A sensory quarter of garland shops, spice merchants, banana-leaf rice restaurants and Tekka Centre, Singapore's most aromatic hawker market.
Food experience in Little India
5 hours Little India, Kampong Glam, Chinatown with 9 Food Tasting
Order Char siew bao and the pan-fried turnip cake; the kitchen has been making them the same way since 1962
Best-known late-night dim sum on Jalan Besar since 1962. Trolleys until 4am on Fridays and Saturdays; har gao and char siew bao are the benchmarks.
Order Banana-leaf thali, Masala dosa, Filter coffee
A Little India institution serving pure-vegetarian South Indian cuisine: thali sets, dosai, idli and masala chai in a no-frills dining room with a loyal neighbourhood following. The banana-leaf rice set is exceptional value and comes with an array of curries, chutneys and payasam.
Order Signature espresso blend, Cold brew, Seasonal filter
A beautifully conserved Art Deco hardware shophouse on Tyrwhitt Road that houses Singapore's first standalone 360-degree coffee island bar. The roastery was one of the country's pioneers of third-wave specialty coffee and remains a benchmark for technical consistency and cafe design in the city.
Order Keluak Blend espresso, Iced latte, Seasonal cake
A calm, well-designed coffeehouse on Jalan Besar where the in-house Keluak Blend, a medium-dark roast drawing on Colombian, Brazilian and Ethiopian beans, is the main attraction. The space is uncluttered and conducive to lingering. An excellent neighbourhood cafe that does one thing well without the performance.
Order Not a Croissant sourdough loaf, Levain pie, Seasonal focaccia
A home-bakery-turned-flagship-cafe at Farrer Park, drawing queues since 2024 for its unusual 'Not a Croissant' sourdough loaf and hand-formed levain pies. The kitchen also produces sourdough pasta and focaccia with seasonal toppings. One of the most talked-about sourdough destinations to open in recent years.
The roastery cafe that set the standard for industrial-cool coffee spaces in Singapore. Operating from a beautifully restored Art Deco hardware shophouse, the 360-degree coffee island bar was Singapore's first and remains one of the most engaging formats in the city. The in-house roastery team is selective with sourcing and consistent with execution.
Order Ha gao, Siew mai, XO carrot cake, Egg tart
A Jalan Besar institution since 1962, serving Cantonese dim sum through the day and deep into the early morning. The ha gao, siew mai, turnip cake and egg tarts are reliable and the XO carrot cake is a house specialty. Open from 7am to 2am (4am on Fridays and Saturdays), this is the city's definitive late-night dim sum destination.
The most aromatic wet market and hawker centre in Singapore, sitting at the northern edge of Little India where the spice stalls, garland sellers and banana-leaf restaurants converge. The hawker level serves primarily Indian, Malay and Singaporean dishes; the wet market below handles fresh produce, fish and a staggering variety of fresh spices.
LISHA's Deepavali bazaar on Campbell Lane runs nightly for a month before Deepavali, with festive snacks, clothing, crafts and decor, 10 Oct to 8 Nov 2026.
On this list, shown aboveTekka Centre
On this list, shown aboveSwee Choon Tim Sum
On this list, shown aboveSwee Choon Tim Sum
