The days of being served up an uninspiring salad and a plate of mushrooms when you request “something vegetarian” are long gone, and good riddance too. Whether your reasons for seeking out something vegan, organic or vegetarian (or any combination of these) are for health, in the interests of animal welfare, for religious reasons or out of concern for the environment, there are plenty of options here in Singapore.
We checked out a range of restaurants, from fine-dining organic food to local neighbourhood all-raw vegan dishes, where the chefs go to extra lengths to cater for the discerning foodie in search of healthier options. With such a selection of vegan and vegetarian restaurants popping up around town, it’s never been a better time to go meat-free! From hearty burgers to ice cream, here are 30 plant-based places to eat across Singapore.
HRVST
Opened by boutique gym Kilter Avenue, this hotspot vegan eatery in the CBD is one to visit if you’re looking for a plant-based meal. Among the must-tries are the pumpkin fettuccine in tom yum broth ($18) and the BKT barley risotto ($18), which includes diced daikon, pink radish and braised nuts with garlic oil, jackfruit and an amazing coriander oil made in-store. End the meal with a cold-pressed juice or refreshing dessert – we loved the matcha ice cream with blood orange puree, poached plums and pistachio ($8). Opt for a set lunch ($18), which includes one main and a cold-pressed juice or go all out with a three-course meal priced at $28. Oh, and they’ve got cocktails ($20), beer, cider and wine, too!
HRVST
#05-01, OUE Downtown Gallery, 6A Shenton Way
6920 7500 | abt-hrvst.com
Hello Baby
Sister brand to HRVST, Hello Baby is Singapore’s first and only “vegan street-grub kiosk”. Located near the Chinatown Complex, this permanent food stall serves up a selection of Beyond Burgers (plant-based burgers that look, cook and taste like beef burgers), as well as dishes like the chilli “crab” mantou sliders ($10) using enoki mushrooms and a creative vegan take on the Cuban sandwich using jackfruit and hoisin sauce ($10)! To satisfy your sweet tooth, try the coconut ice cream ($5) or order the “NB & J” ($8), a sourdough nut butter and sliced banana sandwich served hot off the panini press.
Hello Baby
10 Trengganu Street
8738 5770 | facebook.com/hllo.bb
Afterglow by Anglow
This cosy vegan café uses fresh, local plant-based ingredients in a healthy menu that features a mix of raw and cooked dishes. Highlights include the raw lasagne ($22) – layers of zucchini sheets with cashew nut cream cheese, pine nuts and herb pesto – the quinoa and spinach “hash brown” burger ($20) and avocado kimchi rolls (six pieces for $14). Dessert fans should definitely try the raw chocolate salted caramel fudge ($12.50), made with avocado and cacao fudge, tahini layer, vanilla, honey and date-infused walnut crust.
Afterglow by Anglow
24 Keong Saik Road
6224 8921 | afterglow.sg
Café Salivation
Since 2008, this vegetarian café has been serving up Western (mostly Italian and Mexican) cuisine with subtle Indian influences (the paneer pizza – $16 – topped with fresh cottage cheese, tomatoes, olives and raisins sounds interesting). There’s a vast menu of pizzas, pastas, burgers and enchiladas, alongside a variety of eggless and gluten-free desserts.
Psst… Café Salivation caters for special occasions, too!
Cafe Salvation
176 Race Course Road
6298 1412 | cafesalivation.com
Original Sin
This long-time favourite is known for its vegetarian Middle Eastern and Italian cuisine, and for good reason. Everything here is fantastic – from the mezze platter ($29) with hummus, pumpkin and carrot dip, beetroot and almond dip, falafel, tzatziki and pita to the moussaka ($29) – baked layers of eggplant, potato, tomato and lentils with Middle Eastern spices – to the Principessa salad with pumpkin, avocado, asparagus, mushroom, French beans, bocconcini and balsamic. One of our personal favourites is the Kashmir pizza ($24) with bocconcini, mozzarella, hummus, onion, asparagus, tofu, cherry tomatoes and tandoori sauce.
Original Sin
#01-62 Chip Bee Gardens, 43 Jalan Merah Saga
6475 5605 | originalsin.com.sg
Whole Earth
This Tanjong Pagar-based, Peranakan-Thai vegetarian spot is a firm favourite with those who work in or frequent the neighbourhood. Popular dishes include assam pedas vegetables ($18; a “sour and spicy” Peranakan dish), addicting olive rice, and bestseller Sambal King – okra, eggplant and long beans – to name a few.
Whole Earth
76 Peck Seah Street
6221 6583 | wholeearth.com.sg
Joie by Dozo Restaurant
Located on the rooftop garden at Orchard Central, Joie (“Joy”) by Dozo Restaurant offers modern meatless fine dining. Choose from an elaborate six-course lunch ($38.80) or seven-course set dinner ($68.80) consisting of contemporary dishes with Japanese-European flavours.
Joie by Dozo Restaurant
#12-01 Orchard Central, 181 Orchard Road
6838 6966 | joierestaurant.com.sg
Real Food
Apart from serving vegetarian dishes, Real Food – which has outlets at Orchard Central, Square2 in Novena and 26 South Beach Road – makes a point of avoiding processed ingredients, artificial preservatives and trans-fats. Fan favourites include the beet burger ($13.90), steamed dumplings (eight pieces for $9.80) and spicy tom yam soup with tofu, eggplant, mushrooms and pineapple ($9.50), to name a few. For kids, they’ve got mini sourdough pumpkin pancakes ($8), crispy veggie nuggets ($8) and a mushroom burger ($9).
Real Food
realfoodgrocer.com
Loving Hut
This East Coast café does vegan versions of popular local dishes – think “three-cup chicken rice” (with vegan chicken meat), sesame “chicken” clay- pot rice, char siew and vegan laksa lemak – as well as vegan burgers, pasta and other Western food.
Loving Hut
#01-01, 229 Joo Chiat Road
6348 6318 | lovinghut.com.sg
Sufood
Hailing from Taiwan, this vegetarian chain offers a selection of pasta, pizza, rice and salad dishes. For lunch, there are four-course ($25.80) and eight-course ($36.80) set meals available, though you can order à la carte, too. Popular picks include the five-grain rice with black truffles and mushrooms ($15.80), avocado and macadamia salad ($6.80), and wild mushroom charcoal tagliatelle ($15.80).
Sufood
#02-19 Raffles City Shopping Centre, 252 North Bridge Road
6333 5338 | sufood.com.sg
Soul ALife
This eatery serves a fully plant-based menu that’s free of cholesterol, trans fats, MSG and palm oil. In addition to all-day brunch items like avocado toast with tofu feta ($8.90) and tofu scramble on toast ($8.90), popular mains include the teriyaki burger ($9.90), made with a mushroom patty and accompanied by sweet potato fries, and the Buddha Bowl ($9.90) with roasted veggies, quinoa, edamame, chickpeas, purple slaw, tomatoes, turmeric cauliflower, marinated tofu and beetroot hummus. The acai bowls ($7.90-$9.90) are also popular, as are the cold-pressed juices ($4.90).
Soul ALife
#02-40 Changi City Point, 5 Changi Business Park, Central 1
soulalifesg.com
Elemen
This veg restaurant, which has outlets at Thomson Plaza, HarbourFront Centre and Millenia Walk, has a mix of Asian and Western dishes, from tortilla soup ($6.80) and quinoa salad ($5.80) to Japanese curry udon ($12.80) and a wild mushroom and truffle pizza ($16.80). Don’t miss the five-course set for $26.80!
Veganburg
Meat-free burgers can be tasty too, especially when they come in flavours like char-grilled satay ($9.90) – which features rich Asian peanut sauce drizzled over a grilled soy patty – and smoky barbecue ($9.90), with a delish mushroom patty. Go with a bun, or get your burger in a lettuce wrap instead. Visiting with friends? Order a side of creamy garlic fries ($6.90) or spinach pops with ranch dressing ($5.90) to share.
Veganburg
44 Jalan Eunos
6844 6868 | veganburg.com
NomVnom
This vegan fast-food chain offers over 20 different vegan burgers with patties made from soy, tempeh, jackfruit, potato or vegetables; the Beetroot Hummus burger ($8.90) has a mushroom patty, for instance, and the Terrific Light burger ($9.90) is cauliflower based. It’s also got vegan soups, sides and a range of desserts including six- and eight-inch vegan cakes for purchase. If you can’t make it to the Clarke Quay or Tai Seng locations you can order online – they deliver island-wide!
Brownice Italian Vegan Ice Cream & Kitchen
We’ll take ice cream any way it comes, including its vegan incarnation at Brownice. Here, the ice cream is made from organic brown rice milk and evaporated cane juice. Located near Upper Thomson Road at #01-03 Sin Ming Centre, the shop serves flavours like hazelnut, Nutella, Earl Grey and French chocolate, mint, coconut and matcha, among others ($3.50 per scoop) – we’d recommend getting yours on a waffle ($8)! You’ll also find a huge selection of vegan pizzas ($14 to $19) and pastas ($10 to $18). There’s a sister outlet, Smoocht, in Jurong, too.
Brownice Italian Vegan Ice Cream & Kitchen
6456 6431 | brownice.weebly.com
Not enough for you? Here are even MORE vegetarian and vegan options in Singapore…
Gokul Vegetarian Restaurant
Here you can find the very best in North, South Indian and Asian vegetarian food. With over 100 food items from small bites like samosa chaat, dosa to mains like tom yum noodle, Hokkien noodles and paneer fried rice to Western and Asian salads, it can be quite overwhelming, but the more the merrier, we say. All foods contain no onion, garlic and egg.
19 Upper Dickson 6396 7769 | gokulvegetarianrestaurant.com
Herbivore Zen
Here’s another option for Japanese food. This small café serves udon, sushi, bento set and more. Dishes feature mock meat like chicken, pork and also mock unagi and salmon sashimi.
Fortune Centre #01-13/14, 190 Middle Road | 6333 1612 herbivore.sg
Water Drop Teahouse
A relaxed casual restaurant, this teahouse offers Chinese vegetarian cuisine serving mostly rice and noodles dishes.
Fo Guang Shan, 1 Punggol Place 6411 0590
Genesis Vegan Restaurant
Farrer Park’s Genesis Vegan Restaurant has plenty of options for diners whether you’re in the mood for Western or Chinese cuisine. Their dumplings and homemade desserts (tofu cheese pie and apple pie) are a big hit.
115 Owen Road 6438 7118
7 Sensations
A holistic and vegetarian restaurant, 7 Sensations has plenty on their menu, including Asian fusion, Japanese, Thai and Singaporean Peranakan. They also have cakes and pastries and a beverage bar for organic juices. Food choices include pumpkin soup, Portobello mushrooms, avocado hand rolls and black olive brown rice.
16 Madras St, Singapore 208413 | 7-sensations.com
The Living Café
A modern menu of raw and raw-fusion dishes. No red meat, no cow dairy, no white sugar, no preservatives, no additives and no artificial colourings.
779 Bukit Timah Road (just before 6th Avenue) 6468 4482 | balancedlivingasia.com
LingZhi Vegetarian
From clay pot to steam-boat, Chinese favourites made from vegetables and mock meat here.
541 Orchard Road, Liat Towers | 6734 3788
Velocity@Novena Square | 6538 2992 lingzhivegetarian.com
JAAN
Award-winning JAAN launched its Jardin Gourmand menu earlier this year, taking vegetarian food to new heights. Chef Julien Royer’s five- and seven-course menus use vegetables in beautifully artistic ways while staying true to the ingredients. Lunch: $118 (5 courses). Dinner from $148 (5 courses).
Level 70, Equinox Complex, Swissôtel The Stamford 9199 9008 |jaan.com.sg
Little Green Cafe
Fancy going veggie at home? Seek out Little Green Café, an East Coast cookery school that teaches vegetarian recipes from India, Vietnam, Thailand and more.
9763 1483 | littlegreencafe.com.sg
For Indian Veggie…
Almost a third of Indians in India are vegetarian, so it’s no surprise that Indian vegetarian restaurants abound. These are our favourites in Singapore:
Annalakshmi
While Little India is the epicentre of Indian veggie restaurants, one of the city’s best is, surprisingly, on Amoy Street in Chinatown. Annalakshmi also has a most interesting concept: eat what you want, pay what you want. The restaurant is staffed by volunteers and all donations go to charity. And the home-style curries, breads and rice dishes are excellent.
104 Amoy Street (there are also other outlets) 6223 0809 | annalakshmi.com.sg
Ananda Bhavan Restaurant
Celebrating its 90th anniversary next year, Ananda Bhavan is said to be Singapore’s oldest Indian vegetarian restaurant. There are now at least six branches, the one next to Mustafa’s being the most popular. Try the thosai set with accompanying curries and dhal.
95 Syed Alwi Road 6398 0837
Komala Vilas Vegetarian Restaurant
The queue at the main Serangoon Road branch of Komala Vilas is already forming by the time the doors open for breakfast, and it rarely shortens. It has a great ambience and excellent South Indian dishes served with silver pots of masala tea.
76-78 Serangoon Road 6293 6980 | komalavilas.com.sg
Read more in our Wine & Dine section:
Champagne brunches reviewed just for you
Best rooftop bars in Singapore
This article first appeared in the City guide 2018 edition of Expat Living. You can purchase a copy or subscribe so you never miss an issue!
