Meatsmith Telok Ayer

Meatsmith fills a pair of conservation shophouses on Telok Ayer Street with a smokehouse and bar built around wood-fired American barbecue. It has been a CBD fixture for years and still draws a strong after-work crowd, with a long bar, tap beer and a menu of smoked meats that runs well beyond burgers.

The headline burger is the Meatsmith Wagyu Cheeseburger at S$28: two wagyu patties, double American cheese, burger sauce and house pickles in a housemade potato bun. A newer MSX Single Cheeseburger (around S$12++) uses a beef brisket patty smoked over hickory for up to 14 hours, with American cheddar and the same sauce. Add fries or slaw, and the smoked brisket if you are sharing.

It suits a burger and a beer after work or a relaxed group dinner, and walk-ins are possible though booking is wise on Thursday and Friday nights. The kitchen also serves pork, so it is not halal. This is the only Meatsmith outlet listed on the brand's website; opening hours are not published there, so check before visiting at lunchtime.