Ce Soir

Ce Soir is a small fine dining restaurant on Portsdown Road, led by chef-partner Seth Lai. It serves seasonal tasting menus that mix French technique with Southeast Asian flavours and Japanese produce. The name means "tonight" in French, and flowers run through everything, from the room to the plates.

Seth Lai grew up in Teluk Intan, Malaysia, in a home with its own backyard farm. He worked in kitchens including 28 Wilkie, Iggy's and Esora before Ce Soir. In 2024 he won the MICHELIN Guide Singapore Young Chef Award. Ce Soir is a selected restaurant in the Michelin Guide, and Tatler Dining named it a Spotlight restaurant for 2026.

What to order

There is no à la carte list. You choose from set menus that change with the seasons, with a longer menu at dinner and shorter ones at lunch. Many dishes start from the chef's childhood memories of kampong life in Malaysia, then get a fine dining finish. Flowers and leaves decorate the courses, and the Michelin Guide likens the menu to a scrapbook of the chef's memories.

• Taro dumpling with wagyu tartare: a signature snack on past menus. The chef has said it took him almost 25 tries to get right.
• Seaweed bread: the house bread, flavoured with star anise, sea salt and nori.
• Seafood courses: recent menus have used kinmedai, Hokkaido scallop and lobster.
• Desserts: the September 2026 menu closed with white peach, chrysanthemum and passion fruit, then small sweets such as banana with cream cheese and gula melaka.

The wine list leans French, with a strong range of champagne. You can add a wine flight of two or three glasses to your meal.

The setting

The restaurant sits in a colonial black-and-white bungalow in a green, low-rise part of the city. The dining room is small and intimate. Dried flowers line the walls, and fresh blooms turn up on the plates. It suits a date night, an anniversary or a long meal with a close friend.

Good to know before you go

• Book ahead: reservations are taken online. Changes need 72 hours' notice, and late cancellations and no-shows are charged.
• Dress code: smart casual. Men should wear long trousers and closed shoes. Shorts and flip-flops are not allowed.
• Children: those aged six and over are welcome. There is no children's menu, so they eat the full tasting menu.
• Dietary needs: the kitchen cannot cater for vegetarian or vegan diets, or for dairy, gluten or coeliac needs.
• Time: allow about two and a half hours for dinner.

Getting there

Portsdown Road is a quiet, leafy area that is not easy to reach on foot from public transport. A taxi or car is the simplest option. Free parking is available beside the restaurant.

Nearby

For a more casual meal in the same area, try Colbar. For French bistro food, try Les Bouchons at Rochester. By day, walk the trails of Kent Ridge Park or visit Haw Par Villa. Browse more restaurants in West Coast and Buona Vista, or compare other fine dining restaurants in Singapore. You can find more on the Ce Soir website.