Royal Taj

Royal Taj is a modern Indian restaurant on the second level of Mess Hall Block 16, at 2 Gunner Lane on Sentosa. It fills part of a restored colonial building on a site that began life as a military outpost. The kitchen cooks dishes from many states of India and gives them a modern touch with newer ingredients and methods.

The restaurant opened in 2019. It sits in the same hotel precinct as Village Hotel Sentosa, The Outpost Hotel and The Barracks Hotel Sentosa, and it serves breakfast to their guests only. Lunch and dinner are open to everyone.

What to order

The menu is long and easy to share. Many dishes come from the tandoor, the clay oven used across North India. Good choices include:

• Tandoori starters: tandoori king prawns, fish ajwaini tikka, flavoured with carom seeds, and chicken or paneer achari tikka, marinated in pickling spices. Paneer is a fresh Indian cheese. A mixed tandoori platter lets a group try several at once.
• Street snacks: chaat such as paani poori, samosa chaat and dahi papdi chaat. They are crisp and tangy, with yoghurt and chutneys on top.
• Curries: butter chicken, chicken tikka masala and lamb rogan josh, plus a Goan fish curry and a Malabari prawn curry.
• Vegetarian dishes: dal makhani, palak paneer and paneer butter masala.
• Biryani and breads: chicken, mutton, prawn or vegetable biryani, with naan, paratha and roti on the side.

Finish with gulab jamun or ras malai, or a cold lassi. A bar menu covers drinks to go with the meal. The restaurant also sells bento boxes, and it runs a takeaway menu.

The setting

The Mess Hall is a group of colonial blocks that now hold restaurants and bars. Royal Taj takes an upper floor, where floor-to-ceiling windows let in plenty of daylight. Wall paintings give the room a festive feel. It works well for family meals, birthdays and groups after a day on the island.

For bigger occasions there is a separate space called the Jalsa Event Hall. The team also handles catering and events, including weddings. The official website has 360-degree virtual tours you can look at before you book.

Good to know before you go

• Dress code: smart casual, formal or traditional Indian wear. Beachwear, bermuda shorts and flip-flops are not allowed, so change after the beach.
• Diets: the kitchen caters for vegetarian and Jain diets as well as meat eaters. Our vegetarian and vegan guide has more ideas.
• Booking: reserve through the Royal Taj website or by phone.
• Getting there: the nearest Sentosa Express stop is Imbiah Station.

Nearby

Other good tables on Sentosa include Fiamma, TungLok Heen and Cassia. Between meals, walk the old gun batteries at Fort Siloso or spend an afternoon on Palawan Beach. You can also see all restaurants on Sentosa, browse more Indian restaurants in Singapore, read our guide to Indian food, or plan your day with our Sentosa guide.