Explore Singapore one local dish at a time. From hidden gem hawker stalls to favourite family eateries, experience Singapore’s diverse cultures through its rich food heritage on a walking food tour through its historic ethnic districts. Whether you’re sampling local cuisine or other global flavours, this walking tour food guide will help you discover the best way to taste Singapore on your next trip here.
Why Choose a Walking Food Tour in Singapore?
A walking food tour is one of the best ways to experience Singapore’s multicultural cuisine. You’ll discover local dishes from the major ethnic groups here – Chinese, Malay, Indian – and taste how they’ve been shaped by multicultural and global influences to be something uniquely Singaporean.
Besides immersions, a walking food tour lets you go beyond the typical tourist attractions, exploring the local hawker centres filled with street food stalls beloved by Singaporeans, and discovering hidden neighbourhood spots you might never discover without the lure of a tasty bite.
Best Areas for Walking Food Tours in Singapore
Can’t decide where to start? Check out the best eats in some of Singapore’s most popular cultural and heritage neighbourhoods.
1. Chinatown Food Tour
Singapore’s Chinatown is home to several renowned hawker centres beloved by locals and tourists alike. Chinatown Complex Food Centre is the largest hawker centre in Singapore with over 220 stalls to choose from, including Hawker Chan that received an unprecedented 1-Michelin star award for its Hong Kong-style chicken rice in 2016. Nearby, Maxwell Food Centre along South Bridge Road is particularly famed for its many stalls selling fragrant plates of Hainanese Chicken Rice, Amoy Street Food Centre offers two floors of delicious local eats while Hong Lim Food Centre is renowned for its hawker food selection and conveniently next to Chinatown MRT Station.
Besides the hawker centres, you’ll find some more upscale eateries and restaurants in the restored shophouses around Chinatown. Some places to check out include the pedestrianised Smith Street, Club Street, Amoy Street and Keong Saik Street.
2. Little India Food Tour
This is the district to be in for all your South Asian style cuisine – Little India is frequented by the South Asian community in Singapore, particularly on weekends, so you know the most authentic eateries can be found here. Tekka Food Centre is the most convenient place for a bite, a large hawker centre home to a wide variety of affordable street food from all across Singapore, whether it be crispy rolls of thosai, mountains of biryani rice topped with mutton or delicious slices of roti prata.
Those with an appetite can search for Little India’s more famous restaurants along Syed Alwi Road, Race Course Road and the many lanes of main thoroughfare Serangoon Road.
3. Kampong Gelam Food Tour
Kampong Gelam is Singapore’s heritage Malay and Arab quarter. You’ll find a concentration of middle eastern restaurants featuring the likes of Turkish and Lebanese cuisine kebabs and shashlik along Bussorah Street, in front of the majestic Sultan mosque. Also in the area are some excellent Malay cuisine favourites – look out for Nasi Padang shops, stalls that sell rice served with a wide assortment of family-style home-cooked side dishes.
Nearby Haji Lane is a perfect weekend hangout when closed to vehicular traffic and al fresco dining is allowed. It’s also one of the few spots with bars and alcohol in this heritage Islamic neighbourhood.
4. Tiong Bahru
One of Singapore’s oldest neighbourhoods, Tiong Bahru’s alleyways have been revived with an influx of trendy cafes amidst traditional food stalls, making it a must-visit for visitors and foodies alike. Tiong Bahru Market and Food Centre is the best place to start your Singaporean food tour, a favourite pitstop for local residents and home to famous hawker food stalls serving chwee kueh (rice cake with preserved radish) and stir-fried prawn noodles.
Explore the low art-deco style public housing blocks around the Tiong Bahru neighbourhood to discover a mix of family-style zhi char eateries alongside hidden gem bakeries, cafes and restaurants for fancier food options.
Must-Try Dishes on a Singapore Food Tour
Singaporean cuisine covers a diverse range of tastes, recipes brought by early immigrants who made their homes here and adapted with locally available ingredients and influenced by the melting pot of cultures. For first-timers looking to try some quintessentially Singaporean dishes, here’s a list of favourites to look out for:
- Hainanese Chicken Rice – flavourful rice cooked in chicken broth, topped with poached chicken and delicious garlic chilli and sweet soya sauce
- Laksa – slippery rice noodles cooked in a spicy coconut curry soup alongside meat or seafood, a favourite of the mixed-heritage Peranakans
- Satay – marinated meat skewers freshly grilled and served with a side of sticky rice ketupat and a sumptuous peanut sauce
- Chilli Crab – splurge on crab slathered in a thick chilli sauce that’s more sweet than spicy with fried mantou bread buns to sop up the gravy
- Kaya Toast – crispy toasted bread spread with a delicious coconut and pandan based jam and a sliver of butter. Best eaten with two runny half-boiled eggs and a cup of coffee or tea
- Cendol – cool off with a bowl of pandan flavoured jelly noodles soaked in fresh coconut milk and topped with sweet palm sugar and some soft red beans
Tips for Enjoying a Singapore Food Walking Tour
The best way to enjoy a Singapore food walking tour is to start hungry. Skip your usual meal or just have a light snack before your tour so you’ll be ready to enjoy the food coming your way.
Find a group or join a group tour – the best way to enjoy food is to share the love! With more people sharing plates, you’ll have more opportunity to try different types of foods available, something that’s hard to do if you’re on your own with a finite stomach space.
Get comfortable by wearing loose clothing and good shoes so you can eat and walk in the best conditions. Hawker centres especially tend to be quite warm as they are not air-conditioned, so dress light and bring fans or towels to manage the heat.
Carry some cash with you, especially for Singapore’s hawker centres. While most restaurants accept credit cards, the smaller eateries and hawker stalls are typically cash-only, so come prepared.
If you’re planning to find your own way, try to avoid peak dining times to ensure the best eating experience. Lunch spots in Singapore are typically most crowded from 12-1pm, while dinners usually are around 7-8pm. Weekends and public hours may see slightly longer and earlier peak hours.
Taste Your Way Around Singapore
The most authentic way to experience Singapore is to explore its delicious and diverse cuisine. Take a walking food tour in Singapore and immerse yourself into its multicultural heritage.
This guide is here to get you started, but if the thought of poring through online food reviews and planning a route with recommendations sounds overwhelming, hire a singapore tour and travel agency to get the lowdown on what local dishes and eateries are worth the stomach space. Our guides know exactly where to take you to enjoy the best Singapore food.
