Kampong Glam or Kampong Gelam is one of Singapore's cultural gems. Once an ethnic enclave for the Muslim community, it has since evolved into a mecca for culture, entertainment, food and arts.
The area is made up of several interconnected streets including Haji Lane, Bali Lane and Arab Street which are home to a range of cool cafes, quirky cocktail bars, artisanal bakeries and cuisine from all over the world. Although you can visit Kampong Glam at any time of the day, the area really comes alive after dark, with lively late-night dining and drinks, crooning street buskers and the occasional night bazaar.
Here are the best restaurants, cafes and bars in Kampong Glam.
Piedra Negra
241 Beach Road (on the corner of Haji Lane)
Image credit: Piedra Negra | Facebook
Piedra Negra serves up hearty Mexican fare alongside oversized frozen margaritas and live music. The best tables, on a non-rainy night, are the ones lined up outside along the colourful Haji Lane.
Their guacamole, which is freshly prepared at your table, is one of the best we have tried and it comes served with plenty of tortilla chips. The beef nachos and mango ceviche are also worth ordering. All in all, it’s a fun and lively spot for those looking to have a drink and casual bite to eat without leaving a gaping hole in your wallet.
Puffy Bois
20A Bali Lane
Image credit: Puffy Bois | Supplied
Puffy Bois, everyone’s favourite pizza and cocktail bar, has recently refreshed its drinks menu. With drinks designed to be easily approachable and enjoyable, the new menu offers a variety of styles and flavours whether you’re stopping by just to relax with a drink and some friends or looking for something to wash down a few slices of delicious pizza.
Anchoring the list as a carryover from the opening cocktail menu, the What What is Puffy Bois’ customisable, sour-style cocktail. At the heart of the cocktail is a housemade blend of citruses (lemon, lime, pink grapefruit and calamansi), mixing the juices with an oleo saccharum made from sugar, spent peels and husks to boost the citrus flavour. You can then design your perfect drink by selecting your spirit and style of serve (long, short or on the rocks), and if you’re feeling adventurous, opt for some additional bitters, modifiers or fresh herbs.
Other highlights include the Pillar to Post which draws inspiration from one end of the world to the other. This bitter and herbaceous yet fresh long drink marries an Alpine Amaro, French Vermouth and a unique housemade Australian botanical soda—Strawberry Gum—for a Puffy Bois spin on a classic Americano.
As for the pizza, there’s five to choose from and they can be ordered by the slice or pie. The margherita and pepperoni are mainstays, while the additional three will change based on the team’s creative whim.
The Coconut Club
269 Beach Road
Image credit: The Coconut Club | Supplied
The team at The Coconut Club have spent many years researching and uncovering a huge range of regional recipes with a particular focus on understanding how nasi lemak is served across Southeast Asia. “In Singapore, we count ourselves privileged to be able to draw from a melting pot of cultures and acknowledge the origin where our recipes are rooted. Ultimately, we want to bring our love for coconut milk to the world, through the lens of comforting, unassuming dishes that best represent our favourite lemak food,” explains Daniel Sia, Managing Partner of The Coconut Club.
Their signature chicken nasi lemak, which is served between 11am to 2.30pm and again from 6pm to 9.30pm, comes with a serving of coconut rice, fried egg, anchovies, peanuts, cucumber and sambal. They also do an equally delicious rendang nasi lemak which features a dry curry of Australian beef cheek braised in spices and coconut milk.
Although The Coconut Club has numerous locations across Singapore, their Beach Road venue is their flagship and is located in a restored shophouse. You can pop by their communal space at Level 1 or experience the peak of their cuisine at the Level 2 Dining Room.
Birds of Paradise
263 Beach Road
Image credit: Birds of Paradise | Facebook
Homegrown gelato boutique, Birds of Paradise, is known for its unique botanical flavours and has become so popular there’s often queues out the door. If that wasn’t enough to entice you, the brand is also listed as a Michelin Plate establishment, an accolade given out by the Michelin Guide to recognise good quality food.
Using real, natural ingredients and a range of fruits, flowers, pods, herbs and spices you can expect to see flavours like white chrysanthemum, lychee raspberry, sea salt hojicha, strawberry basil and spiced pear—all of which come served in house-made thyme cones.
Even if you're not a fan of ice cream, you'll want to check out Birds of Paradise just so you can take some snaps inside their dreamy, totally designed for Instragm stores.
Afterwit
778 North Bridge Road
Image credit: Afterwit | Facebook
Whether you're in the mood for a gooey melted cheese and beef quesadilla or something a little more adventurous like their Prawnstar taco, Afterwit has got you covered. Taking advantage of the relatively untouched area of Mexican Halal restaurants in Singapore, this Halal-certified venue has established itself as a cult favourite among those with a penchant for spicy flavours.
For something a bit different, we recommend ordering their whole chicken leg topped with mole sauce and served with apple cider slaw and your choice of Mexican rice or tortilla. For dessert, the empanadas (caramelised bananas stuffed in house made pastry turnovers served with vanilla bean gelato and dulce de leche) are an excellent choice. As this is a Halal restaurant, they don't serve alcohol, but their virgin berry mint mojito is just as delicious without.
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Overrice
41 Sultan Gate
Image credit: Overrice | Supplied
Founded by four men with a passion for travelling and a penchant for discovering different cuisines, Overrice was inspired by a Mediterranean style bowl the lads tasted during one of their trips to New York. Overrice’s version is an all-in-one bowl with a choice of slow cooked pulled beef, grilled chicken or fried falafel balls. It is served over seasoned basmati rice, with freshly baked pita bread and mixed salad tucked neatly on the side.
Aside from their delicious rice bowls, Overrice’s expanded menu includes pita pockets and fancy New York inspired mocktails. In the spirit of supporting local, Overrice has also partnered with up-and-coming talented dessert chefs so you can get your sugar fix.
Zam Zam
697-699 North Bridge Road
Image credit: Zam Zam | Facebook
Established in 1908, Zam Zam (its name refers to holy water in Arabic) is a popular restaurant serving up classic Indian-Muslim dishes like biryani, murtabak, roti prata, fish head curry and mee goreng. The no frills venue has two floors with the kitchen and a small seating area located on the ground floor and a larger, airconditioned dining area upstairs.
Zam Zam is famous for its biryani and murtabak, so do yourself a favour and order the chicken version of both. If you’re after something a little more exotic, the venison is also a popular choice. There’s a long drinks list offering everything from tea and coffee to iced calamansi, but we recommend the bandung dinosaur which is a rose syrup drink with condensed milk and a heaping of Milo powder on top.
Fika Swedish Cafe & Bistro
257 Beach Road
Image credit: Fika | Facebook
When you think of Swedish food in Singapore, IKEA is probably the first place that springs to mind, but thankfully that’s not the only place to get your Swedish fix. Situated along Beach Road, Fika first opened its doors back in 2009 and is known for its traditional Swedish meatballs, served alongside other authentic Swedish dishes including pickled herring, shrimp toast and Swedish lamb stew.
The halal certified restaurant was founded by Tasneem Noor, together with her husband, Joakim Smidhagen. The couple also own Konditori, an artisanal bakery serving European pastries and desserts, located just a stone’s throw away from Fika on Bussorah Street.
Beirut Grill
72 Bussorah Street
Image credit: Beirut Grill | Supplied
With the majestic Sultan Mosque as a backdrop, Beirut Grill is known for serving up some of the most delicious Lebanese and Middle Eastern cuisine in Singapore.
Some of our favourite dishes include the Falafel Salad (a mixture of tabbouleh, onions, chickpeas and bulgur topped with lemon juice, olive oil and falafel), the Beirut Mezza Platter (hummus, baba ghanoush, moutabal, cheese roll and falafel), Sizzling Kefalotyri Cheese with Caramelised Onion (Kefalotyri cheese pan-seared and topped with caramelised onion which is served sizzling on a hot plate with bread) and the Kebab Kofta (char-grilled minced meat with Arabic herbs and spices, served with grilled vegetables and Arabic rice).
Pita Bakery
29 Bali Lane
Image credit: Pita Bakery | Facebook
Baked daily using only the best ingredients, Pita Bakery is an unassuming hole in the wall serving up a range of soft, pillowy pita breads along with a selection of spreads like hummus, babaganoush and even falafel.
Available for dine in or takeaway, we recommend ordering the Taste It All platter which includes a choice of two pitas, hummus, babaganush, salad, turshi (pickled vegetables), falafel balls and three dips (tahini, harissa and a tangy mango pickle called amba). Word to the wise, this place sells out fast so make sure you get in early.
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