EVENTFUL GUIDES · RAFFLES CITY
What to eat at Raffles City
- Address
- 252 North Bridge Road, Singapore 179103
- Mall hours
- 10am to 10pm daily
- Nearest station
- City Hall (EW13, NS25)
- In this guide
- 18 places, every unit number checked
Raffles City sits on top of City Hall station with two hotels stacked above it, which means the food ranges from a $4 curry puff in the basement to a two Michelin star tasting menu on the 70th floor of Swissotel The Stamford. Both are in this guide.
Basement 1 is where most people actually eat and it is dense: a long run of kiosks and small restaurants that you can walk end to end in five minutes. Level 1 to 3 is where you sit down. Unit numbers on everything below, because the basement in particular is a maze.
In this guide
The list, floor by floor
1. Din Tai Fung
The basement outlet, and one of the busiest in the country because of the office crowd upstairs. Lunch between 12 and 1.30 is a fight. Go at 11.30 or after 2.
2. Sushidan
The first Singapore shop from Hiroyuki Sato of Michelin starred Sushi Tokami in Tokyo, tucked into the basement rather than a hotel lobby, which is the surprise.
3. NamNam
Vietnamese pho and banh mi, fast, cheap enough, and the fallback when nothing else in the basement appeals.
4. Old Chang Kee
Curry puffs in the basement, halal certified, four dollars and gone in two minutes.
5. Tai Cheong Bakery
The Hong Kong egg tart shop, running since 1954. Buy them warm or do not bother.
6. IPPUDO
Tonkotsu ramen from the Hakata chain that got most of Singapore into ramen in the first place. Still consistent, still worth it.
7. Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu 牛かつ 京都勝牛
Deep fried beef cutlet from Kyoto that you finish yourself on a hot stone at the table. Order it rare and do not overcook it.
8. Poulét
French rotisserie chicken at casual prices, halal certified. The mushroom sauce is the whole point.
9. BROTHERBIRD BAKEHOUSE
Their first bake on site unit, so the croissants and the milk buns come out of the oven behind the counter rather than a central kitchen.
10. Blue Bottle Coffee
The Southeast Asia debut of the Oakland roaster, in the LUMINE space. It is a coffee bar first and a place to sit second, so expect to stand around a bit.
11. Brotzeit
German beer hall food. Pork knuckle, sausages, big steins, and a terrace that catches the evening crowd coming out of the office towers.
12. Bacha Coffee
The Marrakech coffee house with the gold pots and roughly two hundred single origin coffees. Come for the room as much as the cup.
13. PUTIEN Restaurant
Heng Hwa cooking from Fujian and one of the few chains in a mall that people would queue for outside a mall too. The stir fried yam and the bee hoon are the order.
14. Sufood
Vegetarian from Taiwan, set course format, and genuinely interesting rather than worthy. The easiest place in the building to feed a group with one vegetarian in it.
15. Asian Market Cafe
A halal buffet in the Fairmont, which is a rare combination. Local and regional dishes, and their own listing calls it one of few halal buffet restaurants in Singapore.
16. The Food Place by Food Republic
The Level 3 food hall, and the good version of the format. Their own listing says it houses Michelin recognised stalls, so it is worth a look before you commit to a restaurant.
17. JAAN BY KIRK WESTAWAY
Level 70 of Swissotel The Stamford. Modern British tasting menus and one of the best views in Singapore. This is a book weeks ahead, dress properly meal, not a mall lunch.
18. SKAI
The other Level 70 room, a contemporary grill with the same view for less commitment than JAAN. Good for a drink at sunset if dinner is not the plan.
Quick answers
How do I get to Raffles City by MRT?
City Hall station connects directly into the mall. That is the East West Line (EW13) and the North South Line (NS25). Esplanade station on the Circle Line (CC3) is the other entrance, via Exit G.
What time does Raffles City open and close?
The mall runs 10am to 10pm daily. The hotel restaurants above it, including the Level 70 rooms in Swissotel The Stamford, keep their own later hours and take their own bookings.
Where is the cheapest food at Raffles City?
Basement 1, which is a long run of kiosks and small counters, and the Level 3 food hall by Food Republic. Between them you can eat properly for under fifteen dollars without leaving the building.
Is there halal food at Raffles City?
Yes. Asian Market Cafe in the Fairmont is a halal buffet, and Poulet, The Soup Spoon, XW Western Grill, Old Chang Kee, Stuff'd, Lee Wee & Brothers, Simply Wrapps and The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf are flagged halal certified in the mall's own directory.
What is the restaurant on the 70th floor of Raffles City?
There are two, both in Swissotel The Stamford above the mall. JAAN by Kirk Westaway does modern British tasting menus, and SKAI is a contemporary grill with a bar. Both need a booking and both are a different price bracket from the mall below.
Is Raffles City connected to Marina Square and Suntec?
It sits at City Hall, a short covered walk from the Esplanade and the Marina Centre malls. Most people walk it rather than take a train one stop.