If you told New Zealand-born chef Eliot Thomas two years ago that he would be running his own restaurant in Singapore, he wouldn’t believe you. Magpie opened its doors in early January, 2025 in the buzzy neighbourhood of Tiong Bahru, serving up plates as unexpected as Eliot’s journey across the continent. On the menu? Borderless soul food.
It’s a quixotic word, borderless. But it perfectly captures the essence of Magpie, which is as much a story of a serendipitous encounter between two people from across the world, as it is about curious, experimental, and bold cooking. The idea for the bistro started when Kurt Wagner – the visionary behind popular African concepts Tamba and Kafe Utu – met Eliot on a trip to New Zealand. From there, the two got talking about their favourite culinary memories from their travels, from the fresh spices of Zanzibar to the vibrant flavours of Mexico.
With Magpie, Eliot wants the experience to be “aggressively delicious” but “unconventionally familiar”. True enough, you’ll find influences from all over the globe in his dishes, from India to Italy, China to Fiji, and so on. Because of the produce-first nature of his cooking, expect the menu to change every few weeks as well.
We start with the fresh tandoor bread ($9) glazed with Magpie’s butter. While it doesn’t leave a lasting impression on its own, it’s the perfect vehicle for dipping into other saucy dishes. Case in point: the grilled squid with melon chaat salad ($25) topped with chickpeas and a creamy yoghurt sauce. Also order the deep fried zucchini flower if it’s available ($16). The crisp, deep-fried parcel boasts a crunchy exterior and gooey middle, plus a burst of tanginess from fermented chilli.
One of Magpie’s signatures is the Market Haul ($26), a dish Eliot conceptualised pretty early on, combining Fijian ceviche called ‘kokoda’ with Zanzibar spices. Meanwhile, the burrata ($34) is a playful twist on the Pugliese classic, with a slight Asian touch from curried brinjal pickles. Although on the pricey side and not freshly made, its creamy richness is undeniable.
Big plates are meant to be shared here. The grilled beef skewers ($54) accompanied by a romesco-egg yolk dipping sauce, are nicely charred and tender, and the scallion oil dressing brings an unexpected nod to Chinese cuisine. A solid alternative would be the lamb t-bone ($56), paired with burnt aubergine, yoghurt, urfa, and pomegranate molasses.
You’ll notice that Eliot prefers working with regular cuts and ingredients like hanger steak over the premium stuff like wagyu and caviar. His only gripe seems to be that the best lamb you can procure in Singapore can’t hold a candle to the grass-fed ones from the green pastures of NZ.
Onto desserts. The Wagner ($19) namedrops Magpie’s co-founder Kurt Wagner. This dessert is a bright spin on an affogato, combining orange gelato and coffee with peated whiskey for a smoky malt flavour that ties it all together. The sticky toffee pudding with mace ice cream and salted caramel ($18) is a decadent no-brainer as well. But the house sorbet ($12) was a bit of an oddball – the jambu flavour of that day was strongly reminiscent of rojak and laksa leaf, which didn’t sit quite well with us.
The drinks menu, however, is a pleasant surprise. For something crisp, clean, and smooth, go for the Biciletta cocktail ($22) with Americano Rosa, white white, and soda. Another easy one would be the Lekker Spritz ($22) – a Cape Town aperitif or ‘caperitif’ with sparkling wine and tonic. For something different, try the Urraca, which is a mezcal-based drink with ginger beer and a lively calamansi twist.
A tight selection of craft and draft beer is also available, though we reckon wine lovers might be the ones getting more of a kick out of the beverage menu. The wine list sees big, bold choices that change weekly according to the food. And strangely, nothing from New Zealand features on the list.
With plenty of new gems in the area like Dirty Supper, Fiasco, Casa Cicheti, and now Magpie, picking where to dine in Tiong Bahru is slowly proving to be quite the headache. That can tell us a little about why the need for such a dynamic food programme at Magpie. The prices sit on the higher side even for the neighbourhood, but its one-of-a-kind concept and ever-evolving menu might just be why we decide to bite the bullet and make a return visit.
Find out more about Magpie here.
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