Tanjong Pagar, Chinatown & CBD

Tanjong Pagar, Chinatown and the CBD pack shophouse bars, hawker centres and office-tower lunch spots into a few walkable streets, so eating out here runs from quick weekday lunches to long evenings along Amoy and Telok Ayer.

Meatsmith Telok Ayer is a shophouse smokehouse serving a double wagyu cheeseburger on a housemade potato bun next to brisket and craft beer. Smash Street, from the team behind Scarpetta, presses crisp-edged patties onto toasted potato buns on Amoy Street. Swag & Sizzle on Cantonment Road is run by two former L'Entrecôte chefs and pairs a bacon-jam smash burger with hanger steak at hawker-friendly prices. ROKUS a.g.b at Lau Pa Sat serves Korean-Western burgers such as the Tteokbokki Burger.

Telok Ayer, Tanjong Pagar, Raffles Place and Outram Park MRT stations cover the area, and parking is tight, so the train is easier. Weekday lunch between noon and 2pm brings office crowds; go just before noon or in the evening for shorter waits.