Photo: Nicolas Lannuzel from Singapore, Singapore, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped
Neighbourhood Guides
Tanjong Pagar & Keong Saik Guides
Shophouse restaurants, cocktail bars and Korean food near the CBD: one of Singapore's best areas to eat and drink.
This page covers Tanjong Pagar and Keong Saik, an old shophouse district next to the business district. It is one of the best parts of Singapore to eat and drink. Expect Korean barbecue, cocktail bars and restaurants serving food from many countries.
Use the guide below to choose where to eat, drink and stay, and how to get there.
Plan it with EatStays: Restaurants in Chinatown & Tanjong Pagar.
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Why Tanjong Pagar is worth an evening
Tanjong Pagar sits between Chinatown and the business district. Its streets are lined with restored shophouses. A shophouse is a narrow terrace building, usually two or three storeys high, with a shop below and rooms above. Today many hold restaurants, cafés, bars and small hotels. Office workers fill the area at lunch, and diners arrive in the evening.
The neighbourhood is compact and easy to walk. You can stroll from one street to the next in a few minutes. That makes it a good place to wander before you choose where to eat.
The streets to know
Keong Saik Road
Keong Saik Road is a curving street of colourful shophouses. It has a cluster of well-regarded restaurants and small hotels. Kok Sen Restaurant serves zi char here. Zi char means cooked-to-order Chinese dishes, made for sharing.
Duxton Hill and Duxton Road
Duxton Hill is a quiet, leafy lane of shophouses with restaurants and bars. Duxton Road, right next to it, has more places to eat. Both are home to boutique hotels.
Tanjong Pagar Road
This main road is known for its many Korean restaurants. Barbecue grills, fried chicken shops and noodle bars sit side by side.
Amoy Street and Telok Ayer
A short walk away, these streets mix old temples, cafés and lunch spots. Amoy Street Food Centre is a hawker centre that gets very busy at lunchtime. Thian Hock Keng Temple is a historic Chinese temple nearby. It is a working place of worship, so dress modestly and move quietly inside.
What to eat in the area
Korean barbecue
At a Korean barbecue, you grill meat at your table. It comes with small side dishes called banchan. Super Star K is a popular Korean barbecue spot here. See all our Korean BBQ picks.
Restaurants by cuisine
- Peranakan: Blue Ginger serves Peranakan food, which blends Chinese and Malay cooking.
- French: Ma Cuisine and Bar-Roque Grill.
- Indian: Firangi Superstar, and Revolver for Indian food cooked over a grill.
- Japanese: Keisuke Tonkotsu King for rich pork-bone ramen.
- Middle Eastern and Mexican: Fat Prince and Lucha Loco.
- Dessert: Apiary for ice cream.
For a special occasion, Born and Zén offer fine dining. Book these well ahead.
Hawker food nearby
Maxwell Food Centre is a short walk away. It is home to Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice, one of the best-known chicken rice stalls in Singapore. Hawker meals cost far less than restaurant meals, though prices change.
Drinks and nightlife
The area has many cocktail bars, some tucked away inside old shophouses. They are busiest late in the week. The legal drinking age in Singapore is 18. Drinks can be expensive, so set a budget, pace yourself and drink responsibly. Take a taxi or the MRT home rather than driving. Our Cocktail Bars topic has more on the city's bar scene.
Where to stay
- Hotel 1929 is a boutique hotel on Keong Saik Road.
- Mondrian Singapore Duxton and Duxton Reserve Singapore are boutique hotels in the Duxton area.
- Oasia Hotel Downtown is a four-star tower known for its plant-covered walls.
- Sofitel Singapore City Centre is a five-star choice.
See all Hotels in Chinatown & Tanjong Pagar.
Getting there and tips
The East-West Line stops at Tanjong Pagar MRT station, the closest stop for most of the area. Outram Park station is handy for Keong Saik Road. Maxwell station sits beside Maxwell Food Centre.
- Book popular restaurants ahead, especially on Friday and Saturday nights.
- Some restaurants close between lunch and dinner, so check before you go.
- Smart-casual clothes suit most places in the evening.
- Pair the area with a walk around Chinatown. Browse our Chinatown guides or try the Chinatown Cheap Eats Crawl: A Half-Day Route.
FAQs about Tanjong Pagar and Keong Saik
Where is Keong Saik Road?
It sits on the edge of Chinatown, a short walk from Outram Park MRT station.
Is Keong Saik Road worth visiting?
Yes, especially for dinner. The area packs Korean barbecue, hawker centres, casual cafés and fine dining into a few walkable streets.
Why is the area called Singapore's Koreatown?
The main road through the area has many Korean restaurants, grocers and barbecue spots. Locals often use the nickname for this stretch.
Is it a good area to stay in?
Yes, especially if food is a priority. It is central, close to the MRT and next to Chinatown. Many boutique hotels are in restored shophouses.