10 Great Restaurants in Chinatown Singapore
Where to Eat in Chinatown Singapore and What to Try?
Chinatown Singapore has an excellent variety of great restaurants, ranging from outdoor diners where you can sample some of the city’s best street food to places that frequently make lists of the world’s very best restaurants. Whether you’re looking to spend a couple of dollars or a few hundred, there’s something for every price point.
Chinatown Singapore also offers a wonderful atmosphere. The pace here is slightly slower than the rest of the city and the charming shophouses are home to some of the best restaurants in the city. Popular with visitors and locals, the area is always busy around dinner time. Dining in Singapore’s Chinatown can be an adventure on its own.
1. Maxwell Food Centre
A culinary haven with a long history
Good for: Food, History
One of the oldest hawker centers in Singapore, Maxwell Food Centre stands at the corner of South Bridge Road and Maxwell Road. Picking a dish here can be difficult; there are over 100 stalls and everything looks so tempting, so it’s best to turn up hungry.
The locals flock here for some of the best hawker food in town, such as chicken rice, tapioca pastries, meat fritters, and pork porridge. The Tian Tian Chicken Rice is said to be one of the best versions of this Hainanese favorite in the city. Be prepared for long queues at lunchtime, or arrive outside peak hours if you can. Read more
Location: 1 Kadayanallur St, Singapore 069184
Open: Daily from 8 am to 10 pm
Phone: +65 6225 5632
Maxwell Food Centre
2. L’Entrecôte
Parisian charm in Chinatown
Good for: Couples, Food
If you fancy steak and fries the Parisian way, then L’Entrecôte is a great choice. Located in a small shop house, the thin restaurant has a bistro feel to it with gray polished floors and a line of tables and chairs along one side.
The steak and fries come with a traditional walnut salad, but the rest of the menu is also full of time-honored French dishes including foie gras, snails, and a fabulous dark chocolate mousse to finish the meal. You can make reservations by calling the restaurant directly, sending them an email, or through third party reservations platforms.
Location: 36 Duxton Hill, Singapore 089614
Open: Daily from noon to 10.30 pm
Phone: +65 6690 7561
L'Entrecôte
3. Chinatown Food Street
A street lined with cozy stalls and glowing lanterns
Good for: Budget, Food
Closed to traffic at dusk, Chinatown Food Street, or Smith Street, takes on a gregarious personality to the delight of visitors. Traditional Chinese lanterns adorn the streets, and the busy area has a genuine buzz to it thanks to the crowds who come for supper, sitting on the small plastic stools that line the road.
Navigate your way through more than a dozen stalls under iridescent neon lights and take your pick of popular street favorites. There’s plenty to pick from fresh seafood, wok-fried noodles, crispy duck, and steamed dim sum. Not only is the food extremely tasty but the prices are extremely affordable, so you can try a bit of everything. Read more
Location: 41 Smith St, Singapore 058953
Open: Daily from 11 am to 11 pm
Chinatown Food Street
4. Ya Kun Kaya Toast
Starting your day the Singaporean way
Good for: Families, Food
Ya Kun Kaya Toast is a popular franchise in Singapore, serving one of the most popular breakfasts in this thriving city-state. A typical serving consists of thick toast with kaya jam (a mix of sugar, coconut milk and butter) liberally applied, with some soft-boiled eggs on the side, which you are expected to crack into a bowl and then dunk the toast into.
At the China Street branch of Ya Kun Kaya Toast, you’ll find yourself amidst friendly locals, enjoying their morning fix of kaya toast and strong tea or coffee.
Location: 18 China St, #01-01, Singapore 049560
Open: Monday–Friday from 7.30 am to 5 pm, Saturday–Sunday from 7.30 am to 3 pm
Phone: +65 6438 3638
Ya Kun Kaya Toast
5. Yixing Xuan Teahouse
Authentic Chinese tea and timeless traditions
Good for: Food, History
Yixing Xuan Teahouse sits behind one of the picturesque old-fashioned shop-house fronts in the heart of Chinatown, offering some of the finest Chinese tea. It also offers appreciation classes to those who want a taste of days gone by. Staff members are welcoming and will give you a much deeper understanding of the history and culture of tea drinking and its ceremonies.
The small restaurant alongside the tea room makes great dim sum and a decent variety of Chinese dishes. Be sure to try their house tea, “Beauty of the East” which is fresh and light. You can also admire pictures of Queen Elizabeth whilst you dine. She made a stop here in 1991 on her state visit.
Location: 78 Tg Pagar Rd, Singapore 088499
Open: Monday–Thursday from 10 am to 8 pm, Friday–Saturday from 10 am to 9.30 pm, Sunday from 10 am to 7 pm
Phone: +65 6224 6961
Yixing Xuan Teahouse
6. Jing Hua Xiao Chi
Famous for its delicious dumplings
Good for: Budget, Food
Jing Hua Xiao Chi is an unpretentious eatery that has become a beloved spot for locals and visitors alike, offering a fantastic selection of noodles and dumplings at down-to-earth prices. Despite its modest appearance, this place boasts a short but impressive menu filled with mouthwatering dishes. Highlights include xiao long bao (steamed dumplings with soup), gyoza, and the red bean paste pancake.
The dumplings are made from scratch, ensuring freshness and authentic flavor in every bite. you’re looking for a no-fuss dining experience that delivers on taste and value, Jing Hua Xiao Chi is the place to be.
Location: 21/23 Neil Rd, Singapore 088814
Open: Tuesday–Sunday from 11.30 am to 3 pm and from 5.30 to 9.30 pm (closed on Mondays)
Phone: +65 6221 3060
Jing Hua Xiao Chi
7. Yum Cha
Dim sum dishes and more
Good for: Families, Food
For a delightful all-day dining experience in the heart of Chinatown, Yum Cha is the place to be. Situated on the second level of an old shophouse, Yum Cha, which means “drink tea,” offers the quintessential Chinatown dining experience.
This charming restaurant is renowned for its dim sum dishes, which are also served in a daily high tea buffet that attracts food lovers from all over. Besides dim sum, the menu features delicious specials like fried beef noodles, champagne pork ribs, and spicy lamb rack.
Location: 20 Trengganu St, #02-01, Singapore 058479
Open: Tuesday–Friday from 10.30 am to 9 pm, Saturday–Sunday from 9 am to 9 pm (closed on Mondays)
Phone: +65 6372 1717
Yum Cha
8. Tiong Bahru Market
A popular breakfast and lunch spot
Good for: Families, Food
Tiong Bahru Market is famous for being one of the best hawker centers in Singapore for breakfast and brunch. Some of the stalls here open as early as 7 am and close quite early too, meaning it’s the ideal spot for your first meal of the day.
That said, you might want to wait until lunch time to indulge in the best of what Tiong Bahru has to offer as it’s mostly meat based. Go for the roasted duck, pork ribs with noodles, or boiled pork leg, or stick with a simple Hainanese chicken over rice and you can’t go wrong. Prices are delightfully cheap too.
Location: 30 Seng Poh Rd, Singapore 168898
Tiong Bahru Market
9. Duxton Hill
An area with trendy eateries and village charm
Good for: Food, Nightlife
The rebirth of Duxton Hill has created a new foodie street in Chinatown. New restaurants have opened in quaint shop houses and cool bars keep springing up in a neighborhood whose reputation used to be far from squeaky clean. It’s now a real pleasure to walk around Duxton Hill, down tree-lined lanes where you will also find independent boutiques and quirky cafes.
Despite being so popular, it really has a village feel to it and makes a great place for a night out. Head up the hill to the end of the road; this area is cobbled and car-free. The restaurants here include an Italian trattoria, seafood specialist, and French steakhouse, and many of the restaurants have outdoor seating.
Duxton Hill
10. Latteria Mozzarella Bar
Savoring Italy’s best mozzarella
Good for: Food, Nightlife
Latteria Mozzarella Bar boasts 11 varieties of Italy’s favorite soft cheese incorporated into its delightfully Mediterranean menu with not a pizza in sight. With space to dine both inside and out, this sunshine yellow restaurant is a real taste of Tuscany in the middle of Chinatown.
The menu includes southern style dishes, including the homemade gnocchi with fresh pesto and poached calamari salad, but the highlights are definitely the dishes that incorporate the restaurant’s namesake, where you can really appreciate the subtle flavors of creamy mozzarella.
Location: 40 Duxton Hill, Singapore 089618
Open: Sunday–Friday from noon to 2.30 pm and from 6 pm to 10.30 pm, Saturday from noon to 5 pm and from 6 pm to 10.30 pm
Phone: +65 6025 6025
Latteria Mozzarella Bar
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