If you are constantly looking for foodie recommendations, the search stops here with all the hottest new restaurant openings in town
We bring you all the latest in new restaurants and bars in Singapore, condensed and served up in tasty bite-sized pieces just for you. From MasterChef Asia winner Woo Wai Leong’s first venture Restaurant Ibid, to hip Keong Saik Road craft brewery The Guild (both Editor’s picks and not to be missed). Then there’s plush trendy spot Madame Fan, wine bistro Winederlust, Asian-inspired tapas eatery Scissor Paper Stove, ethically sustainable cafe The Social Space, cute cafés Clan Cafe and Wakey Wakey and cheap Thai Took Lae Dae.
Check out our gallery for this month’s best new restaurants!
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The Guild is a hot new restaurant and bar on foodie enclave Keong Saik Road, focused on craft beers from Hong Kong’s highest rated and largest independent craft brewery Young Master Brewery. The impressive circular bar takes centre stage here – pull up a stool and the affable bartenders will talk you through the 19 different beers (and a Gin and Tonic!) all on tap from Another One ($8-$16), plus unique limited edition beers like the tart and funky Days of Being Wild brewed with dried cherries ($12-$20).
Not convinced? Try a few first before you make your decision – it’s all part of the unique fun of The Guild. Even if you aren’t into craft beers, it’s worth seeking out this spot just to chow down on the exciting dishes by Co-founder and Executive Chef Vinny Lauria, who is big on sourcing locally – he even gets his oysters ($6 raw/$7 baked) from Pulau Ubin! Starters are on the eclectic side, like Prawn Crudo with fermented black bean sauce ($10) and General Tso’s Frog Legs ($14), while mains err more on the comforting side: Skirt Steak ($32), Momma Alton’s Chicken Noodle Soup ($20) and the unmissable signature Mac n’ Cheese ($18), a creamy al dente pasta topped with house-cured egg yolk – this adult version is what everyone is talking about and for good reason too. Two thumbs up to this newbie – a good one for treating the man in your life to on Father’s Day!
Pssst Happy hour is on til 7pm (where a selection of 450ml beers go for $10) so head on over post work and order a side of Salt and Vinegar fries ($8)! #bestfriesever
The Guild, 55 Keong Saik Road, #01-01, Singapore 089158, Tel: (+65) 6224 1262, www.facebook.com/TheGuildSingapore
MasterChef fans, you are in luck! Now’s your chance to try the food of MasterChef Asia winner, Woo Wai Leong. Restaurant Ibid, housed in a conserved riverside shophouse, is Chef Woo Wai Leong’s first venture showcasing Nanyang-style contemporary Chinese cuisine coupled with Western culinary techniques. The result? Delicious! Interesting dishes on the 4, 6 or 8-course set menu (no a la carte) like bread snack of pan-fried and then grilled Spring Onion Shao Bing stuffed with mozzarella with yeasted butter and laksa oil to a Tea Egg Soubise with Mandarin Pu-erh Broth – the soup part served in a teapot. Other highly recommended dishes include the creamy White Radish Porridge with fried salted egg bamboo shoot and the tender Short Rib with black garlic mash, black fungus and Chinese pear. Add this spot to your date-night lists people; it’s a fun place to experience traditional Chinese ingredients in a novel forward-thinking way.
Restaurant Ibid, 18 N Canal Rd, Singapore 048830, Tel: (+65) 9151 8698 www.restaurantibid.com
The Social Space on Kreta Ayer Road is part café, part retail part nail salon. There’s free Wi-Fi and power points to so you can make this spot your coffice too. The menu is in its infancy so prices and offerings may change, but for now look forward to Toasts and Smoothie Bowls. Open-faced toasts include savoury Avo + Egg ($8/16 for one or two pieces) and Smoked Salmon + Cream Cheese with cucumber ribbons ($10/18) which was our favourite – all served on sourdough bread from Bread & Hearth. For the sweet tooth, toasts of Toasted Banana, Peanut Butter (homemade, no less!), Coconut flakes, sea salt and honey ($7/12), smoothie bowls packed full of fruits and soy or coconut milk as well as a range of cookies an cakes by Flour Power, which employs disadvantaged/disabled people.
What makes this little café so fun and meaningful is the multi-concept space with a communal message of being socially conscious yet real – retail ranges from jewellery to Amba Estate tea, home accessories and even a refill station for fruit enzyme cleaning products so there is zero waste and no packaging if you bring your own bottles to refill! Read all about this side of the Social Space here.
The Social Space, Blk 333 Kreta Ayer Road, #01-14, Singapore 080333, Tel: (+65) 6655 0221, www.THESOCIALSPACE.co
Scissors Paper Stove (not stone!) is a bright, cheerful casual tapas spot serving up mainly European dishes often with an Asian influence. The restaurant is helmed by Chomel Yang and Januver Chow, who also own Fratini La Trattoria in Greenwood Avenue. Tapas are served in cute coloured Tingkats (tiered Chinese lunchboxes) and are reasonably priced (2 for $20, 4 for $36 or 6 for $58 — plus there’s a super cheap lunch deal on from $12).
Must-tries include the deliciously juicy grilled Lamb Kebab ($11) and the Chorizo Sausage ($11) with sauerkraut or the equally tasty and tender Beef Skewers ($11). Fans of pork belly should know there’s slow-roasted Spanish Iberico Pork Belly ($11) an interesting twist on the standard given it is served chilled. If you are not into sharing, plump for a main like the Baby Pork Ribs ($16) or Cartafata ($36) of Thai yellow fried rice served with fresh mixed seafood in a sealed bag. Slurp it down with a cocktail, made with local ingredients such as the Tak Kiu Peng ($12) – a vodka base shake with amaretto, condensed milk and Milo!
Scissors Paper Stove, 9 Teck Chye Terrace, Singapore 545720
Winederlust is a new cellar door concept by Unlisted Collection which has taken over defunct Audace in the quirky Wanderlust Hotel. The casual wine and bistro bar boasts over 300 labels of wines from boutique wineries at affordable prices (from as low as $30 and you can take $10 off the price if you are taking it out!). The menu is trim for food yet prices remain affordable – four starters ($12 – $16), four mains ($18- $24) and a dessert or two. Think Caprese Salad with smoked Tempeh $16 (tastes delicious like bacon!), and Green Pea Espuma with truffle oil ($12) followed by Sous Vide 12hrs pork Belly($20) and Seared Duck Breast with butternut pumpkin, and charred asparagus ($20).
Or there’s a more casual menu from Guacamole and chips ($10) to pastas, risotto and a burger (currently at $15 which includes a glass of wine!). If you’re looking for free flow – head over on the weekend for the boozy Bottomless Wine Buffet at ($48++) where red, white or sparkling wines are freeflow for 2 hours. Add on any of the mains or starters for a measly $10++ each!
Madame Fan is a fine-dining Chinese restaurant with multiple private and VIP rooms helmed by acclaimed London-based restaurateur Alan Yau (the man behind world-famous Hakkasan). Tables are smaller than the usual Chinese placements, making this low lit, plush, striking red and black dining room more of an intimate affair. There are private dining rooms with larger table seatings if needed. It is worth knowing that there is a strict no children under 12 policy here so it’s better suited to families with older kids or for when you’re entertaining guests without kids. Classic dim sum is served here, like Scallop Shumai ($18), Siew Long Bao ($8) and Har Gau ($9) alongside signature dishes of Double Boiled Four Treasure Soup with Sea Cucumber, Fish Maw, Dried Scallop and Crabmeat ($36), Crispy Aromatic Duck, with pancake, baby cucumber, Thai spring onion, ($38/half) and Drunken Crab Rice Noodle with 20 Year-Old Gu Yue Long Shan Rice Wine ($22), Handcut Taiwan noodle, Wind Dried Pork with La La clams ($16) and the standout Pepper Beef, Australian Rib-eye beef, Sarawak black pepper ($46).
Pssst! Click here to find out how you can nab discounts and exclusive Chef’s Specials at Madame Fan with Marriott’s Restaurant Week and Culinary Affair promotions
Madame Fan, 32 Beach Road, The NCO Club, Singapore 189764, Tel: (+65) 68181921, www.madamefan.sg
Clan Cafe is the sleek new lobby lounge-cafe on the ground floor of the four storey members only Straits Clan clubhouse. Thankfully this cafe is open to the public so you can take your laptop and make this your coffice for the day. With its free wifi and executive chicness its the perfect place for business meets that aren’t too stuffy. On the menu – grain bowls ($17-19), sandwiches like the Otah Brioche Sandwich ($16), salads like the Rempah Chicken ($17) and brunch dishes of Eggs Benedict ($19) and Avocado Toast ($17). They are bang on trend with Kombucha ($9) for drinks and Instagrammable granola bowls ($11) to go with your black cold brew ($7). We tried and loved the Kakiage ($15) – a beautiful vegetarian bowl studded with colourful tempura vegetables; purple sweet potato, crispy kale, and a medley of mushrooms on top of grains and served with a teapot of broth. Cakes are made inhouse – there’s the Kueh Salat ($6.90) a traditional Peranakan green and blue cake made with no added colouring (just blue pea flowers and pandan!) and the heavenly three-layer Van Houten dark chocolate sponge cake ($9.80) inspired by Singapore’s beloved Lana Cakes.
Clan Cafe, 31 Bukit Pasoh Road, 089845 Singapore, Tel: 6320 9180, www.straitsclan.com/clan-cafe
Took Lae Dae, one of Bangkok’s most famous 24/7 restaurant chains, has come to Singapore. and the Tai Seng restaurant which means “cheap and good” is where to head to for those Som Tam, Pad Thai and Seafood Tom Yam Soup, all well under $10!
Took Lae Dae, 18 Tai Seng Street, #01-34/35/K9 18 Tai Seng Singapore 539775, Tel: (+65) 62722000, www.facebook.com/TLDSingapore
Fan of coffee shop Stranger’s Reunion and Curious Palette? They’ve just opened up a new cafe in Kampong Glam called Wakey Wakey – a clean cut café with industrial vibes and exposed concrete walls. Huge floor-to-ceiling glass windows let in streams of light at this casual spot that offers a selection of coffees, iced matcha lattes ($7), a few savoury items like smoked tomato soup with cheese toasties ($10.40), and a choice of tiered cakes and waffles aplenty (their Buttermilk Waffles with Vanilla ice-cream and Fresh Fruit at $13 gets good reviews). We hear they will also be introducing ever-popular grain bowls with various customizable toppings soon, too.
Wakey Wakey, The Concourse, 302 Beach Road , #01-04/05, Singapore 199600 , Tel: (+65) 62910227, www.facebook.com/WakeySG