The ultimate guide to the Civic District

There are no cake stands or fancy display cases at this Japanese-inspired patisserie. Images of its desserts are also deliberately left out on its menu. To choose, diners have to rely solely on the description – and their imagination. It works on a reservation-only basis, and diners have to choose what they want to order beforehand. A total of six cakes and two plated desserts are available as part of Kki’s offerings. No matter the choice, all desserts come elegantly plated and offer a dainty treat for both the camera and your tastebuds.

If you find the name familiar, it’s because this place is the latest addition to the Cicheti family’s line of Italian restaurants. And like its siblings, you can expect good, hearty Italian grub here. But unlike its siblings, the vibe here is simpler and more laid-back. Naturally, pasta remains a highlight at Caffe Cicheti, with classics that include the pesto ($22) and vongole ($26) with garlic butter, lemon, and palm-sized clams.

This 40-seater space, decked out in millennial pink tabletops, serves up wobbly pancakes with honey butter, maple syrup, and chantilly cream for just $8.80. Bubble tea lovers can look forward to its oolong boba soufflé pancake with gula Melaka boba and oolong crème anglaise, while other ‘grammable versions include the strawberry cheese, hazelnut chocolate, and mango passion fruit. 

Soak in the grandiose of its interiors before you savour the flavour of its Peranakan dishes that leaves a party in your mouth. In addition to the rempah-rich Nyonya plates that cements Violet Oon's status as the doyenne of Peranakan food in Singapore, the restaurant's desserts are where interpretation starts to edge in on the tradition. And you can satisfy your sweet tooth with its high tea set which makes for a tasty respite from walking the galleries.

With breathtaking views of the Singapore skyline, Jaan is an intimate 40-seat restaurant that takes you on a culinary journey to Britain. After three years helming the restaurant, chef Kirk Westaway has hit full stride with his latest Reinventing British menu. A series of snacks like a fish and chips tart and Britain’s national dish, chicken tikka masala served to the tune of Brit-pop and rock music to set the tone of the meal. Signature mains include the Alaskan langoustine served with courgette as well as aged roasted pigeon with blackberry, beetroot and foie gras.

The two-Michelin-star holder is really pushing Singapore's culinary landscape forwards with its Essential Cuisine philosophy. Described as honest food with a steep respect for ingredients cultivated from his farming family in France, chef Julien Royer’s cuisine prides itself on keeping up with the provenance of its produce, which results in magnificent plates that will blow any diner away.

Labyrinth, like the city it represents, is defined by growth and change. Chef-owner Han Li Guang's "new expression of Singapore cuisine" sees him moving away from reinterpretations of classic local dishes like chilli crab and mee pok. Instead, this truly local restaurant has turned locavore: 80 percent of its menu is made from ingredients sourced from the city's farms presented in a 16-course dinner that echoes Singapore's past, present and future.

After all these years, Summer Pavilion is still one of the best Chinese eateries in town. Chef Cheung Siu Kong has been honing his craft in the same kitchen since 2003 and earning the restaurant its first Michelin star in 2016. Cheung’s signature dishes include barbecued Iberico pork with honey sauce and marinated South African abalone with roasted sesame dressing.

Curing, smoking and fermenting are front and centre of this Drew Nocente-led kitchen. That much is clear as soon as you step into the long shophouse space, see the little piggies on the walls and pass a dry cabinet in which all manner of salami and steaks hang, their hues ranging from deep mahogany to pale pink. There’s even kangaroo loin, a nod to Nocente’s Aussie roots, lurking in there.

Perched on the 70th floor of the Swissotel the Stamford, Skai overlooks the civic district down from the Padang to Marina Bay. Start your meal with a series of sharing plates. The heirloom tomatoes and yellowfin tuna tartare are safe favourites. Executive chef Paul Hallett is also an expert butcher and self-professed lover of steak, so it’s no surprise to see 10 types of rare beef like the Saga Wagyu tenderloin on offer.

Have supper under the stars as you take in sweeping views of Marina Bay while chowing down on all the best local street eats at Makansutra Gluttons Bay. Local foodie, KF Seetoh, hand-picks famous hawkers specialising in dishes such as satay, char kway teow and oyster omelette, and houses them in one dining destination. With food this delectable, you won’t be paying any mind to the heat from charcoal embers and the sweat dripping from your face.

While locals usually turn their noses up at Lau Pa Sat due to its touristy nature, this historic building has its charms. Aside from its stunning architecture, this hawker centre is loaded with scrumptious local food and international cuisine – providing tons of variety. Each stall is clearly labeled with the specialty it serves, from North Indian and Vietnamese to Costa Rican and Japanese. Come night-time, the Boon Tat Street side of Lau Pa Sat makes way for satay, the perfect spot for after-work nosh.

Once a convent school, CHIJMES has transformed into a hip lifestyle enclave brimming with bars, restaurants and cafés. Have your fill of Mexican grub at El Mero Mero, traditional Cantonese fare at Lei Garden, Western comfort food at Privé@CHIJMES, French-Japanese dishes at Whitegrass, craft beers at Almost Famous, and specialty coffees at The Glasshouse.

In skyscraper-dense Singapore, rooftop bars are no rarity. But when one's perched on the Old Supreme Court Building, where the National Gallery currently stands, you know it's pretty special. Its menu aims to regale you with unusual flavour combinations and culinary magic to artfully challenge perceptions – think classic drinks with experimental new twists. Indulge in 1-for-1 cocktails during the Tipples & Chill happy hours (3pm to 5pm daily) and take your pick from aperitifs Aperol Spritz, Campari Orange and six refreshing Gin & Tonics.

The OG of local rooftop bars might be – literally – overshadowed by younger upstarts on taller buildings, but it hasn't yet lost its place on our list of watering holes for a fun night out. The beer is cold, the vibe casual, and the food now deserves special mention, thanks to Bjorn Shen. The chef-owner of Artichoke brings his 'dude food' leanings to Loof. We're talking over-the-top and greasy-in-a-good-way dishes that you wish you could save in the fridge for when the munchies hit all paired with cheeky locally inspired cocktails.

An intimate, 40-seater cocktail haven that is also an offshoot of the Cantonese restaurant located next to it. But don't expect cheesy Chinese-inspired cocktails that are more thematic than tempting. It takes a culinary approach to create its selection of drinks, making use of high-quality ingredients such as the best strawberries and cherry tomatoes to make a sherbert from scratch. This sherbet goes into making a gin-based drink called Portofino ($24), a gin-based cocktail inspired by his Italian heritage.

Named after the British tax official that imposes duties on alcohol, The Exciseman is a whisky bar that harks back to the good old days with its antique brass ceiling tiles, vintage lamps and a 140-year-old grand piano, just to set the tone. Owned by Patricia Britton and Lewis Mitchell, who also co-founded alcoholic beverage company Le Vigne, this bar houses some of the most exquisite and rare bottles on the island. The selection leans towards special editions and artisanal bottlings from Scotland’s best distilleries including Douglas Laing’s Single Minded Speyside 15 Year Old ($14) and Old Particular Speyside 21 ($48).

What makes a great date is the quality of the conversation. Keep it intimate at this classy but bold space at the Mandarin Oriental. Its latest menu draws on regional inspiration to give you novel tipples – sample Thunder ($12), made to capture the flavours of thunder tea rice; or the White Rabbit ($24) with tequila, tomato, kimchi, and black garlic. 

Anti:dote at Fairmont Singapore is not your typical hotel bar. Its mixologist-centric crafted drinks concept, with modern tapas, keeps up with current trends. Anti:dote’s cocktail menu is a solid offering of nine mixed drinks of classics reinvented alongside an impressive list of spirits available in 45ml or 60ml pours. The Rabbit Hole is a refreshing one to start with – a mix of carrot juice spiked with Hendrick's Gin, Mancino Bianco and elderflower liqueur – best paired with chicken liver parfait from the tapas menu.

Head down to Chimi’s for a different type of alfresco experience. Located in the CBD, this ground-level Mexican cantina is set in a 20-foot container with bar tables and stools surrounding it. The spot serves tipples like frozen margaritas ($18), good ol’ draft beers (from $12.80), spirits, and bubbly. Pair your drinks with bar bites like tacos ($12), quesadillas ($14), and guac and chips ($7).

As a nod to the international array of talent that graces its jazzy stage, Cool Cats' cocktail menu is inspired by moments in music. There are 14 tipples available that cover everything from 1800s ragtime to legendary jazz artists Billie Holiday and Duke Ellington. Try The Ways of the Diva ($24), a tribute to the one and only Empress of the Blues Bessie Smith, a deceptively simple blend of Mozart Dry Chocolate, mezcal, pear. For something a little boozier, go for the Professor of Swing ($26), a mix of VSOP, vermouth, liqueur and bitters.

Alchemist Beer Lab is Asia's first infusion beer lab brought to you by the people behind microbrewery-pub Little Island Brewing Co. Be greeted by 16 glistening beer towers filled with a variety of experimental beer infusions like Obama (stout infused with marshmallow, vanilla pods and mint leaves) and Ugly Sister Golden (ale infused with grilled pineapple and star anise).

An audiophile's paradise, the Analog Vault is a cave of vinyls, turntables and other music merchandise, as well as indie hardback and paperback titles for a good read. Similar to its online store, the Esplanade brick-and-mortar carries records in mono and stereo, as well as box sets, limited editions and 7' singles by artists from a plethora of genres, including jazz, electronic, modern and experimental classical, world music, hip-hop, R&B and soul. Don't be surprised to find a local band's LP hidden amongst the many international titles.

The local footwear brand is known for its sophisticated and simple designs that are good for everyday wear. Shop pretty flats, low-heeled mules and strappy sandals that are affordable and won't kill your feet and ankles. The brand also sticks to a neutral palette for its shoes so you can mix and match with whatever outfit you have on. The newly opened store in Suntec is where you can check out the shoes (and try it on) but you can always shop on its online store which rolls out new designs weekly and ships internationally. 

This sustainable women’s swimwear brand makes pieces from recycled fabric made from waste plastic, such as fishnets and carpeting. It is melted down and spun into fibres that are then woven into the material used for the swimwear. Featuring mix-and-match cuts and prints to enable individual expression and a perfect fit, the collections include bikini separates, one-piece swimsuits, rash guards and beachwear.

Step inside the Love, Bonito’s largest physical store in Singapore located right in Funan. The local label offers womenswear for work, casual wear and also special occasions. The Funan store is one Instagrammable spot with pastel walls, coloured lights and beautiful fitting rooms. It also has an express e-commerce counter, and on-demand stylists. The store also holds workshops and events to bring the community together to experience the brand. 

In order for you to unleash your inner rockstar a la Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page and B.B. King, you'll need a good set of instruments to get started. We're talking electric guitars, effects pedals and amps, and what better way to snap them all up at Davis Guitar. As its name suggests, this music store carries all things guitars from acoustics and basses to various amps and monitors, as well as accessories such as strings, tuners, picks, pickups, capos, slides, straps, bags and other guitar parts. And if you need a hand in pushing sonic boundaries or tweaking your tone, its team of pros is always ready to help.

Bugis has gone through an overhaul over the years – transforming from a port for pirates and quarters for prostitution to the classy (and artsy) precinct it is today which includes new developments like Andaz, the National Design Centre and the modern National Library branch. Not to mention a smorgasbord of food options from all over the world – whether it's Michelin-star hawker fare, Malay cuisine or Peruvian plates. While the area is evolving into a mini CBD, it hasn’t gone all business-like just yet. The colourful neighbourhood is a place of contrasts, with the historical monuments of Kampong Glam contrasting against state-of-the-art buildings like Parkview Square and Duo Tower. Bugis has also recently been named one of the coolest neighbourhoods in the world, according to a Time Out global survey. So check out all these venues that make the heritage enclave so great. 

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