From precise French gastronomy to bold wood-fired fare and modern British cuisine, these restaurants with vegetarian menus prove that plant-forward food is just as good as meat.
Sustainability is the word on everyone’s lips, and cutting meat from your diet can be one of the most effective ways to cut your carbon footprint. But if you’re worried that sacrificing meat would mean giving up the pleasures of eating, these top restaurants in Singapore will make you think twice.
The artfully curated vegetarian menus at these fine dining restaurants show that you don’t have to sacrifice flavour for sustainability. Each dish opens the door to exciting cultures and techniques of plant-forward gastronomy that might even persuade you to go vegetarian full-time. Here’s our guide to the most exquisite vegetarian offerings at Singapore’s top fine dining restaurants.
1. Aniba
ABOVE Sink your teeth into the comforting broiled Middle Eastern cauliflower at Aniba
Besides its otherworldly interiors that beckon for snaps for the gram, Aniba is well versed in curating vegetarian—and vegan—friendly plates that stun with complexity and depth—perhaps disarm even the most carnivorous of gourmands. Signatures such as the pani puri is stuffed with refreshing yogurt and yuzu foam and topped with butternut squash tartare while the luxurious mushroom duxelles and gratin charms with contrasting accompaniments of citrus-tinged yuzu aioli, tomato consommé and black truffles shavings.
For heftier bites, sink your teeth into the comforting broiled Middle Eastern cauliflower, and the mushroom katayef, an elevated semolina pancake stuffed with sautéed mushrooms and pine nuts, over a creamy cashew-miso cream. Or get communal with the Jaffa Shore-line, comprising grilled grouper, hamusta vegetable soup, chickpeas and couscous and topped with tershi (pumpkin dip). Finally, end the meal with a refreshing trio of sorbets, featuring vibrant flavours of coconut, raspberries, and orange.
But if you’re anything like us, you’d find yourself at the cosmic-forest-themed bar with an ice-cold cocktail in hand.
Aniba
Address: 6 Battery Road, Boat Quay, #05-03, S(049909), 9668 8036
2. Saint Pierre
ABOVE Saint Pierre's vegetarian Elegance tasting menu is a six-course gastronomic experience that takes you through Chef Emmanuel Stroobant’s vision
At Saint Pierre, chef-owner Emmanuel Stroobant explores and merges European culinary techniques with Southeast Asian touches, a harmonious blend which translates beautifully in vegetarian dishes too. Indulge in the “Elegance” vegetarian tasting menu, a six-course gastronomic experience that takes you through chef Stroobant’s interpretation of the season’s top harvests.
Among this season’s latest treasures is a Brittany purple artichoke, given a deluxe savoury lift with black truffle and fig leaf. Meanwhile, Bath wild asparagus is served with snap endo and nori. The Corsica white peach dessert is not to be missed, with a lemon olive oil cake accompanied by caramelised white peach with peach liqueur, and sauced with a concoction of peach consommé, kaffir lime, and extra virgin olive oil. Wine pairing and cheese are available as add-ons to complete the luxuriously gastronomic experience.
Saint PierreFrench | $ $ $ $ |
1 Fullerton Road, #02-02B One Fullerton, S(049213)
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3. Restaurant Jag
ABOVE Spring rhubarb at Restaurant Jag
When speaking of vegetarian fine dining, Restaurant Jag is the first name that comes to mind. The restaurant’s ethos of seasonality, sustainability manifests in its plant-forward degustation menus, which showcases the best of seasonal vegetables.
This spring, you’ll be treated to herbaceous courses like artichoke paired with achilee flowers and oat milk, or the blue foot mushroom served with angelique herbs and Japanese rice. Seasonal herbs even appear in desserts, with strawberries and coconut served with reine des pres for an earthy yet floral touch.
Restaurant JagFrench | $ $ $ $ |
41 Robertson Quay, 02-02 STPI Creative Workshop and Gallery, S(238236)
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4. Joie Restaurant
Joie Restaurant serves innovative vegetarian Japanese-European cuisine at its outpost at Orchard Central’s rooftop garden, ensuring you’ll have an inspiring gastronomic experience with its lunch and dinner set menus.
Feast on vegetarian delights like the Japanese kombu broth with hand-carved tofu for an umami start to dinner, and indulge in delicacies like the grilled summer mushroom steak on a ‘Pu-Ye’ lava stone accompanied by a truffle mash. Even sashimi gets a vegetarian upgrade at Joie, with aloe vera sashimi decorated with coconut, konjac and huai san (Chinese yam).
Joie Restaurant
Address: 181 Orchard Road, 12 - 01, Singapore 238896, +65 9663 0901
5. Jaan by Kirk Westaway
Chef Kirk Westaway’s brand of modern British cuisine has entranced critics and gourmands alike, and their lustrous praise extends to its vegetarian offerings. There are vegetarian tasting menus for both lunch and dinner, treating you to hearty bites like a sweet onion pie with aubergine, or celeriac parcels in a nutty and savoury brown butter. In particular, the Kabocha pumpkin is a nod to chef Westaway’s Devon upbringing with the pairing of Devon cheddar—its salty profiles complement the earthy sweetness of the pumpkin.
Modern | $ $ $ $ |2 Stamford Road, Level 70, Swissôtel The Stamford, S(178882)
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6. Marguerite
Marguerite takes inspiration from the lush gardens of the Flower Dome at Gardens by the Bay to produce tasting menus with the finest seasonal ingredients. This means that vegetarians will delight with its curation of contemporary creations in the ‘herbivore’ tasting menu.
Easing you into the hearty meal of vegetarian delights is the ratatouille Provençale, a comforting vegetable stew with eggplant, bell peppers, zucchini and tomatoes. Other highlights include the ravioli dei poveri (ravioli of the poor), elevated with Roscoff onion consommé, monk’s beard and wild garlic that imbues a subtly sweet and umami touch to the dish. For dessert, savour poached rhubarb with fromage blanc (white cheese), lemon balm and rosé pepper. It’s the perfect balance of earthy acidic, spicy and sweet.
Marguerite$ $ $ $ |
18 Marina Gardens Drive, 01-09, Flower Dome, S(018953)
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7. Nouri
ABOVE Escabeche and jelly at Nouri
Chef-owner Ivan Brehm has made a name for himself as a master experimentalist at Nouri, so it is no surprise that his culturally diverse philosophy of “crossroads cooking” also extends to its vegetarian menu. Rest assured that an equal amount of thought goes into the vegetarian dishes, which can be seen in creations like the Escabeche and jelly, intricately crafted with tamarillo jelly, sugar snap peas, and Escabeche seasonal vegetables. Feast on delicacies you may not be familiar with like the Afro-Brazilian style acarajé, a fritter in turmeric and coconut curry and okra caviar, as well as perfectly cooked root vegetables like the roasted Jerusalem artichoke with a caramelised celeriac purée and a carrot nage. Even dessert takes a surprising turn, with chocolate sorbet paired with kiriboshi (dried radish strips), wild pepper leaf, and peanut and sesame brittle.
NouriEuropean | $ $ $ $ |
72 Amoy Street, S(069891)
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8. Tiffin Room
ABOVE Lahsuni Paneer Tikka, Aloo Dal Tikki Chaat, Hari Tawa Tiki at Tiffin Room (Photo: Raffles Hotel Singapore)
Established in 1892, Tiffin Room is one of Singapore’s most cherished heritage restaurants, so it should come as no surprise that its vegetarian offerings are one of the best in the country. With chef de cuisine Kuldeep Negi helming the restaurant’s North Indian specialties, start your meal with vegetarian appetisers like the lahsuni paneer tikka, or curry-leaf infused grilled Indian cottage cheese with yogurt and spices. Go on to feast on mains like the gucchi methi mattar malai, a morel and white mushroom curry whose umami is punctuated with spices, fenugreek leaves, and green peas.
For the Tiffin Room signature dining experience, however, opt for the Mera Royal Dabba menu, which presents three courses from the à la carte menu, with vegetarian and non-vegetarian options, in an exquisite custom-made copper tiffin box. With black lentil curry, saffron- and cumin-flavoured basmati rice, and assorted tandoori breads to complement each dabba, Tiffin Room proves that vegetarian food is far from being boring.
Tiffin RoomIndian | $ $ |
1 Beach Road, Raffles Hotel Singapore, S(189673)
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9. Morsels
ABOVE Golden beet vegetable risotto at Morsels
Tucked in the corner of Dempsey Hill is Morsels, chef-owner Petrina Loh’s barnyard cottage sanctuary. Though there are plenty of vegetarian dishes on the à la carte menu, you can also ask for a vegetarian version of the “Feed Me” omakase-style tasting menu. As the menu changes every two to three weeks, it’s impossible to say what you’ll have with certainty. Nonetheless, given Loh’s penchant for exciting Asian fusion dishes made with painstakingly-prepared fermented sauces and ingredients, you know you are in for a culinary adventure.
MorselsAsian | $ $ $ |
25 Dempsey Road, #01-04, S(249670)
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10. Lingzhi Vegetarian
ABOVE Vegetarian goose served with crispy beancurd skin, pancakes, cucumbers, coriander and a sweet dipping sauce at Lingzhi Vegetarian. Photo: Lingzhi Vegetarian
Ever since 1991, Lingzhi Vegetarian has favoured the freshest and finest ingredients to craft gourmet Chinese cuisine. A highlight is the Firecracker Monkey Head Mushroom, a dish popping with spice that’s made with marinated monkey head mushrooms stir-fried with cashew nuts, peppercorns, ginger, and Sichuan pepper oil. The result is a deceptively meaty dish that’s multi-dimensional and savoury.
A claypot brimming with braised yam and vermicelli in a fermented bean sauce is another highlight, best enjoyed with rice to balance the saltiness of the bean sauce. Don’t forget Lingzhi’s answer to the Peking duck, with its vegetarian goose served with crispy beancurd skin, pancakes, cucumbers, coriander and a sweet dipping sauce.
LingZhi VegetarianChinese | $ $ |
541 Orchard Road, #05-01 Liat Towers, S(238881)
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