Few destinations reflect culinary and cultural diversity as much as the city state of Singapore, meaning that every chance to visit brings a world of flavours. Its signature night race promises full-on adrenaline, but also reminds visitors that it is a city fuelled by food like no other.
The proof? A humble plate of chicken rice commands just the same devotion and informed opinions as an elaborate multi-course tasting menu.
Across Singapore, hundreds of hawker centres (essentially food courts, often open-air) serve beloved local dishes at remarkably low prices from early morning onwards. Michelin-starred kitchens with chic dining rooms consistently push boundaries, while world-class cocktail bars ensure that the evening invariably lasts longer than planned.
From morning kaya toast to irresistible late-night satays, this is how to eat your way through Singapore in 24 tightly packed, flavour-filled hours.
Breakfast: Toast Box, Esplanade
Start the day with a true local classic at Toast Box, a popular Singaporean café chain that recreates the nostalgic vibe of traditional 1960s local coffee shops known as kopitiams. The non-negotiable order is kaya toast, toasted bread topped with a thick slice of cold butter and then spread with kaya, a delicious local coconut jam. It comes with soft-boiled eggs seasoned with soy sauce and white pepper, and fragrant freshly brewed coffee (kopi) or tea (teh). It's a delicious, great value introduction to Singapore's food culture and sets you up for a day of serious eating.
Lunch: Zén
Singapore offers 45 Michelin-starred restaurants, a remarkable reflection of culinary excellence in a country smaller than Greater London. Three-Michelin-starred Zén, part of the Frantzén Group, is acclaimed as one of the finest European restaurants in Asia, thanks to its creative, meticulously composed neo-Nordic cuisine with Japanese influences. Expect a stellar wine list, brilliant front-of-house, but most of all a tour de force of flavours in signature dishes, including a mind-blowingly luxurious take on French toast or chawanmushi with king crab.
