Whether you’ve forgotten to eat dinner or are looking for something better than McDonald’s or hawker fare to soak up the evening’s excesses, here are some of the best places for late-night eats in Singapore.
The Black Swan
Bar, Cocktail Bar, Restaurant, European, $$$
The Black Swan, Singapore | Courtesy of The Black Swan
Step into the 1920s with the Great Gatsby-inspired cocktail bar, The Black Swan. The kitchen at this Art Deco drinking den serves food that matches the glamour of the era; tuck into the delectable escargot or luscious bone-marrow crostini over a glass of wine. Step out the back of the bar into the beautiful al fresco space, romantically decorated with twinkling lanterns, which makes you feel more like you’re in a secluded forest than the heart of Singapore’s busiest neighbourhood.
Truffle Infinity at 2am:dessert bar | Courtesy of Janice Wong
Helmed by local chef Janice Wong, 2am:dessertbar dishes up sweet treats that are as delicious as they are sinful. With stunning plating and dishes that mix flavours in a playful way, 2am:dessertbar is guaranteed to impress even the pickiest date. And don’t skip this chic joint if it’s a savoury late-night snack you’re after: menu items like the 2am: Sin Burger and Mac & Cheese mean all palates are catered for.
At Loof, you can enjoy creative cocktails along with the kitchen’s atas (high-end) take on bar staples until late – 1am during the week and 2am on Fridays and Saturdays. Try the Bak Chor Mee Grilled Cheese or Chilli Crab Waffle Fries to keep your hangover at bay and satisfy an after-hours craving for something greasy. Located on top of Odeon Towers in Bugis, this chill rooftop haunt is a favourite in the neighbourhood.
One of Singapore’s oldest Korean joints, the two-storey 2D1N Soju Bang serves à la carte dishes downstairs and one of the cheapest all-you-can-eat barbecues upstairs. The restaurant is only open late on Fridays and Saturdays, when you’ll find big groups gathering over somaek, a potent mixture of maekju (beer) and soju (popular South Korean spirit) and endless barbecue. Queues here can be long, so call in advance to book a table.
Hai Di Lao has several locations around Singapore, but the most popular is the one at Clarke Quay. Open until 6am seven days a week, the kitchen rustles up super-spicy Sichuan Pepper Hot Pot to crowds emerging from the popular bar district. For dinner and a show, order the house-made noodles. One of the restaurant’s chefs will bring them to your table and perform an elaborate dance to stretch them into noodles. If you’re not a fan of fiery flavours, try the tomato or mushroom soup bases – you can also get split pots with two or four different bases.
Another late-evening option in Clarke Quay, Señor Taco serves up everyone’s favourite after-hours cuisine until 1.30am from Sunday to Tuesday, and 3.30am for the rest of the week. With the two taco plates starting at just $7 (£5.61), you may as well get a few plates to mix and match with your friends. For something more filling, try the torta steak sandwich or chicken enchiladas. If you’re still out for the night, try a Coronita, an impressive-looking margarita with an upside-down Corona stuck into it.
The only downside to dim sum is that it’s normally only available during brunch hours, but in Singapore, Swee Choon Dim Sum Restaurant has been selling the much-loved Chinese delicacy all day from its Little India location for nearly five decades. Diners can choose to either sit inside the air-conditioned restaurant or outside in the al fresco dining space behind the venue. The menu comprises of both Hong Kong and Shanghai recipes, which means you can get crowd-pleaser xiao long bao (soup dumplings) and Portuguese egg tarts from the same place.
