TravjoyLogo
Search
Home
Arrow
Blog
Arrow
Best Michelin-Star Restaurants in Singapore for Every Budget
banner

Best Michelin-Star Restaurants in Singapore for Every Budget

20 min read

Apr 10, 2026
Singapore
author

Author

SHARE BLOG

TABLE OF CONTENTS

  • Is Michelin Dining in Singapore Worth It?
  • Singapore Michelin Restaurants at a Glance: Budget Tiers Compared
  • Budget Michelin: Hawker-Stall Dining Under SGD 30
  • One-Star Dining: SGD 80–200 Per Person
  • Two-Star Dining: SGD 250–450 Per Person
  • Three-Star Dining: SGD 380–600+ Per Person
  • Practical Guide: What to Know Before You Book
  • Which Singapore Michelin Restaurant Should You Choose?
  • Tips for Planning Your Michelin Meal in Singapore
  • Conclusion
  • Singapore's 2025 Michelin Guide covers 42 starred restaurants — from SGD 4 hawker stalls to SGD 500+ three-star tasting menus.
  • Three budget tiers to know: hawker-level Michelin (under SGD 20), one-star dining (SGD 80–200 per person), and two- and three-star tasting menus (SGD 250–500+).
  • Lunch menus at the same kitchens cost 30–40% less than dinner — the easiest way to stretch your fine-dining budget at Singapore's top restaurants.
  • Reservations at Odette, Zén, and Les Amis typically need to be made 2–4 months in advance; hawker-stall Michelin spots operate on a queue system.
  • Singapore was Southeast Asia's first country to receive the Michelin Guide, back in 2016 — and the breadth of its starred list still outpaces any other city in the region.

Singapore Michelin-star restaurants for every budget range from a SGD 4 plate of soy sauce chicken at a hawker stall to a 12-course dinner at a three-star kitchen inside a colonial villa. The 2025 Michelin Guide Singapore — its ninth edition — recognised 42 starred establishments across 40-plus cuisine types, making the city one of the world's most versatile Michelin destinations. Whether you have SGD 10 or SGD 1,000 to spend on a meal, the guide has an entry for you. This post breaks down exactly where to eat at each price point, what to expect when you arrive, and how to decide which tier makes sense for your trip.

Singapore Marina Bay skyline at dusk with fine dining restaurants lining the waterfront

Is Michelin Dining in Singapore Worth It?

The short answer: yes — but the reason changes completely depending on the price point you're aiming for.

At the hawker end, a Michelin-starred meal in Singapore costs less than a sandwich at an airport. That's genuinely rare — the Guide's recognition of local street-food culture means you can tick off a starred kitchen for under SGD 10 without booking a table or dressing up. At the three-star end, it's a different calculation: you're paying for technique, sourcing, and service that rivals the world's best restaurants, and the bill reflects it.

Worth it if:

  • You're a food-focused traveller who wants to benchmark Singapore's culinary range — the hawker-to-fine-dining spectrum exists nowhere else in this compact a geography.
  • You're celebrating a milestone and want a tasting menu that holds its own against Europe's best — Odette (#38 on the World's 50 Best Restaurants 2025), Zén, and Les Amis justify the price for special occasions.
  • You're visiting on a flexible budget and want to mix a two-star lunch with a hawker dinner — Singapore makes that combination work logistically in a single day.

Not ideal if:

  • You want à la carte flexibility at the top restaurants — nearly all starred kitchens above one star run fixed tasting menus only, which means committing to 8–12 courses with limited choice.
  • You're travelling with children — most two- and three-star restaurants in Singapore are adult-oriented, with no children's menu and long meal durations (2.5–3.5 hours at the table).
  • You're visiting primarily for hawker food and have no interest in Western fine dining — the three-star restaurants are predominantly French or Nordic in style, which won't be the highlight of every trip.

Singapore Michelin Restaurants at a Glance: Budget Tiers Compared

The 2025 Guide spans three stars and four distinct spending categories. Here's where each restaurant tier sits in terms of price, format, and who it suits:

Budget Tier Star Level Price per Person (SGD) Price per Person (USD, approx.) Format Best For
Hawker & Casual 1 Star / Bib Gourmand SGD 4–30 ~$3–22 Queue-based, no reservation, à la carte Budget travellers, first-time Singapore visitors
Mid-Range Fine Dining 1 Star SGD 80–200 ~$60–150 Tasting menu or set lunch, reservations required Couples, foodies wanting local-cuisine innovation
Special Occasion 2 Stars SGD 250–450 ~$185–335 Fixed tasting menu, 8–10 courses, 2.5–3 hrs Anniversaries, milestone dinners, serious food travellers
World-Class Luxury 3 Stars SGD 380–600+ ~$280–450+ Multi-course tasting menu with optional wine pairing, 3–4 hrs Once-in-a-trip dining, luxury travellers, special journeys

Prices as of 2025 and based on food only, before beverages, wine pairing, and service charge (typically 10% + 9% GST in Singapore).

Budget Michelin: Hawker-Stall Dining Under SGD 30

Singapore holds a distinction no other city can match: it has Michelin-starred hawker stalls. When the Guide arrived in 2016, it became the first in Southeast Asia — and it immediately recognised two street-food vendors alongside the fine-dining establishments. That tradition continues, and for visitors on any budget, these are the easiest entry points to starred dining in the city.

Hawker Chan (Chinatown Food Complex)

Hawker Chan's soya sauce chicken is regularly cited as one of the world's most affordable Michelin-starred dishes. Prices sit around SGD 4–6 per plate, with rice or noodles. The stall — now operating under a chain model with multiple outlets — lost its original star in 2019 when the founder's original stall closed, but the Chinatown Food Complex branch continues to draw queues. What makes it worth the wait is the sauce: a slow-simmered soy and spice reduction that coats the chicken with a depth that no fast-food bird can replicate.

  • Where: Chinatown Food Complex, 335 Smith Street
  • Price: SGD 4–6 per dish
  • Queue time: 20–40 minutes at peak hours (12–2pm and 6–8pm)
  • Best time to visit: Before 11:30am or after 2pm to avoid the longest waits

Tim Ho Wan (Multiple Outlets)

Tim Ho Wan originated in Hong Kong as the world's most affordable Michelin-starred dim sum restaurant, and its Singapore locations maintain the same formula. Dishes — har gau, siu mai, the signature baked BBQ pork bun — land on the table fresh from the kitchen at SGD 4–8 per basket. The outlets at Plaza Singapura and Bedok Mall are the most accessible for visitors, with waits that rarely exceed 30 minutes outside of Sunday brunch hours.

  • Where: Multiple outlets including Plaza Singapura and Bedok Mall
  • Price: SGD 4–8 per basket; full meal for two around SGD 30–40
  • Format: À la carte dim sum; no reservation needed at most outlets
  • Best for: Families, groups, anyone wanting to eat well without a booking

Insider reality check: hawker Michelin queues

  • Both Hawker Chan and the original Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle stall (also Michelin-starred) operate on a cash-and-queue basis — no app, no booking, no reservations. Arrive outside of peak mealtimes and you'll wait 10–15 minutes. Show up at 1pm on a Saturday and the wait can exceed an hour. The food is worth it either way, but plan your timing accordingly.
Busy Singapore hawker centre with queues of diners and steaming wok stations at lunchtime

One-Star Dining: SGD 80–200 Per Person

Singapore's one-star restaurants represent the widest range of cuisines in the Guide — from Peranakan heritage kitchens to live-fire grills to Korean-European hybrids. Most run set lunch menus at 30–40% below their dinner pricing, which makes this the category where smart timing makes the biggest difference to your bill.

Candlenut (Dempsey Hill)

Singapore's local cuisine restaurants include a handful that have elevated traditional recipes to Michelin level — and Candlenut is the clearest example. Chef Malcolm Lee's kitchen is the world's first Michelin-starred Peranakan restaurant, serving dishes like babi buah keluak (braised pork with black nut) and hee peow soup in a colonial-era black-and-white bungalow in Dempsey Hill. The setting is relaxed by Singapore fine-dining standards: table service but no tasting menu required, with an à la carte option that lets you order in smaller groups without committing to the full chef's menu.

  • Price: Ah-ma-kase tasting menu from SGD 128 per person; à la carte lunch for 4 around SGD 100–130 total
  • Cuisine: Peranakan (Straits Chinese heritage cooking)
  • Best for: First-time visitors who want local cuisine in a fine-dining context

Burnt Ends (Dempsey Hill)

Burnt Ends operates a live-fire kitchen built around a custom-designed four-tonne oven and two wood-burning grills. Chef Dave Pynt's cooking — grilled, smoked, flame-finished — produces dishes like smoked quail egg with caviar, beef marmalade on toast, and the coral trout pita with herb oil. The atmosphere is the most casual of any starred restaurant in Singapore: counter seating facing the open kitchen, a soundtrack that runs louder than the average fine-dining room, and zero stuffiness. Ranked in Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2025.

  • Price: SGD 100–160 per person for a full meal with small plates
  • Cuisine: Modern Australian, live-fire
  • Best for: Couples who want Michelin quality without the formality; serious food travellers who prioritise cooking technique over ceremony
  • Booking note: Reservations release monthly and are genuinely competitive — book via their website 4–6 weeks ahead

Nouri (Tanjong Pagar)

Nouri's concept centres on what chef Ivan Brehm calls "crossroads cooking" — a cuisine without a fixed nationality, drawing on techniques and ingredients from multiple culinary traditions simultaneously. A given tasting menu might move through South American fermentation, Japanese precision, and Southeast Asian aromatics in a single sitting. The result is inventive but never chaotic. Set lunch menus offer the best value, with a shorter course count that sits within the SGD 80–100 range.

  • Price: Set lunch from SGD 88; full tasting menu from SGD 168
  • Cuisine: Global crossroads; no fixed nationality
  • Best for: Adventurous diners who want intellectual curiosity alongside the food
Elegantly plated tasting menu course at a one-Michelin-star restaurant in Singapore

Two-Star Dining: SGD 250–450 Per Person

Singapore's seven two-star restaurants (as of the 2025 Guide) represent the city's most coherent cluster of world-class kitchens. This is the tier where technique and sourcing become the primary story — where fish is flown in from Tokyo's Toyosu Market, where Sri Lankan spices are applied to Australian produce, and where 200-year-old Nara cypress wood frames a 10-seat sushi counter. Expect 8–10 courses, 2.5–3 hours at the table, and menus that change seasonally.

Sushi Sakuta (Millenia Walk) — Promoted to 2 Stars in 2025

The biggest move in the 2025 Guide was Sushi Sakuta's promotion from one to two stars within just two years of earning its first recognition. Chef-owner Yoshio Sakuta leads an all-Japanese kitchen team focused entirely on seasonal Japanese fish — every piece of fish on the omakase menu is sourced from Japan, and the rice is a precisely calibrated blend of two Japanese cultivars. The 10-seat counter is carved from a single 200-year-old Nara cypress tree; there is also a private room. The result is an experience that feels quieter and more intimate than Singapore's other starred sushi rooms.

  • Price: Omakase dinner approximately SGD 350–420 per person
  • Cuisine: Japanese omakase, nigiri-forward
  • Best for: Serious sushi enthusiasts; couples looking for an intimate counter experience

Jaan by Kirk Westaway (Swissôtel The Stamford, Level 70)

At 70 floors above the city, Jaan holds one of the most dramatic dining positions in Singapore. Chef Kirk Westaway — Devon-born, classically trained — builds menus around modern British food with a clarity and elegance that has retained two stars since 2019. The "Winter Garden" 8-course menu (SGD 388) has been a standout for seasonal reinterpretation of British classics, and the floor-to-ceiling views across Marina Bay and the ArtScience Museum add a visual dimension that most indoor kitchens can't compete with.

  • Price: 8-course tasting menu from SGD 388 per person; wine pairing from SGD 180
  • Cuisine: Modern British
  • Best for: Anniversary dinners; travellers who want a view alongside the cooking

Thevar (Tanjong Pagar)

Chef Mano Thevar's kitchen sits in Tanjong Pagar and serves a tasting menu that applies classical French techniques to South Indian and Tamil ingredients — a combination that has earned sustained two-star recognition. Dishes shift with the seasons but consistently showcase bold spicing controlled by precision cooking: a style that is immediately recognisable as Thevar's. The dining room is intimate and unhurried; service is formal without being cold.

  • Price: Tasting menu approximately SGD 270–320 per person
  • Cuisine: Modern Indian-French fusion
  • Best for: Indian-food-literate travellers who want to see the cuisine elevated; diners looking for something distinctive rather than another European tasting menu

Cloudstreet (Keong Saik Road)

Chef Rishi Naleendra's two-star restaurant in the Keong Saik corridor draws on Sri Lankan spice traditions and Australian produce in a menu that runs heavily seafood-forward — approximately 70% of dishes feature fish or shellfish. The 8-course tasting menu (SGD 398++) is light and layered, and pastry chef Maira Yeo's desserts — pepper ice cream, cauliflower ice cream — push the meal's final act into genuinely original territory. Ranked 74th on Asia's 50 Best 2025.

  • Price: 8-course tasting menu SGD 398++ per person; prestige wine pairing from SGD 598++
  • Cuisine: Modern Sri Lankan–Australian
  • Best for: Travellers who enjoy seafood-dominant menus and creative dessert courses

Insider reality check: the "++" pricing system

  • Every fine-dining restaurant in Singapore displays prices with "++" at the end. The first "+" is 10% service charge; the second is 9% GST (Goods and Services Tax). A SGD 398 tasting menu therefore costs approximately SGD 478 per person before drinks. Factor this into your planning: a two-person dinner with modest wine at a two-star restaurant will typically land at SGD 1,200–1,600 all-in. Three-star restaurants add another SGD 400–600 on top of that.

Three-Star Dining: SGD 380–600+ Per Person

Singapore has three three-Michelin-starred restaurants as of 2025 — Odette, Les Amis, and Zén — and all three have held their stars for multiple consecutive years. This tier is for diners making a deliberate journey to the table: the Michelin Guide's own language describes three-star restaurants as "worth a special journey." Reservations are competitive; the experiences are long, deliberate, and designed to be singular.

Odette (National Gallery Singapore)

Chef Julien Royer's restaurant inside the National Gallery is, for many food travellers, the defining Singapore fine-dining address. Named after his grandmother, Odette has held three stars since 2019 and ranked 38th on the World's 50 Best Restaurants 2025. The menus have evolved over time toward lighter, more Asia-inflected expressions of modern French cooking, with pristine produce — foie gras terrine, tandoori suckling piglet, seasonal seafood — presented with the kind of restraint that makes each dish easy to read and difficult to forget. The dining room, positioned within the neoclassical gallery building, is serene and unhurried.

  • Price: Tasting menus from SGD 398++ (dinner); lunch menus available from SGD 228++
  • Cuisine: Contemporary French with Asian influences
  • Reservation lead time: 2–4 months for weekends; some weekday availability appears 4–6 weeks out
  • Best for: Special occasions; travellers for whom Michelin dining is the primary reason to visit Singapore

Les Amis (Shaw Centre, Orchard Road)

Les Amis has been one of Singapore's reference points for classical French fine dining since 1994 — and it has held three stars since 2019. The cooking is less experimental than Odette's and deliberately so: this is a kitchen committed to the rigour of French technique applied to exceptional ingredients. The wine list is among the strongest in Southeast Asia, which matters at a restaurant where the pairing experience is as much the point as the food itself. Tasting menus range from SGD 380 to SGD 480++ depending on length and season.

  • Price: Tasting menus from SGD 380–480++ per person; wine pairing from SGD 280
  • Cuisine: Classical French fine dining
  • Best for: Wine-focused diners; travellers who prefer technical precision over culinary experimentation

Zén (Ann Siang Hill)

Zén is the sister restaurant of Frantzén in Stockholm and occupies a three-storey shophouse on Ann Siang Hill. It has held three stars since 2021 and is regularly described as one of Singapore's most expensive restaurants. The format is unusual: you move between floors during the meal, starting with canapés and snacks on the ground floor before progressing upstairs for the main courses. The cooking is Nordic-inflected, precise, and highly produce-driven. Expect a bill north of SGD 600 per person before wine.

  • Price: From approximately SGD 500–600++ per person; full experience with wine pairing can exceed SGD 1,000 per person
  • Cuisine: Modern Nordic
  • Reservation lead time: 3–6 months, especially for weekend seats
  • Best for: Luxury travellers for whom dining is the primary travel activity; guests of the Frantzén ecosystem who want consistency across cities
Refined fine dining restaurant interior with white tablecloths and soft lighting in Singapore

Practical Guide: What to Know Before You Book

How to get a reservation

  • Three-star restaurants (Odette, Les Amis, Zén): book via their own websites, typically 2–4 months in advance for weekends, 3–6 weeks for weekday seats
  • Two-star restaurants: most release reservations 1–2 months ahead; Cloudstreet and Jaan can be booked 4–6 weeks out on weekdays
  • One-star tasting menus: Burnt Ends releases reservations monthly on a specific date — set a calendar reminder and book the moment the window opens
  • Hawker stalls: no booking — queue-based, cash only at most outlets

Lunch vs dinner: how to save 30–40%

  • Most starred restaurants in Singapore offer a lunch menu that is shorter (4–6 courses vs 8–12) and 30–40% cheaper than the dinner equivalent
  • The same kitchen, the same chef, the same sourcing — at Odette, a dinner tasting menu starts at SGD 398++ while lunch begins at SGD 228++
  • At Jaan, the 8-course dinner sits at SGD 388; lunch options run 30–40% lower depending on the season
  • Lunch is also the easier reservation to secure at most two-star and three-star restaurants

Dress code

  • Three-star and two-star restaurants: smart casual minimum — no shorts, no flip-flops. Jacket optional at most (Zén and Les Amis lean more formal)
  • One-star restaurants like Burnt Ends: genuinely casual — clean clothes, comfortable footwear, no dress code enforced
  • Hawker stalls: come as you are

Insider reality check: service charge and GST at fine-dining restaurants

  • Every Singapore restaurant adds 10% service charge + 9% GST on top of the menu price. A listed SGD 400 tasting menu becomes approximately SGD 476 before drinks. Wine pairings at two- and three-star restaurants typically add SGD 180–350 per person. Plan your budget with the "++" system in mind: a dinner for two at Odette with modest wine typically lands between SGD 1,400–1,800 total.

Which Singapore Michelin Restaurant Should You Choose?

The right answer depends entirely on why you're going and how much of your trip budget you want to dedicate to a single meal.

If you're on a tight budget → Start at Chinatown Complex Food Centre for Hawker Chan's soya sauce chicken or at any Tim Ho Wan outlet for dim sum. You'll tick a genuinely Michelin-level experience for under SGD 20 per person. No booking, no dress code, no ceremony — just very good food at street-level prices.

If you want local cuisine in a fine-dining format → Book Candlenut in Dempsey Hill. It's the only Michelin-starred Peranakan restaurant in the world, the setting is relaxed, and the à la carte option gives you flexibility. This is the strongest single choice for visitors who want a connection to Singapore's culinary heritage alongside the technical skill.

If you want a casual Michelin experience that feels nothing like traditional fine dining → Burnt Ends is the table. Counter seating, a live-fire kitchen you can watch from your seat, and food that emphasises smoke and char over white tablecloths. Book 4–6 weeks out and arrive hungry.

If you're celebrating a special occasion and have SGD 300–450 to spend per person → Jaan by Kirk Westaway offers the views (Level 70, panoramic Marina Bay), Thevar offers the most distinctive cuisine in the two-star tier, and Cloudstreet offers the most creative cooking. Choose by which element matters most: the setting, the cultural specificity, or the culinary experimentation.

If dining is the primary reason for your Singapore trip → Odette is the entry point for the three-star tier, with lunch menus at SGD 228++ giving you access to one of Asia's best kitchens at a more manageable price. Zén is for travellers who want the most immersive, theatre-of-dining experience the city offers — the multi-floor format is unlike anything else in Singapore.

If you'd rather let someone else handle the research, Travjoy's Singapore fine dining experiences are curated after extensive research and reviewed by local experts — a practical shortcut when your time in the city is limited and you don't want to navigate reservation windows and menu comparisons yourself. You can also explore the full range of experiential dining options in Singapore for something that goes beyond a standard restaurant sitting.

Tips for Planning Your Michelin Meal in Singapore

  • Book lunch, not dinner — same kitchen, same chef, 30–40% less. This is the single most effective way to eat at a starred restaurant in Singapore without overspending.
  • Build a food-focused day around the location — Odette is inside the National Gallery; combine with a gallery visit. Candlenut and Burnt Ends are both in Dempsey Hill; pair with a walk through the green corridor.
  • Arrive with a clear head and an empty stomach — tasting menus run 8–12 courses over 2.5–3.5 hours. Eating a heavy lunch before a fine-dining dinner is a common regret.
  • Consider dietary restrictions in advance — most starred restaurants in Singapore accommodate vegetarian and common allergen-free requests with advance notice (at least 48 hours). Some omakase restaurants are less flexible.
  • Plan your transport — Dempsey Hill requires a taxi or private hire (Grab is widely used). Restaurants inside hotels like Jaan, Les Amis, and the three-stars are easier to reach by MRT.

Insider reality check: cancellation policies at Singapore's top restaurants

  • Three-star restaurants typically require a credit card to hold the reservation, with a cancellation fee (commonly SGD 150–300 per person) if you cancel within 48–72 hours of the booking. Read the policy at the point of reservation — some require non-refundable prepayment at the time of booking. If your plans are uncertain, target the lunch service, which tends to have lighter cancellation terms.

Conclusion

Singapore's Michelin landscape is genuinely unlike any other city's — you can spend SGD 4 on a starred hawker plate in the morning and SGD 600 on a three-star tasting menu that evening, and both experiences will be worth making time for. The 2025 Guide's 42 starred establishments cover 40-plus cuisine types, which means that whatever your budget or culinary preference, there is a table here that justifies the reservation.

The clearest starting points: Candlenut for local cuisine done with care, Burnt Ends for casual fire-cooking excellence, Jaan or Cloudstreet for a special occasion at the two-star level, and Odette for the full three-star experience. Book lunch wherever possible, factor in the "++" pricing, and plan your reservation well ahead for anything above one star.

For a broader view of what Singapore has to offer — from food tours to curated dining experiences — explore the full Travjoy Singapore guide, where local experts have done the groundwork so you can spend your time at the table, not planning the booking.

Plan Your Visit (FAQ's)

logo
Expert
local expert seal
icon

POWERED BY REAL EXPERTS

Adeline Ee

Local Expert -

social icon

Let our local expert- Adeline, a full time explorer & former marketing professional with10 years in travel and tourism- guide you through the best sights, experiences, dining, shopping, and nightlife in Singapore.

whatsApp-icon