asia’s 50 Best list. Chef Julien Royer does French cooking with Southeast Asian influences woven through — not as a gimmick, genuinely integrated into how the dishes taste.

The milk bread at the start of the meal is one of those things that sounds boring and sticks with you. Booking needs to happen weeks out. Easily the hardest reservation on this list to get.

8. Jaan by Kirk Westaway

Level 70, Swissôtel The Stamford, 2 Stamford Road

Seventy floors up. The view across Singapore at night is the kind of thing that makes the meal feel bigger than it already is. Chef Kirk Westaway’s menu is British-influenced and seasonally driven — he sources a lot from the UK and builds around what’s good that month.

The humble potato dish has been on the menu in various forms for years because people keep ordering it. One Michelin star. Lunch is a slightly easier way to experience the room without the full dinner spend.

9. Kotuwa

30 Victoria Street, Chijmes

Sri Lankan food in a beautiful old building. The most casual restaurant on this list, but the cooking is genuinely good. The soft shell crab curry is the one to order. Hoppers with sambal and pol sambol are a good way to start — order a few to share.

Works well for a group. Chijmes has a decent atmosphere in the evenings. Prices are reasonable compared to everything else here.

10. Iggy’s

Hilton Singapore Orchard, 581 Orchard Road

One of the older names on this list. Iggy’s has been around since 2004 and still earns its place. The menu shifts with what the kitchen is interested in that season — it’s hard to categorise and that’s the point. The capellini with sakura ebi has been a signature for a long time because it’s very good.

The wine programme is one of the best in Singapore. Small room, quiet, no large groups. The kind of place where you actually taste what’s in front of you.

Before You Book — Practical Notes

Booking lead time: Odette and Born need three to four weeks minimum. Waku Ghin is similar. Akasa, Thevar, and Burnt Ends — a week or two ahead for weekends. Kotuwa and Candlenut are easier to get into on shorter notice.

Dress code: Smart casual works everywhere on this list. Nobody is turning you away for not wearing a jacket. But Odette and Waku Ghin are not the places to wear sandals and a t-shirt.

Service charge: Most nice restaurants in Singapore here add 10% service charge automatically. You don’t need to tip extra, though some people do.

Getting there: Akasa, Thevar, and Burnt Ends are all close to Outram Park or Tanjong Pagar MRT. Easy. Odette and Waku Ghin are better reached by Grab. Jaan is near City Hall MRT but you’re going up 70 floors so give yourself time.

If you’re feeding a mixed group — some vegetarians, some not — Akasa’s indian fine dining Singapore full menu covers both properly. And for a work event or corporate dinner, Akasa handles private bookings well.