There’s always a new restaurant in Singapore to check out. With over 3,000 new restaurants in Singapore opening every year (that’s more than 8 a day), you could eat at a different restaurant every single meal and not get bored.
But of course, even the most iron-bellied of us would struggle to eat at 8 new restaurants in Singapore every single day. That’s why we’ve whittled down the best of the best for your next meal out. Round up your squad and start making those reservations!
01 • Scarpetta
Ever since Scarpetta’s launch earlier this year, the pasta joint has seen a constant stream of hungry diners. Those who brave the long queues are treated to the restaurant’s lively interior the second they enter. It’s based closely on the owner’s time working in various pasta bars throughout London. Industrial lighting and modern Italian decor give diners a good view of the open kitchen, where Scarpetta’s handmade pasta is prepared.
This new restaurant in Singapore offers 6 types of pasta to choose from, from more conventional picks like the Bolognese Ravioli ($24) to specialities such as the Al Granchio e Limone ($26). Despite its unfamiliarity, the latter makes a great crowd-pleaser due to the Taglioni’s textural resemblance to bee hoon, as well as the umami punch of the blue swimmer crab. Accentuated by a dash of lemon zest, every bite of the Al Granchio is a one-way ticket to flavourtown.
For sides, go for the Charred Bone Marrow ($14), which coats the mouth with buttery flavour in a single bite and packs a tonne of punch in a tiny package. Other highlights include Gelato con Olio made with Hokkaido milk and drizzled with Umbrian Olive Oil ($6), the coffee-rich Tiramisu ($11), and the restaurant’s sole non-Italian offering, auction-grade Uni (sea urchin).
📍 Address: 47 Amoy Street, Singapore 069873
⏰ Opening hours: Tue to Wed, 11:30am – 2:30pm, 6pm – 10:30pm | Thu, 11:30am – 2:30pm, 6pm – 11pm | Fri and Sat, 11:30am – 2:30pm, 6pm – 11:30pm
🍴 Halal status: Not halal
🌐 Website: instagram.com/scarpetta.sg
02 • Sushi Muni
With just 10 seats and an intimate and minimally decorated interior, you’d be forgiven for believing Sushi Muni to be a posh new restaurant. But from $68 for lunch, this new restaurant in Singapore is one of the best places to be if you’re looking for wallet-friendly omakase.
Sushi Muni’s claim to fame is the use of its Edomae wet-aging technique, in which their fish, after gutting and cleaning, are sealed inside a plastic bag for anywhere between 3 to 10 days. This technique allows their seafood to ferment, bringing forward its natural raw flavour to the tongue.
The lunch set is where you’ll be treated to a Salad, Chawanmushi, Soumen, 7-course Sushi, Tamagoyaki and Dessert. The head chef’s affable personality is the real highlight here, as he’s more than happy to break down the meticulous process that goes into every bite that enters your mouth. From Wasabi grated on sharkskin to a 3-day-long Kombu-Jive marination process to get the most umami flavour out of their Sayori Fish, it’s clear that this new restaurant in Singapore spares no expense, even at their most affordable.
At $168 for dinner, your meal gets expanded into a 16-course marathon of meticulously prepared seafood. The extra scratch is worth it for the amuse-brioche alone, a tart filled with fatty tuna with a surprisingly complex flavour, owing to dashes of Kombu, Bonito, and Umadashi Jelly. Every course here is a real eye-opener, and your tongue will be doing flips as it goes from bites of milk-aged Ankimo (monkfish liver) to a fancy’d up Wagyu Shabu Shabu, to Sushi Muni’s speciality House Roll.
If you’re hungry for more, be sure to check out our list of Singapore’s best Japanese food!
📍 Address: 10 Anson Road, #02-28 International Plaza, Singapore 079903
⏰ Opening hours: Mon, 6pm – 10pm | Tues to Sat, 12pm – 2:30pm, 6pm – 10pm
📞 Contact: 8492 6387
🍴 Halal status: Halal
🌐 Website: instagram.com/sushi.muni
03 • Vino Tinto
Bathed in golden light and smack-dab in the middle of the CBD, Vino Tinto calls out like a siren to all whose yearning can be summed up in 3 words: authentic Spanish tapas. Starting from just $6 and spanning no less than 30 options inspired by all of Spain’s corners, there’s a lot to love here.
Tapas dishes are made for sharing, so this new restaurant in Singapore has something for everyone. Familiar bites include a Seafood Omelette ($22) and a fleshy Spanish Artichoke ($12), while dishes like the Tinto Bikini Sandwich ($18) are sure to give pause to anyone speed-reading the menu. Good things come with Smoked Chilli Mayo, which is why you also can’t miss the tender Pulpo A La Brasa ($28).
But don’t get caught up in this new Singapore restaurant’s tapas selection, lest you miss out on the mains. Spanish classics include Chicken Paella ($28) and Pescado Seabass ($32), but the more adventurous amongst us can try the Fideua De Cerdo & Padrones ($32). This slightly sweet dish works as a noodly version of Paella and is tossed in Iberico Pork and Chestnuts, making it a great, earthy tummy-filler.
📍 Address: 1 Raffles Quay, Unit, #01-10 South Tower, 048583
⏰ Opening hours: 10am – 2:30pm, 3pm – 5pm, 6pm – 9:30pm daily
📞 Contact: 8228 0750
🍴 Halal status: Not halal
🌐 Website: vinotinto.sg
04 • Modu
Today, my boss complained about his parents not liking Korean food. So here’s hoping that he’ll be able to change their minds after learning about this new restaurant in Singapore. This one’s for you, bossman!
Straying away from the well-trodden ground of KBBQ and Ramyeon, Modu is the first and newest restaurant in Singapore specialising in Samgyetang, Korea’s take on Ginseng Chicken Soup.
Modu’s salt cave-esque interior and ornate wooden benches vaguely recall an upscale spa. It’s an especially inspired choice when everything they serve at this new restaurant is as good for your body as it tastes on your tongue. Many of Modu’s healthy soup stocks are new to restaurants in Singapore, such as the Perilla Seed Samgyetang ($38), the Black Sesame Samgyetang ($38), and the Hangover Samgyetang ($38). The latter is made out of a Secret Spicy Sauce and topped with Jujubes, making it an invigorating pick even if you didn’t go completely wild the last night.
Another highlight of this new restaurant in Singapore is its liberal use of Minari, a herb known for its liver detoxification and digestion-aiding properties. Minari features prominently in Modu’s MiNaRi Watersnail Salad ($18), but a MiNaRi Pancake ($18) is also available for those who’d rather keep their meals mollusc-free.
📍 Address: 333A Orchard Road, #02-37 Mandarin Gallery, Singapore 238897
⏰ Opening hours: Mon to Fri, 11am – 3pm, 5pm – 10pm | Sat to Sun, 11am – 10pm
📞 Contact: 8035 8833
🍴 Halal status: Not halal
🌐 Website: modu.sg
05 • Chen’s Kitchen (halal)
While it isn’t every day that you get the chance to eat Michelin-starred food, this new restaurant in Singapore makes it just a little easier to get your fix of critic-approved cuisine. Started by Chen Kentaro of the single-Michelin-starred Shisen Hanten, Chen’s Kitchen is the chef’s foray into family-friendly, casual dining, complete with booth seats and the works.
Like any good Chinese diner, there’s a wide selection available at this new restaurant in Singapore, whether you’re hankering for Szechwan Spiced Chahan ($13.90) or Chen’s take on Shumai ($9.90). If you’re with a large group, make sure not to miss the XXL Szechwan La Zi Ji ($17.90), which is a healthier, shrimpy take on popcorn chicken that’s bountiful enough for the whole family.
Food snobs needn’t turn up their noses at Chen’s, too. The Red ($16.90) is the very same Mapo Tofu dish that’s given sister restaurant Shisen Hanten its Michelin star for 4 years and counting. Yes, it’s still made with Bean Paste sourced from Chengdu. And yes, it’s still got the Szechuan Peppers.
If you’re looking for wilder takes on the dish, the Mapo Tofu also comes in Hokkaido-Scalloped White ($28.90) and Jade ($21.90) with plant-based meat.
📍 Address: 290 Orchard Road, B1-43 Paragon, Singapore 238859
⏰ Opening hours: 11am – 9:30pm daily
📞 Contact: 9128 6829
🍴 Halal status: Halal
🌐 Website: chens.sg
06 • Casa Cicheti
No one does homeliness like the Italians. At this new restaurant in Singapore, shelves of fruit and wine line its interior, the decor isn’t especially fussy, and the open kitchen offers a closer look at their wood-fired oven. All this to say that it’s hard not to hear this new restaurant in Singapore calling your name the second your eyes catch its wine cellar-like facade.
Despite the casual atmosphere, there’s one thing the folks at Casa Cicheti don’t play about — and it’s making inviting Italian food that’ll keep you coming back for more. You won’t win any prizes for guessing that the star of the show at a new Italian restaurant with a wood-fired oven is probably going to be its pizzas. But what you’ll be pleasantly surprised by is their unique style of ‘za, combining the thin, crunchy crisps of Roman pizza with the deep, always-chic flavours of a good Neopolitan.
This new restaurant in Singapore’s pizzas come in 10 shades, ranging from simple Classic Marinaras ($23) to more elaborate Prosciuttos ($29) and Diavolas ($29). But what really sets this new restaurant in Singapore apart is the Cinque Formaggi ($29), a delightfully sinful ring of five premium cheeses: fior di latte, grana padano, gorgonzola, fontina, and mascarpone.
If your taste in Italian food leans less circular, Casa Cicheti also has you covered. The menu at this new restaurant in Singapore comprises Branzino Seabass ($36), Burratina ($25), as well as a healthy selection of pasta — Rigatoni alla Vodka ($29), Sagne ($28), and a Squid Ink Spaghetti ($29).
📍 Address: 78 Guan Chuan Street, #01-41, Singapore 160078
⏰ Opening hours: Tues to Sun, 12pm – 2:30pm, 6pm – 10:30pm
📞 Contact: 8479 0060
🍴 Halal status: Not halal
🌐 Website: casacicheti.com
07 • Bon Broth
In an era of Haidilaos and Beauties In The Pot, this new restaurant in Singapore is perfect for those looking for a novel, premium approach to the hot pot experience. Bon Broth’s mission statement makes itself clear the second you step into its halls, which look kinda like if Daft Punk (R.I.P.) owned a bar. But don’t get intimidated by the tables that look like UFOs and moderately aggressive strip lighting, because the journey truly begins when you approach your countertop and chat up the broth sommelier. That’s right, a broth sommelier.
Starting from $110, you’ll be talked through the flavour profiles of 8 different soup broths so that you can make your decision. The broths start out light with Sauerkraut, before increasing in richness, culminating in a Mala broth that’s so thick you can almost chew on it.
From here on out, the experience starts to more closely resemble a standard hot pot restaurant. However, you’ll still feel like a celebrity as you load up your pot with primo ingredients like MB3 Wagyu Beef Short Ribs, Hokkaido Scallop, and Duroc Pork Collar. Upgrade to the premium $138 set for an even more souped-up ingredient set, including Kagoshima A4 Wagyu Sirloin, South African Abalone, and Duroc Pork Neck that’s well-marbled and soft to the teeth without being too porky.
📍 Address: 252 North Bridge Road, #03-01, Singapore 179103
⏰ Opening hours: 11am – 8pm daily
📞 Contact: 8380 7434
🍴 Halal status: Not halal
🌐 Website: instagram.com/bonbroth.sg
08 • Magpie
Kurt Wagner is the mind behind popular African restaurants Kafe Utu and Tamba. Not content with just Africa, Magpie is his move to expand his culinary repertoire to the world with what he calls “borderless soul food”.
The cuisine at this new restaurant in Singapore draws from the travels of Kurt and head chef Eliot Thomas, eating and cooking their way through the globe. So it’s no surprise that the flavours here are bold and inventive.
Whether you’re feasting on Crispy Langit Rice ($16) or Market Haul Aguachile ($26), the food hits the sweet spot of “familiar, yet different”. But if you really want to challenge yourself, start your meal with a Grilled Squid Melon Chaat Salad ($25). It’s a combination we’ve never encountered before, resulting in a plate full of contrasting tangy and savoury flavours. Take your time with this one — the moment you think you’ve tasted all this dish has to offer, its subtler tamarind flavours reveal themselves.
📍 Address: 57 Eng Hoon Street, #01-88, Singapore 160057
⏰ Opening hours: Wed to Thurs, 5:30pm – 9:30pm | Fri to Sat, 12pm – 2:30pm, 5:30pm – 9:30pm | Sun, 12pm – 3:30pm
🍴 Halal status: Not halal
🌐 Website: magpie.city
09 • Sushi Zushi
Beyond having a venerable earworm of a title, this new restaurant in Singapore might just be the ultimate place to be for anyone whose 3 favourite words are “value for money”. And with fresh sushi starting from just $2 apiece prepared at an open omakase-style counter, this is one affordable new restaurant in Singapore that even the most deal-agnostic diners will have to check out.
The sushi here is made from Hokkaido Sansanmaru Rice, renowned for its softness. The rice is then beaten by hand twice daily for extra fluffiness and mixed with red vinegar from Tokyo, giving it a unique brown hue. The result? Sushi that’s delicate in the hand and sweet in the mouth.
There’s a ton of variety in this new restaurant’s menu too, owing to its regular shipments of fresh seafood from Japan’s Toyosu Fish Market. If you’re especially lucky, you’ll be able to catch sight of your loyal chefs slicing off the Engawa Seabass Fin ($6) and Tuna Tataki ($7) straight from the fish, too!
The handrolls here are no slouch, either. Sushi Zushi’s temaki selection spans 19 different types of rolls, which include affordable bites like the California Roll ($4.50), Spicy Tuna Roll ($4.50), and Salmon Roll ($4.50). But for $20, you can splash out for an Uni Ikura Roll, where the fishy creaminess of the seafood, the seaweed’s crunchiness, and the sweetness of the rice combine to create a medley hypnotic enough to turn anyone into a true believer.
📍 Address: 252 North Bridge Road, #03-01, Singapore 179103
⏰ Opening hours: 11:30am – 4pm, 5:30pm – 9:30pm daily
🍴 Halal status: Not halal
🌐 Website: instagram.com/sushizushisg
10 • Nampla
When you’re able to expand your restaurant just 2 months after opening your doors, you know you’re doing something right. Nampla plucks its cuisine straight from the city of Nakhon Si Thammarat in Southern Thailand to bring you a cuisine that’s unique, even amongst Thai restaurants in Singapore. This approach seems to have paid off, as this new restaurant is still seeing regular queues of over 30 minutes.
If you’ve had the pleasure of eating street food in Thailand, you’ll know that fried rice there simply hits different. Through a mysterious blend of fish and soy sauces, Nampla has faithfully recreated the flavours of Thailand’s vibrant culture in their Khao Phad Rodfai ($9.90), prepared over 4 hours. This dish has an earthier taste than regular fried rice, lending it a richer flavour that’s worth the wait.
Even the more conventional Thai dishes here pack a bit of that extra-special Nampla punch. The Tom Yum Goong ($28) comes with a whopping 10 Tiger Prawns, giving you plenty of time to savour the restaurant’s secret, extra-savoury blend of Tom Yum as it seeps into the soft flesh of the prawn. Bring friends so you can split a plate of super-sinful Moo Ping ($8) without feeling too guilty.
📍 Address: 83 Marine Parade Central, #01-590, Singapore 440083
⏰ Opening hours: 11am – 3pm, 4:30pm – 9:30pm daily
📞 Contact: 9643 0912
🍴 Halal status: Not halal
🌐 Website: instagram.com/nampla.sg
(Featured picture: The Robb Report)
