13 Best Restaurants in East Coast Park, Katong, and Joo Chait, Singapore

Casa Nostra

$$$$ Fodor's choice
At this private dining experience, you get excellent pasta and pizza that’s as close to perfection as they come, hand-made by a passionate Italian. Antonio Miscellaneo has pizza dough down to an art, experimenting with different types of flour, water, and ratios in his quest to achieve the ideal formula. What’s also interesting is that he incorporates local influences and ingredients like Singapore-made mozzarella and spicy chilli in his recipes. The price is per head for an eight- to ten-course meal.

Fat Fuku

$$$$ Fodor's choice
Food writer and host Annette Tan brings Peranakan cuisine to life at this breezy, loft-like, home-dining experience through dishes made with her mother’s recipes and stories of her own experiences. Expect a modern take on classics, like Tan’s divine crispy mee siam (rice vermicelli married with piquant spices and pan-fried to a crisp), which is truly photo-worthy. The price is per head for an eight- to ten-course meal.
Asian Fusion Dinner Family Fodor's Choice $$$$
Upper East Coast Rd., South East, Singapore
9387–6399-For reservations; text only
fatfuku.com
Known For
  • private dining
  • modern Peranakan food
  • unique local experience
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: By appointment only

Hua Yu Wee

$$ | Bedok Fodor's choice
Time seems to stand still at this nostalgic, convivial Chinese restaurant that’s the only survivor from an era when seafood restaurants used to line East Coast Road. Parked in a 1920s bungalow, the restaurant's menu, decor, and presentation touches—like the fresh purple orchids that top off delicious dishes—are old-school.

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Jumbo Seafood Restaurant

$$ | East Coast Park Fodor's choice

This atmospheric East Coast Seafood Centre staple is the perfect place to crack into a chilli or black pepper Sri Lankan crab, a glorious, delicious mess of a dish that's a true Singaporean specialty—be sure to order it with sides of fried buns to sop up the sauce. Prices are by the kilogram; some crabs are large enough to feed up to four people, but smaller ones for two are also available.

Lucky House Cantonese Private Kitchen

$$$$ Fodor's choice

Slow-food champion Sam Wong runs this private dining experience from his vintage-furnished terrace house, at the back of which sits his wildly untamed fruit and vegetable garden. You’ll have to book months ahead for a table, but the wait for his painstakingly made food—like a signature roast duck that undergoes three days of preparation and features homemade spices—is worth it. The price is per head for an eight- to ten-course meal.

Cantonese Dinner Fodor's Choice $$$$
Upper East Coast Rd., Singapore, Singapore, 466413, Singapore
9823–7268-For reservations; text only
Known For
  • private dining
  • roast duck
  • locavore culture
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: By appointment only

Sin Huat Eating House

$$$$ | Geylang Serai Fodor's choice

It may be rough around the edges, it's in the red-light district of Geylang, and the cost of a full meal would make some fine-dining establishments blush, but there's good reason why the late food magnate Anthony Bourdain named Sin Huat one of the "10 places to eat before you die." Chef Danny's rich, gooey, briny, magnificent crab (or prawn) bee hoon (vermicelli-like rice noodles) is a stunning dish. Pair it with on-the-shell scallops slathered in black bean sauce and a plate of kailan (fresh greens) with garlic for a meal to remember.

Dinner $$$$ Fodor's Choice Seafood
659/661 Geylang Rd., Singapore, Singapore, 389589, Singapore
6744–9755
Known For
  • crab noodles
  • on-the-shell scallops
  • edgy neighborhood

Chilli Padi Nonya Restaurant

$

The Peranakan-style cuisine here is delicious and fiery, so be sure to specify exactly how tongue tingling you'd like your order to be. Signature dishes include bakwan kepiting (minced crab and pork soup), assam fish head (in spicy gravy), ayam sio (chicken with coriander), and udang masak nenas (prawns cooked with tamarind and pineapple). Save room for dessert.

Firebake - Woodfired Bakehouse and Restaurant

$$
Alongside the local chicken rice and laksa hawker stalls lining East Coast Road is this gem of a European cafe, which is as faithful to its roots as its neighbors. What you get here are hearty meals and artisanal bread baked in a full-scale, 37-ton wood-fired oven, all made with ingredients that are as natural and sustainable as possible.

Joo Chiat Caphe

$$ | Joo Chiat

Specializing in hearty, juicy Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches (come early as they sell out fast) and mackerel otah (with a mix of fish paste and flavorsome spices), this simple yet popular spot with tables spilling on the five-foot way is perfect for people-watching and a quick lunch fix.

Jumbo Seafood Restaurant

$$$

Jumbo more than makes up for its lack of polish through competitive prices on some of the best fresh seafood on the island. This East Coast Seafood Centre staple is the perfect place to crack into a chili or black-pepper Sri Lankan crab, a glorious, delicious mess of a dish that's a true Singaporean specialty—be sure to order it with sides of fried buns to sop up the sauce. Prices are by the kilogram; some crabs are large enough to feed up to four people, but smaller ones for two are also available. Jumbo's spacious outdoor seating area is ideal for families. Jumbo's has several other branches, including one at Blk 11 #01-16 Dempsey Road.

Long Beach Seafood Restaurant UDMC

$$ | East Coast Park

This seaside branch of one of Singapore’s most long-standing seafood restaurant chains lets you pick your own fish, crab, lobsters, and more from tanks, then have it cooked the way you like. Whatever you choose, don’t miss the black pepper crabs; Long Beach is the creator of the now-iconic Singaporean dish, and its version is still tops.

Seafood Family Dinner $$
1202 East Coast Pkwy., Singapore, Singapore, 449881, Singapore
longbeachseafood.com.sg
Known For
  • live seafood
  • black pepper crab
  • seaside location
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: Reservations not accepted

PS. Cafe East Coast Park

$$ | East Coast Park

Part of the popular PS. Cafe chain, this stylish, sun-lit cafe by the sea is one for the Instagram, and a perfect spot for weekend brunch (although you’ll likely have to wait in line). The breezy Anglo-Chinese fare includes exclusive-to-this-branch creations like a scrumptious chorizo and calamari stew, as well as long-time chain favorites like the Parmesan-dusted truffle fries and chunky desserts.

Tung Lok Seafood

$$$ | Orchard

A step above the island's more rough-and-ready seafood centers, Tung Lok Seafood lets you feast on daily catches that include everything from Alaskan king crab to Australian barramundi and lobster, or follow the locals' lead and grab a cracker to break into a succulent chili or black-pepper crab. Wasabi-mayo prawns, another of Tunk Lok's signature dishes, are highly recommended. A buffet with more than 50 items is served daily for dinner, as well as for lunch on the weekend.