Lagnaa Barefoot Dining

Lagnaa Barefoot Dining is an Indian restaurant at 6 Upper Dickson Road in Little India. Its best-known feature is upstairs, where you take off your shoes and eat sitting on the floor. Downstairs has ordinary tables and chairs if you prefer.

Chef and owner Kaesavan opened Lagnaa in 2005. He is a third-generation cook who worked in finance before turning to food. The name means "your essence" in Tamil. Lagnaa has been in the Michelin Guide since 2016, and the 2026 guide lists it as a Bib Gourmand, an award for good food at fair prices.

How the spice works

At Lagnaa you choose how hot your food should be. The scale runs from mild at level 1 up to level 10. If you are not sure, the restaurant suggests trying its curry shots first to test your limit.

Heat is not the only focus. The chef builds his curry sets around six flavours from Ayurvedic tradition: sweet, sour, salty, spicy, bitter and astringent. Each set aims to include all six.

Keen chilli eaters can take on the Chilli Challenge. Anyone who clears the level 6 curry earns an invitation to the monthly challenge on full moon nights, when the higher levels are on offer.

What to order

Michelin Guide write-ups have pointed to the butter chicken, the spinach and cheese dish palak paneer and the fish head curry. The butter chicken is on the sweet side, which helps if the rest of your order is hot. Eat the curries with naan or rice, and ask the staff which dishes suit your spice level.

Parties of two can choose from several set menus. These are an easy way to try a range of dishes without a long debate over the menu.

The setting

The restaurant fills a three-storey building. Sitting on the floor upstairs gives the meal a relaxed, homely feel. It is a fun choice for groups and for visitors who want something different from a standard restaurant.

Good to know before you go

• Bookings: reserve through the official website or by WhatsApp. For groups of nine or more, the restaurant asks you to message it directly.
• Deposits: any deposit you pay when booking is taken off your final bill.
• Floor seating: you sit low for the whole meal upstairs, so ask for a table downstairs if that would be uncomfortable.
• Cooking classes: you can register interest in classes with Chef Kaesavan on the website.

Nearby

Lagnaa is a good base for exploring Little India. The Indian Heritage Centre tells the story of the area's Indian community. Before you go, read our list of dishes to try in Little India.

For another meal, Madras New Woodlands Restaurant is on the same street, and Mustard cooks Bengali and Punjabi food on Race Course Road. You can also browse more Indian restaurants in Singapore or all restaurants in Little India and Jalan Besar.