In 2020 going to restaurant was for me one of the biggest pleasures and favourite form of entertainment. Each visit was akin to a mini trip - Instead of travelling I could go and try different cuisines here in Singapore.
I would like to share with you my personal ranking of my 10 favourite restaurants in Singapore. It’s very relative, as it covers my personal preferences and bias. My significant half is not vegan hence often we choose venues which serve both my vegan delicious dishes and his dairy/meat options. I hope it will help you when looking for a new dining space.
Food is just a part of the experience of eating at a restaurant, ambience, décor and service are very important to me. Hence some eating venues with great food, but not friendly or well informed staff are not included. (Out of politeness I won’t share the names of these places, but if anyone from the F&B industry is reading my article please train your staff to smile, it doesn’t cost you anything but changes everything for your guests)
2020 has been difficult, F&B businesses in Singapore suffered a lot – reduced capacity, 10.30pm ban on alcohol sales, 1 m social distancing and lack of tourists. However as of January 2021 all the restaurants from the list below are still open so you can go and check their vegan options.
Just a comment, this is not a sponsored article and all the restaurants bills were paid entirely by myself.
My absolute favourite in Singapore…but I love Persian food. Their vegan menu was a result of a slow evolution – and end product is absolutely amazing. You can choose from among Persian and Arabic appetizers (try their mirza ghasemi – my personal choice always). Their vegan menu also offers a choice of 4 salads. Salad Shirazi is a Persian classic – simple tomatoes, cucumber and onion with a Persian twist – absolutely delicious, I always order it as a side. Zeytooneh Parvadeh is another dish worth to try, as it’s only in Persain cuisine where you can try olives marinated in a walnut and pomegranate paste.
Persian cuisine is famous for its stews and Shabestan include them in their dedicated vegan menu. Ghorme sabzi is the national dish of Iran – a unique blend of herbs, dried limes and beans, an absolutely must try if you would like to try some unique to Persia. The herbs here are used not as an addition to the dish but as the base ingredients for texture and flavour.
For those with gluten intolerance please note that Shabestan also offers a dedicated gluten free menu
I love the decor in Shabestan, it does ‘glow’ in the evening, beautiful lights and colours. My favourite spot is outside, just near the bar area where you can see the river.
I do appreciate the always smiling and polite staff, who seem to truly enjoy working there..
What I would change? I would love to see a vegan Persian feta cheese, I to write about it in 2022 😊
Celavi absolutely exceeded my expectations, I’ve been there once before and was not impressed with their veggie menu. We decided to go there mostly because of breath-taking view and a 30% off special offer, my food expectation was very low. I am happy to announce that … I was wrong.
The first surprise – the cocktail menu and the classic whisky sour cocktail, which always comes with egg white. Their version comes with vegan egg white ‘foamy’ substitute. What a great start to my vegan dinner.
A first glimpse at the menu suggested, very ‘clean’ vegan food without mock meats, deep frying or oily dishes.
I tried grilled eggplant with cashews and sambal manis and avocado sushi rolls. Eggplant is one of my favourite vegetables, served with sambal which wasn’t too spicy, just a hint of chili… I absolutely loved it. Their sushi was just perfect – the creaminess of avocado went well with the crunchy cucumber.
My main course - cauliflower steak with smoked chili sauce, Israeli couscous and a coriander vinaigrette. The steak was thick and tender. I’ve never tried real steak but I hope it’s as good as this cauliflower version. The chili sauce had a nice hint of sweetness.
CeLaVi offers also a vegan dessert – fruit sorbet, however I didn’t try it.
On the top of great food CeLaVi has a breath-taking view, perfect for any celebration and festivities. You can fall in love with Singapore again, admiring its beautiful skyline.
German food seems to have a very bad opinion amongst herbivores – pork knuckles, bratwurst (sausages) or wiener schnitzel seem to be best sellers in all the German restaurants in Singapore. I stopped at Frieda just for a cocktail (they have a nice selection of German inspired cocktails and schnaps). During the conversation with a very friendly member of staff I was informed that despite the nonexistence of any vegan options on their meu they could prepare something for me. Vegan options include : kartofel salad , a plate of homemade pickles, warm sauerkraut and potato rosti with mushroom sauce ( The rostis were just perfect - a golden brown crust and light and fluffy inside. ). Frieda’s head chef can turn simple ingredients (potatoes, mushrooms) into an amazing dish, blending it with his German heritage.
It’s worth to note, Frieda Restaurant has a charming, cosy interior and really polite and attentive staff.
Prive doesn’t have to be introduced to any vegetarians/vegans, there are so many delicious vegan options. Starting from amazing salads, to pasta, curry or burgers. I can go out with my meat eating friends and everyone can find something delicious. I love their ‘clean vegan options’ like salads, which are nicely balanced, Mad for Mexican Salad, Mediterranean or Tracy’s Favourite Salad have been carefully designed with a perfect balance of crunchy and creamy elements. Definitely worth to try, as these are not your regular, boring salads. Small details like garlic chips, smoked eggplant or burnt chili – mint chimichurri show that a lot of thought went into these salads.
I have a sweet tooth, and absolutely love desserts. I do appreciate the cake selection at Prive – Tiramisu, Brownie, Hazelnut Praline Cake- these are my favourites.
I like that plant-based options at Prive blend into their regular menu, even meat eaters can find some delicious options for themselves.
Afterglow is one of the few restaurants in Singapore serving raw vegan options – sushi, lasagne, Asian zoodles. Their plant based options are sugar free, prepared without artificial colouring and preservatives. You won’t find deep fried veggies, oily noodles or mock meast. Their burgers features beans – (Cuban triple patty) or veggies ( Smoked Stack Burger). They have noodles made from spiralised zucchini and cheese made from cashews.
This ‘clean‘ approach to food does really resonate with me, packed with fresh vegetables, nuts, seeds and legumes, all wholesome ingredients prepared with a small or no amount of oil. It can change your perspective about food, Afterglow proves that healthy food can be delicious. I would love to see more these type of options around Singapore.
My only criticism is the interior, I would like to see something more cozy and warm. To me personally it’s more a place for lunch then a long dinner with my friends.
It’s located out of my usual route…but definitely worth a trip to 6th Avenue. Livingcafe is not fully veggie, as they also serve meat and fish, but not any dairy. Similar to Afterglow they don’t usie any refined sugar or artificial preservatives. I am spoilt for choice here – raw dishes – my favourite Vegan ‘Goat Cheese’ Rolls. Creamy macadamia cheese wrapped in cucumber with mint jam. I can also recommend pesto zoodles with spiralised zucchini instead regular noodles. I really enjoyed their taco boats with ‘walnut meat’.
For a more substantial meal you can opt for sourdough with guacamole or mushrooms and cashew cream.
Livingcafe also offers a selection of raw vegan desserts, they are bit pricey, but dessert should be an treat so I can justify it. My absolutely favourite is tiramisu – a non-traditional approach to the Italian classic – raw and booze free. The richness of coconut cream went so well with the date base.
Nice, relaxed atmosphere, I do like my visits to Livingcafe.
Indian restaurants might be tricky sometimes, plenty of vegetarian options, but not always great selection of vegan dishes. Among them there is a gem; Shahi Maharani with an extensive rich vegan menu from North India. You can opt for street food (pakoras, samosas, chaat), tandoor options and my favourite – the curry section. Here you can be faced with a big dilemma. There are so many delicious options to choose from.
You can try the Vegetable Jaipuri, this is a medley of veggies, chillies and spices - great score for keeping it not oily. It's worth to note that the vegetables were 'al dente ' - in so many Indian restaurants vegetables are overcooked and mushy, here you could still bite them. Another dish which is worth your attention is Saag Aloo - potatoes sautéed with fenugreek, spinach and spices. I come from potato land (Poland), so I feel like a bit of an expert in this field. These spuds were so good, cooked to perfection, a bit creamy but still keeping the texture - and the mild blend of spices with spinach just perfectly complemented the simple potatoes.
Their most impressive dish - a house speciality and the best dish of the evening is Sabzi Sizzler - croquettes, a bit crispy on the outside and packed with vegetables, all served in a thick, almost creamy, gravy. Absolutely delicious and definitely a must try.
If you would like to explore Indian food in royal Indian surroundings Shahi Maharani is the perfect place to go.
Not the most impressive venue, but don’t judge book by its cover. One of the best pizzas in Singapore, (prepared in woodfire oven) you can opt for a vegan cheese (just give them 24h notification) and get either vegan Margherita, Mushroom Pizza (medley of porcini, button and shitake mushroom) and my favourite topping – caramelised onion.
Their simple tomato sauce pasta is absolutely amazing – simple is the best.
All served by friendly, helpful and always smiling staff - you feel truly welcomed.
My favourite wine bar in Singapore, for a long time all that I could eat there was pasta or ratatouille, in 2020 they revamped their menu …..and we have a few vegan options. Cauliflower steak, warm asparagus salad….and still have the ratatouille as a side (this simple mix of Mediterranean vegetables is just amazing). Ginett with its funky modern interior and vast collection of wine is a great spot for a long meeting with your friends.
I’ve tried a few vegan afternoon teas in Singapore and Landing Point is the one to which I keep going back to. Beautiful surroundings, a view of Marina Bay Sands, friendly and very patient staff….and an amazing afternoon tea – with free flow of sandwiches (and yes, as many as you can eat). There is a hummus-cucumber, beetroot and my favourite – mushroom sandwich. As a traditional afternoon tea you can’t miss out on sweets (they do change them frequently but I never been disappointed) scones and my favourite ingredient coconut whipped cream.
Afternoon Tea at Landing Point is an elegant place, perfect for a relaxing afternoon with your girlfriends.
Please follow me on Instagram @LivingveggiebyAnia if you would like to see photos from all the places above, I sincerely hope it will help you to discover new paces to explore the vegan dining scene in Singapore.
I always love to hear from you so feel free to message me in the comments below.