9 Best Restaurants in Singapore

You can count on this halal bakery and café (founded by food personality Dewi Imelda Wadhwa) to turn out some of the island’s best pastries and desserts. The ATD To Go Dessert Box, an 8-piece taster of their most popular items, includes the bakery's signature gula Melaka scone and Paris brest. Save space for other delectables like the aromatic Earl Grey cake in a light vanilla buttercream, or the moreish sticky toffee pudding drenched in a homemade caramel sauce. For those more inclined to savory pursuits, dishes like a punchy coriander pesto prawn pasta and a hearty steak & hash potatoes made with grass-fed steak cubes.  

The trademark shortbread-like crust, which has a light almond flavor, puts this bakery's pastries in a class above those made elsewhere; it's also why the take-out shop's buttery, golf ball–sized pineapple tarts and silky smooth bean curd tarts are often sold out. Luckily, Le Café sells a bunch of other goodies, including traditional moon-pie pastries filled with lotus-seed paste, prawn-roll snacks, and mao shan wang–filled durian puffs that are downright addictive. Pretty gift boxes are available if you're planning on bringing home food gifts. Order ahead from the website to avoid being disappointed as things can get busy, especially during the Chinese New Year period.

Sandwiches, freshly baked breads, quiches, and a variety of sweet and savory pastries make up the menu at this popular café, the perfect spot to grab a quick bite and caffeinate while shopping the area's boutiques. The lighting mounted in wooden boards suspended from the ceiling by rope, the exposed brick and white-washed walls, and the soft, down-tempo beats all make for a relaxing interior. There are also a few shaded tables outside. As the name would suggest, Tiong Bahru Bakery started in this area, but there are now multiple branches across Singapore.

This hole-in-the-wall bakery serves some of the best baked goods in Singapore. Despite the name, it’s not quite as out in the sticks as Woodlands, but you’ll need to go a little farther north than usual to reach these goodies. Bakes change depending on the season, but not much beats a cup of their filter coffee and a fudgy, rich brownie. It’s the perfect place to load up on picnic treats for a hike around MacRitchie Reservoir.

Ideally located between the National Museum and Fort Canning Park, Onalu is a popular and pit stop for freshly rolled, boiled, and baked bagels and cups of tea and coffee. The classic bacon, egg, and cheese (stuffed full of creamy scrambled eggs and bacon strips) and smoked salmon bagels (with thinly sliced smoked salmon and cream cheese) are highly recommended.

This quiet café and bakery specializes in Japanese-style cakes and pastries. The cream puff is a must-try, if it hasn’t already sold out.

Blink and you might miss this nondescript, old-school bakery famous for its pillow-soft Swiss rolls. Every morning sees eight freshly baked varieties, including mango, strawberry, and pandan cheese, but distinctive local flavors like durian and kaya (coconut jam) are the true standouts. Come early; only a limited number of rolls are baked each day.

There’s a reason why the line often snakes out the door of this Hong Kong bakery in Holland Village: Tai Cheong’s egg tarts are renowned island-wide. These crumbly tart shells with gloriously wobbly egg custard filling are impeccable. There’s also a range of Hong Kong dishes if you need a more substantial bite, but really the tarts are the reason to come.

This homegrown takeaway patisserie melds intricate French baking techniques with innovative flavor combinations to create unique treats. It’s famous for its passion fruit meringue—meringue sponge cake filled with passion fruit mousse and fruit—but other easier-to-transport goodies like cookies and tarts are also available. The shop is popular amongst locals, particularly on weekends; if you are keen to try the signature meringues, do pre-order online or in-store.