Why go: No visit to Singapore is complete without a visit to this grande dame hotel (opened in 1887, and Anne-Sophie Pic’s restaurant is a great choice for having that experience. The dining room is beautiful and packed with feminine charm, while her food boasts creativity and complexity in equal measure.
What to order: Seabream from Kumamoto with Oscietra caviar (a lunchtime dish) or wild turbot and Melanosporum black truffle. Roast pigeon, wagyu beef or a variety of pretty-as-a-picture salads. Signature berlingots are a particularly Pic signature. Complimentary corkage on your BYO when they purchase a bottle off the restaurant’s list is a noteworthy and clever promotion!
Where to find it: Raffles Singapore, 1 Beach Road, 189673
Why go: Wolfgang Puck’s meat-loving empire is a global affair, marked out by glammed-up settings and sophisticated but friendly service. Beef is the thing but there’s seafood too, and the cocktails and wine list are no oversight.
What to order: Fabulously charred cuts of beef of all sizes, ages and provenances with exceptional rib eye, filet and wagyu taking centre stage. Start with steak tartare, crab cakes, or retro prawn cocktail. Or bone marrow flan for the more adventurous.
Where to find it: The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, 2 Bayfront Avenue, 018972
Why go: Chef Sebastien Lephinoy brigade is simply top-flight at this supremely elegant restaurant boasting marble floors, Italian leather chairs and antique crystal chandeliers overlaid with balletic service.
What to order: Mushroom and black truffle salad on petals of roseval potatoes infused in shallots and olive oil, followed by black forest venison cooked with truffle and juniper berries served with a grapefruit compote.
Where to find it: 1 Scotts Road, #01-16 Shaw Centre, 228208
Why go: So you've had the usual hawker centre fare of chicken rice and chilli crab – it's time to visit Labyrinth for chef Han Li Guang's new expression of Singapore cuisine. Commonly found local dishes are given a creative twist and chef Han ups the ante by incorporating locally grown ingredients in 80% of his menu. Expect locally raised quails and clams farmed off the coast of Singapore at this intimate spot within The Esplanade performing-arts centre that seats only 30 guests.
What to order: Lunch is priced at SG$68 for five courses while dinner is a more extravagant affair at SG$178 for 12 courses and an additional SG$80 with wine pairing. Star dishes include the Labyrinth rojak, a salad of 12 local herbs tossed in stingless bee honey and paired with a cempedak and jackfruit sorbet.
Where to find it: 02-23, Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, 8 Raffles Avenue, Singapore, 039802
Why go: The best restaurant in Singapore according to The World's 50 Best Restaurants and a holder of two Michelin stars, Odette is a French fine-dining establishment helmed by award-winning chef Julien Royer. Named after Royer's grandmother, Odette showcases classic French culinary techniques and hospitality in a modern and artistic space housed within the iconic National Gallery Singapore.
What to order: The restaurant only offers tasting menus starting from SG$128 for weekday lunch and SG$268 for dinner. Dishes change seasonally but a mainstay on the menu is Royer's smoked 55-degree organic egg, which theatrically arrives at the table in a cloud of dry ice. Wine pairings are available upon request or choose a bottle from an extensive wine list that features independent producers from around the world.
Where to find it: 01-04, National Gallery Singapore, 1 Saint Andrew's Road, Singapore, 178957
Why go: You don't have to travel all the way to Japan for excellent sushi. Shinji by Kanesaka offers traditional Edo-style sushi prepared with only the best seasonal seafood from the Pacific Ocean. Dine in either of the private rooms – named Sakura and Icho (Gingko) – each furnished with elements from its namesake and decorated with handcrafted pieces made in Japan, contributing to the thoughtfulness and attention to detail you enjoy with each meal.
What to order: An omakase lunch, which comes with 12 pieces of sushi starts from SG$125, while dinner is priced from SG$220 for 15 pieces of nigiri. The fish that's paired with the shari (flavoured rice) changes seasonally but set aside an extra SG$50 for a rice bowl of uni (sea urchin), ikura (salmon roe) and negitoro (chopped tuna) – a trio of the most prized seafood.
Where to find it: Lobby, The St. Regis Singapore, 29 Tanglin Road, Singapore, 247911