Best places to eat and drink in Singapore

Roast Paradise

Looking for the best street food in Singapore? For the finest char siew head to Roast Paradise in Old Airport Road Hawker Centre. The marinated, caramelised slow-roast pork is served with either garlic rice or sesame-oil-tossed noodles topped with minced pork. Get there at 11am to try it at its fresh-out-of-the-oven best. @roastparadise

Mr & Mrs Mohgan Super Crispy Roti Prata

Singaporeans’ most loved local breakfast is roti prata, also dubbed the Indian croissant. At the catchily named Mr & Mrs Mohgan Super Crispy Roti Prata these air-tossed, hand-slapped floured pastries are cooked on the griddle with ghee and served ultra crisp, early on weekday mornings, with mutton or fish curry and a side of sambal chilli. 7 Crane Road

Sing Hon Loong

Most Singaporeans grow up eating soft white bread toasted and spread with butter and kaya (coconut jam infused with pandan leaf). Although there aren’t many bakeries left making this traditional soft white bread, 35-year-old Sing Hon Loong is one. Make sure you also try its raisin bread, cream buns and sugar twists. @singhonloong

Sungei Road Laksa

Looking for laksa in Singapore? For a taste of laksa, Singapore’s oldest fusion cuisine (it has both Chinese and Malaysian influences), head to Sungei Road Laksa for a local take on this spiced coconut and noodle soup. Here it’s cooked over coals and served with sliced fishcakes, cockles and a generous sprinkling of chopped laksa leaves (also known as Vietnamese mint). sungeiroadlaksa.com.sg

Firebake

Sourdough (here's our ultimate guide to sourdough) has seen the same rise in popularity in Singapore as in the UK and Firebake is one of the best places to try it. Five types of organic bread (plus a brioche) are baked each day in the bakery-cum-brasserie’s two wood-fired ovens. Try one of them alongside some chicken-liver pâté or mussels. @firebakesg

Wild Rocket

One of the best restaurants in Singapore for modern takes on street food. Willin Low gave up a law career to start Wild Rocket in 2005 – and, through it, blaze a trail for modern Singaporean cuisine. The self-taught chef takes street-food favourites and reimagines them in sophisticated ways. His most iconic dish is laksa ravioli. Don’t miss the sake list, either – Low is also a certified sake sommelier. wildrocket.com.sg

Cheek by Jowl

This is one of our favourite restaurants in Singapore. For Michelin-starred meals without breaking the bank, book a table at Cheek by Jowl. Run by Sri Lanka-born, Australia-trained Rishi Naleendra, its modern Australian menus feature dishes such as grilled barramundi with leek, caramelised onion and bonito butter. cheekbyjowl.com.sg

Atlas Bar

Searching for bars in Singapore? Amid Singapore’s booming cocktail scene Atlas Bar stands out for its vast gin and champagne collections – and its Gilded Age setting. You can’t go wrong with a gin and tonic here but the house cocktails are great too; try a Great Jeweller made with green Chartreuse, sweet vermouth, orange bitters and Archie Rose Atlas orange gin, a bespoke spirit created for the bar. atlasbar.sg

Keng Eng Kee

Third-generation-run Keng Eng Kee does brisk business in delectable cooked-to-order stir-fries. Choose from claypot pork liver with shrimp paste, stir-fried pork belly with anchovy oil, coffee pork ribs and moonlight hor fun (wok-fried flat noodles with raw egg). kek.com.sg

Nylon Coffee Roasters

Deep within the Everton housing estate, Nylon Coffee Roasters is one of the hardest cafés to hunt down. For your efforts you’ll be rewarded with a robust cuppa brewed from beans roasted on site. Don’t expect to hang out for long, though – the café has just one long, high table and no chairs. nyloncoffee.sg

How to get to Singapore

Return flights from London to Singapore start from £300 (norwegian.com).

Double rooms at The Warehouse Hotel start from £135, room-only (thewarehousehotel.com).

For more info on the city see visitsingapore.com.

TRUST OLIVE

Evelyn Chen is a food and travel writer who blogs at bibikgourmand.com. She also conducts bespoke food tours in Singapore for small groups.

Words By Evelyn Chen

Photography by John Heng, Getty