From delicious tikka and tandoori to veggie curries and authentic Bengali cuisine, the Expat Living team had a feast reviewing these amazing Indian restaurants in Singapore. It was tough but we survived to tell our tales! If you’re a penchant for Indian food, this list is for you.
Shikar Indian restaurant at Maxwell Reserve Hotel
The walk from Maxwell Reserve Hotel’s lobby through to Shikar gave a hint of the grandeur that awaited. The walls feature memorabilia and photographs from the owner’s personal collection. These include polo games in Singapore and India, and British royalty (spot Princess Diana!) dating back to 1709. The ambience at at this Indian restaurant is relaxed and inviting; the décor resembles a drawing room in a luxury abode. We heard staff referring to diners by first names and even remembering their favourite dishes.
Shikar’s menu is designed by Chef Jolly, who has over two decades in the hospitality industry. Most notably, she was Head Chef to Paris Hilton when she visited India in 2020. Here, he takes on nostalgic Indian food with global influences and techniques. So, you’ll find crispy lotus stem chips and makhana pops ($12) instead of chips and popcorn, sweet purple potato for chaat ($33), which adds a touch of sweetness to the goat cheese filling, and charred cream chicken tikka ($41), infused with a subtle “wok hei” flavour.
The duck seekh ($51) impressed us with its subtle taste, as did the tender Maimoa grass-fed New Zealand lamb rack ($57), complemented with a house-made clove-smoked mint, mango and feta. The lunch thali set (vegetarian and non-veg options, $49) provides a choice of main (we love the roasted sweet black tiger prawns), three side dishes including shikari daal using black lentils, and a choice of Indian bread.
We capped this indulgent experience with almond brioche toast ($23), a vegan dessert drizzled with saffron-cardamom reduced milk and topped with gold flakes. This was accompanied by saffron masala chai ($15) using the chef ’s unique blend of milks.
Patricea Chow
2 Cook Street, Maxwell Reserve Hotel
8866 0823 | shikar.sg
GupShup
Located in the gorgeous Serangoon House, GupShup brings gourmet Indian tapas to Singapore’s dining scene. With a focus on the most popular, comforting and celebratory genres in all regional Indian dining – chaat and street food – the menu is specially curated by Chef Surjan Singh, who was also Chef Judge of MasterChef India.
Enjoy cultural delicacies from Delhi, Bombay, Punjab, central India and the coasts, with key flavour and texture notes described as ranging from “ting-tang to peppy-sweet, and crisp-crunch to soft-fluffy”! You can also enjoy a bespoke experience with ingredients tossed at your table to ensure ultimate freshness and the opportunity to tailor each serving to your liking.
301 Serangoon Road, The Serangoon House, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel
8866 0947 | quandoo.sg/place/gupshup
Great Indian food at ADDA
This spot is one of our favourite Indian restaurants in Singapore! We were excited to visit again, especially after it was awarded a Michelin Plate last year. The ambience is buzzing and the décor is lovely – highly Instagrammable! As we arrived, we found ourselves once again eyeing some of the amazing creations heading to other tables.
We decided to kick things off with one of the signature starters, pani puri ($12). The dish is a much-loved street food in India and consists of lightly fried balls of puff pastry filled with spiced mashed potato. It also comes served on the cutest cart, with mint and mango chutney dips in shot glasses. We paired it with potli samosa ($16), a fusion of Chinese bao and traditional samosas filled with lightly spiced asparagus and potato, and also had the lamb seekh kebab ($26), which is served on a hanging rack. Then, we were also given a tip to try the AFC (“ADDA Fried Chicken”, $18) – one of their most popular dishes.
When it comes to Indian cuisine, we can never pass on a chicken tikka masala ($26). The East Indian version here was gorgeous; we paired it with a fluffy garlic naan ($6). We also opted for the Siliguri mustard prawns ($28), which had been marinated in a creamy mustard paste sauce with five spices. We saved a little room for dessert as we knew we had to try the Indian spiced crème brûlée ($12).
The staff at ADDA are amazing, attentive, caring and super friendly. They know the menu so well and know what to recommend when it comes to drinks. There’s an extensive cocktail menu and some lovely Indian wines, which was a first for us. We can’t wait to return with friends!
Jacqui Young
#01-201 Diners Building, 7500E Beach Road
8922 3679 | thespiceadda.com
Kwee Zeen at Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa
Because I usually go to Sofitel Sentosa for brunch, I hadn’t realised that they serve incredible Indian food from Sunday to Thursday nights – the Maharaja Feast at Kwee Zeen. We started with a mango lassi, which was delicious and a nice way to relax and hydrate.
While not exclusively an Indian restaurant, Kwee Zeen went all out in dishing out their Indian cuisine. The meal was spectacular-looking, definitely fit for a king! Chef Nelson and Chef Prem laid out the large banana leaf and then layered the biryani rice, papadams and garlic naan. This was followed by lovely roasted cauliflower, mushroom nuggets and a couple of salads, one with cucumber as the base and the other with potatoes and chickpeas. We then tried the salmon tikka, tandoor masala butter chicken and paneer tikka (my favourites), as well as tandoori prawns and lamb chops and chicken. Chutneys, mints and other sauces allow you to vary the tastes of all of them. Finally, digestion was aided with masala tea and a semi-sweet dessert.
There was way too much food for two girls, so I took some home, but I think it would be a great way to eat for a small group (it’s priced from $88 for two or $168 for four). A 24-hour reservation is needed so everything is fresh!
Kwee Zeen has a great setting with indoor and alfresco options, and it makes you feel like you’re on holiday! For more Indian and local cuisine, Fridays and Saturdays are their special hawker food nights.
Rebecca Bisset
2 Bukit Manis Road
6708 8310 | sofitel-singapore-sentosa.com
Indian cuisine at the Tiffin Room, Raffles Hotel
The Tiffin Room has been part of Raffles Hotel history since 1892. Although the interior décor has been restored, it retains touches from its earlier years such as wooden floorboards dating to the early 1900s. Today, diners come for a taste of North Indian cuisine by Chef Kuldeep Negi. When we turned up for lunch on a weekday, there were friends catching up, couples on vacation and working professionals sharing a business lunch.
The revitalised menu includes tableside service as well as a tiffin-box experience. The latter comprises traditional tiffin boxes, a common sight in India. They are usually packed with meals lovingly prepared by mothers or wives for their loved ones to enjoy. I was so taken by the copper tiffin boxes that I wanted to cart an empty set home, taking a piece of history with me!
At the Tiffin Room, the Mera Dabba set-meal experience is presented in custom-made, four-tier copper tiffin boxes. You can customise it with North Indian curries; we recommend the balti gosht of tender lamb leg cubes and the fresh, sweet kadhai prawn. To open the palate for the curries were a choice of two appetisers – we opted for grilled Indian cottage cheese flavoured with curry leaves and grilled corn-fed chicken breast with garam masala. This is complemented with organic black lentil curry, saffron flavoured basmati rice, tandoori naans, chutneys and pickles.
Desserts are a must when indulging in Indian food. So, we had a serving of rasmalai and gulab jamun topped with minced pistachios. We ended the exquisite experience with a cup of masala chai redolent with cardamom, just as we like it.
Patricea Chow
1 Beach Road
6412 1816 | tiffinroom.com.sg
Shahi Maharani
This ever-popular Indian restaurant in Singapore is housed in a prime location in Raffles City shopping centre. family-run Indian restaurant has been in operation since 1997 and over the years has won many awards for its food and dedicated service, both of which never fail to impress.
Our feast started with poppadoms and dips, followed by crispy bharva mushrooms stuffed with spiced vegetables ($16) and a seekh kebab ($32). Then we moved on to our mains: badshahi keema muttar, a spiced lamb dish cooked with green peas in an onion based gravy ($32); prawn chilli masala prepared in an onion, tomato and green pepper spicy sauce ($38); and bindhi masala – okra with onions and spices ($25). These were accompanied by white rice, stuffed kulcha, bread stuffed with lightly spiced vegetables ($12) and a portion of cucumber raita ($6). We were too full to sample dessert but they do offer a good selection.
The atmosphere here is buzzing, making it a cool dining experience. Soon they’ll be starting up their live background music serenade too. (Nice to see things getting back to normal again!) Fancy Indian cuisine for brunch? Then visit Shahi Maharani from 12pm to 2.30pm for an amazing weekday brunch ($68) for two people. They have weekend specials, too – check the website for further details. In short, it’s one of the best restaurants I’ve dined in.
Jacqui Young
252 North Bridge Road, #03–21B
6235 8840 | shahimaharani.com
Northin Indian food at Fifth Season – Kolkata Beckons
While I have tried some North Indian cuisine, I had never really tried authentic Bengali cuisine. So I was excited for my visit to Fifth Season – Kolkata Beckons. The cosy restaurant has a bar counter for drinks, and even a projector and screen, which means you could host a work event over Indian food too. The staff at Fifth Season were attentive and well-informed on all the dishes. They patiently went through the items on the menu while tossing in some recommendations along the way – something they do for all first-time customers.
Our appetisers included Kolkata chicken cutlet ($9.90), Kolkata fish fry ($18.90) and prawn croquettes ($16.90). There are plenty of vegetarian options: the vegetable chop ($10.90), made with beetroot, carrot and peanuts, was a crunchy delight. All appetisers also include a side of a mustard-based dip.
Next came the bhetki macher kopta curry ($20.90) – seabass balls in gravy – and mutton pot roast ($22.90). The mutton, marinated and slow-cooked with brown onions, was surprisingly sweet and tender – we finished it all in one go! Our top choice was the chingri malai curry ($21.90) – the prawns were tender and the curry smooth and creamy. You can also order various naans to go along with the dishes. With mustard-based dishes being one of their specialties, we also tried the macher paturi ($21.90), mustard-marinated fish fillet wrapped and slow cooked in banana leaf.
For dessert, we tried the malai chop ($9.90), a traditional Bengali sweet dish recommended by the staff, and the baked roshogolla ($9.90), or cottage cheese baked with milk. Being a sweet-tooth, I thoroughly enjoyed both, even if the cottage cheese in the roshogolla might call for an acquired taste. Suffice to say, Fifth Season has definitely clinched a spot in my top favourite Indian restaurants.
Deepa Chevi
52 Race Course Road
9155 7645 | fifthseason.sg
This article on Indian restaurants in Singapore first appeared in Expat Living magazine. Purchase the latest issue or subscribe so you never miss a copy!
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