Things to do in Singapore, splurging
Two destination dinners, ArtScience, ATLAS, and Canning Bar in between
A circuit of Singapore's most compelling rooms, where the cooking is the point and the bars are worth staying late for. Best for the kind of traveller who books restaurants before flights and still finds time for a hawker breakfast to keep things honest.
Day 1: Chinatown, then Zén at night
Heritage streets and a Malay heritage lunch ease you in before Zén, the Frantzén house in a Bukit Pasoh shophouse.
- 9:30 AM
Tong Ah Eating House
Old kopitiam on Keong Saik Road: crisp kaya toast, soft-boiled eggs and a kopi, a few minutes from Zén.
Map - 10:30 AM
Chinatown
Wander Chinatown's heritage streets, colourful shophouses and morning market stalls, right on the doorstep of Zén.
Map - 12:30 PM
Restaurant Fiz
Hafizzul Hashim's tasting menu of Malay and Southeast Asian heritage dishes in a Tanjong Pagar shophouse.
Map - 2:30 PM
Dragon's Teeth Gate Viewpoint
Scenic viewpoint over the strait, a calm, photogenic post-lunch outing before the evening ramps up.
Map - 7:30 PM
Zén
Björn Frantzén's Singapore house: aperitif downstairs, dinner in the dining room, coffee upstairs; book far ahead.
Map - 9:30 PM
Canning Bar & Lounge
A quiet drink on Fort Canning hill, a short taxi from Chinatown, before the walk down to the river.
Map
Day 2: Marina Bay and Odette
A design museum on the waterfront, a bespoke scent at Maison 21G, and then Odette for French Contemporary cooking that justifies every superlative thrown at it.
- 9:30 AM
Toast Box
Kaya toast, soft-boiled eggs and a sweet kopi from the local chain, the classic Singapore breakfast.
Map - 10:30 AM
ArtScience Museum
World-class design-led museum right on the waterfront, rotating exhibitions at the intersection of art, science and culture.
Map - 2:30 PM
Maison 21G
Bespoke perfumery in the Marina Bay Sands shops; book a session to blend your own scent.
Map - 7:30 PM
Odette
Julien Royer's French tasting menu in the National Gallery; the rosemary-smoked egg is the signature.
Map - 9:30 PM
CÉ LA VI Singapore: Restaurant, SkyBar & Club Lounge
CÉ LA VI's SkyBar for nightcap cocktails with Singapore's skyline laid out below, perfect high note to end on.
Map
Day 3: Civic quarter and Jaan
Coffee at Ice Lab, the Esplanade waterfront, lunch at Whitegrass, Raffles City, then Kirk Westaway's menu at Jaan and gin at ATLAS.
- 9:30 AM
- 10:30 AM
Esplanade Park
Stroll the waterfront park at the edge of the CBD, great views of the Esplanade and Marina Bay before the crowds arrive.
Map - 12:30 PM
Whitegrass
Takuya Yamashita's French-Australian cooking in the CHIJMES chapel grounds; lunch runs Tuesday to Saturday.
Map - 3:00 PM
Raffles City Shopping Centre
Raffles City is the most convenient upscale mall for a post-lunch boutique browse, designer labels and design shops steps from the hotel.
Map - 7:30 PM
Jaan by Kirk Westaway
Kirk Westaway's modern British menu on the 70th floor of the Swissôtel; ask for a window table at sunset.
Map - 9:30 PM
ATLAS
ATLAS is Singapore's most glamorous Art Deco cocktail bar, towering gin collection, impeccable drinks, close by and done well before midnight.
Map
Where to stay
Raffles Singapore
Raffles sits perfectly between all three days' neighbourhoods and matches the trip's tone without any effort.
The Fullerton Bay Hotel
The Fullerton Bay sits on the water at Marina Bay, a short walk to Odette and the ArtScience Museum.
Make Singapore your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App StoreBefore you go
Book ahead
- Gardens by the Bay: a few days ahead
- Night Safari: a few days ahead
- Sentosa Golf Club: weeks ahead
- Laguna National Golf Resort Club: weeks ahead
- Orchid Country Club: a few days ahead
- Pulau Ubin: a few days ahead
Skip these
- Newton Food Centre seafood touting without clear per-weight pricing.
- Always confirm crab species, weight and price per 100g before it is cooked.
- Clarke Quay tourist bars, Sim Lim lower-floor electronics touting and Orchard malls as an attraction.
The full Singapore travel guide: when to go, safety, getting around