Bugis has made a name for being a place of many vices. In the ‘80s, the area was a buzzing nightspot full of pasar malams and bars, a place popular with the LGBT community and tourists alike.
Today, it hosts a different kind of vice. Whitewashed streets are filled with shopping malls and shops. At night, the streets of Bugis lock up for crowds of diners looking for the best steamboat restaurants and drinks.
With plenty of hotel staycation opportunities (whether it’s at the history-filled Raffles Hotel or swanky JW Marriott) and a wide range of activities all around, there’s even more reason to visit the bustling enclave.
f you’re in the vicinity this weekend, take some time to explore the neighbourhood and you’ll find a broad range of cafes and restaurants, ranging from casual to fine-dining. Here’s where to grab a bite at this weekend.
11 best cafes and restaurants around Bugis to dine at:
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1 /11
Bjorn Shen’s Middle Eastern-inspired restaurant is dude-food heaven. Familiar dishes like shawarma, hummus and falafel are re-interpreted in unexpected ways. Take for example the cuttlefish shawarma which comes with a rich dressing of chicken fat and hummus comes spiked with miso and skhug hot sauce. A popular spot for after-work drinks with fried chicken wings and lazy brunches over the weekend.
2 /11
InterContinental Singapore’s Ash & Elm is a semi-buffet restaurant by day and European brasserie by night. The restaurant’s extensive selection of cheese and charcuterie is worth checking out. Premium meats and wood-fired pizzas are highlights on the menu.
3 /11
Atlas is a lounge and cocktail bar that revels in the building’s Art Deco glamour. Besides the mesmerising interiors, Atlas has one of the largest collections of gin in the world. The bar also offers modern European cuisine and languid afternoon teas to go with cocktails.
4 /11
Chikuyotei has been around for a while but continues to put out quality fine-dining Japanese kaiseki fare. The menu features a long list of items — from sashimi to hot pot. Yet, the restaurant is most popular for its unadon. The unagi is prepared in two different ways: simply grilled for more bite or steamed and grilled for softer flesh.
5 /11
Idlewild is InterContinental’s latest retro-luxe cocktail bar inspired by the golden age of travel. The bar, led by Andy Griffiths, offers a menu of drinks inspired by cities along the Transatlantic Route. There’s also a ‘cabinet of curiosities’ featuring rare, vintage spirits from around the world. Expect live jazz performances at night.
Read our review here.
6 /11
The one-Michelin-starred restaurant is a popular spot for Italian fine-dining. Chef Roberto Galetti serves up modern interpretations of traditional recipes, prepared with ingredients imported from Italy. The wine list here is worth checking out too.
7 /11
Just next door is French fine-dining outfit, Gunther’s. Chef Gunther Hubrechsen, who has trained with renowned names like chef Alain Passard, introduces modern French cuisine with a focus on natural flavours of fresh, seasonal ingredients. Must-tries here include angel hair pasta with caviar and roasted suckling pig with hibiscus sauce.
8 /11
9 /11
This ornate restaurant is Hong Kong-based restaurateur Alan Yau’s first Singapore venture. Madame Fan offers contemporary Chinese food, with items such as its signature wok-fried crispy duck, jasmine tea-smoked ribs and white pepper crabs. Dim sum is also a must-have here.
10 /11
For more traditional Chinese fine-dining, head over to Man Fu Yuan. Dim sum is a popular affair at this Cantonese restaurant, which sees a range of modern and classic bites. Besides live seafood, the restaurant offers some truly luxurious dishes such as Duroc pork char siew and crab bisque with bird’s nest.
11 /11
Salted and Hung is a contemporary gastronomic restaurant striving towards Zero Food Waste Dining. This year, chef Drew Nocente has introduced a dynamic menu that maximises food products to their fullest potential by using every single part without waste and valuing the unpopular and under-utilised. Find out more here.
Jasmine Tay
Senior Writer
Jasmine Tay is the dining, culture and jewellery writer. She makes fine silver jewellery and causes mini-explosions in the kitchen when she can't afford fancy dinners. Sometimes she tells people what she thinks about art, and binges on the music of Danzig when they don’t agree.
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