Foodie Haunts
Housed in a former colonial barracks in leafy Dempsey, Culina Market is a cool white-washed temple to single-variety Provençal olive oils, sea-urchin caviar, and Icelandic salt-fermented fish sauce. This market includes an in-house butchery, a deli, bakery, florist, and a formidable selection of fine French wine, along with kitchen accessories such as Aritsugu knives and serving-ware by Ann Demeulemeester-Serax. The bistro is a great place to sample the finest produce.
Food, music, and art intersect at Appetite, a multi-concept dining space on Amoy Street. Founded by The Fat Duck alum Ivan Brehm (who helms Michelin-starred Nouri downstairs), it serves cross-cultural dishes in an apartment-like venue, which encourages guests to move between an intimate dining area, a listening lounge with over 3,000 vinyl records, and an art gallery that recently hosted the city’s first Robert Mapplethorpe solo show. This vibrant atmosphere is perfect for foodies seeking unique experiences.
Barely a year old, Dearborn was a pandemic pivot by San Francisco-born, Singapore-based fine-dining chef Christopher Kong. His granola store, located in quiet Everton Park, stocks more than 25 versions of the cereal, with best-sellers including Dark Chocolate, Hazelnut and Sea Salt, and Strawberry Macadamia. This innovative take on granola focuses on quality ingredients and unique flavors that appeal to health-conscious consumers.
DIY Drinks
Singapore’s first fully fledged micro-distillery, Brass Lion, pays homage to the city’s reputation as a 19th-century trading hub with its Singapore Dry Gin, which includes 22 Asian botanicals such as chrysanthemum, torch ginger flower, and pomelo. The zesty, floral spirit is best enjoyed in the black-and-white tasting room; it also serves cocktails with spiced Pahit Pink Gin and Butterfly Pea Gin, which is blended with local butterfly pea flowers and morphs from a deep blue to indigo when tonic or citrus is added. In the R&D lab, visitors can distill their own gin and take it home in personalized bottles, making for an engaging and memorable experience.
