Seeking an exceptional veg-friendly restaurant for date night? Here are 9 of the best, where vegans and vegetarians won’t need to play second fiddle to the meat-eaters. From Chinese to Indian to Modern cuisines, these 9 mainstream restaurants cater wonderfully to the plant-eaters. Yes, all of these restaurants offer meat, but they’ve made sure that the herbivores are also well catered to and often spoilt for choice, with the plethora of veg choices they offer. So here’s a list of 9 of our favourite mainstream restaurants for vegan & vegetarian fine dining in Singapore (in no particular order).
We have not included the Michelin Star restaurants in this list as they deserved a list of their own at 10 Michelin-Starred Restaurants in Singapore with Indulgent Vegetarian Menus.
Shahi Maharani
Cuisine: North-Indian | Great for Vegetarians & Vegans
Shahi Maharani’s Veg Sizzler (Image credit: Shahi Maharani)Shahi translates to Royal, and everything from the food to the décor here screams regal splendour. Churning out distinctive and authentic North-Indian cuisine for 20 years, Shahi Maharani offers a royally vegetarian fine dining experience. The menu has extensive vegetarian options and several dishes can be effortlessly and seamlessly customized to be vegan. Start with Bhindi Pakoda – okra fried in chickpea flour batter or Papdi Chaat (S$16) – a crispy flour biscuit topped with spiced potatoes and smothered in chutneys. Do try the Impossible™ Shammi Kebab – delicious, crispy on the outside, soft and flavour-packed on the inside. The top pick here though would have to be the Subzi Sizzler (S$34) – creamy melt-in-your-mouth vegetable kebabs that are generously topped with a delightful gravy. Read: A Royal Veg(etari)an Indian Feast at Shahi Maharani.
Shahi Maharani: 252 North Bridge Road #03–21B Raffles City Shopping Centre Singapore 179103. P: +65 6235 8840 | Website
Empress
Cuisine: Chinese | Great for Vegetarians & Vegans
Empress Sweet & Sour OmniMeat Balls (Image credit: Empress)With around 30% of its menu being plant-based, Empress caters exceptionally to the herbivores. Located in the iconic Asian Civilisations Museum, Empress offers the perfect juxtaposition of traditional Chinese food in a contemporary dining room, to be enjoyed in a vibrant & iconic setting by the Singapore River. Empress delivers traditional cuisine, friendly service and a vibrant atmosphere, with fabulous and innovative food. Some of the veg top-sellers here include Pan-Fried Impossible™ Gyoza (S$7.80), Sichuan Impossible™ Meat & Mapo Tofu in Hotpot (S$20) and Sweet & Sour Omnipork Balls.
Empress: 1 Empress Place, #01-03, Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore 179555. P: +65 6776 0777 | Website
Jade
Cuisine: Chinese | Great for Vegetarians & Vegans
Classic Vegetarian Trio, which features Caramelised Omnipork Vegan Meat Stuffed with Pickled Apple, Plum-flavoured Cherry Tomato with Sesame Dressing and Steamed Vegetarian DumplingJade is one of the distinctive restaurants at Fullerton Hotel, offering authentic Chinese cuisine of exceptional quality. ‘Taste the Future‘ is a carefully curated plant-based five-course menu (S$68) that showcases the versatility of vegan dishes without compromising on flavour. In place of meat, the menu features Omnipork, a blend of plant-based protein from pea, non-GMO soy, shiitake mushroom and rice.
While the entire menu is great, the show-stopper is Pan-fried Fresh Chinese Yam with Omnipork Vegan Meat Omelette Served and Stewed Beancurd. Also a favourite with us is the Classic Vegetarian Trio, which features Caramelised Omnipork Vegan Meat Stuffed with Pickled Apple, Plum-flavoured Cherry Tomato with Sesame Dressing and Steamed Vegetarian Dumpling. A complete lowdown on the menu and dishes at Taste the Future with Jade’s Plant-Based Chinese Menu.
Jade: The Fullerton Hotel, 1 Fullerton Square, Singapore 049178. P: +65 6877 8911/8912 | Website
Artemis Grill & Sky Bar
Cuisine: Mediterranean | Great for Vegetarians & Vegans
Parsley Spelt “Risotto” with Verjus Pickled Onions and Périgord Truffle DressingA contemporary Mediterranean-inspired rooftop bar and restaurant located in the CBD, Artemis Grill & Sky Bar offers panoramic views of Marina Bay skyline from the 40th floor. Expect fresh food with the finest seasonal ingredients crafted and prepared in sync with the spirit of the restaurant’s Mediterranean inspiration. The menu caters for most dietary requirements be it vegetarians, pescatarians, gluten-sensitive or low-carb’ers.
The Vegan Menu is downright impressive, featuring all things green and Mediterranean, from the commonplace Tabbouleh Salad (S$22) and Quinoa Falafel, to the not-so-common Celery Root “Tartare” and Stuffed Piquillo Pepper (Brown Rice, Spiced Zucchini & Eggplant, Arugula Pesto). The a-la-carte menu also offers a plethora of vegetarian dishes and the Executive Set Lunch (two course and three course for S$45 and S$52 respectively) has at least 1 veg option for each course.
Artemis Grill & Sky Bar: 138 Market Street, CapitaGreen Rooftop (Level 40), Singapore 048946. P: +65 6635 8677 | Website
Yantra
Cuisine: Indian | Great for Vegetarians & Vegans
The first fine dining Indian restaurant in Singapore to offer a 5-Course Vegan Indian Menu (S$68), Yantra offers north-Indian fare that is rich in flavours. While this is a meal that is difficult to find fault with, highlights include Yantra’s signature tangy and spicy Quinoa Chaat, Tandoori Broccoli and Bhatti Avocado. The star of the show though is Asparagus Methi Chestnut, a delightful dish that puts forth an unexpected combination of ingredients. Do note that they prefer 48 hours’ notice for the Vegan Menu. View the full menu at Experience Singapore’s First Indian Vegan Menu at Yantra.
Yantra: 163 Tanglin Road, #01-28/33 Tanglin Mall, Singapore 247933. P: +65 6836 3088
Jim Thompson Thai Restaurant & Wine Bar
Cuisine: Traditional & Contemporay Thai | Great for Vegetarians & Vegans
Jim Thompson redefines Thai dining with its mix of traditional and contemporary food, with an exclusive Vegetarian Menu that also offers several vegan dishes. That added to their stunning location in a heritage bungalow, with stunning architecture and dazzling interiors, makes for a wonderful vegetarian fine dining experience. Start with a soup, you can’t go wrong with either Tom Yam Pak or Tom Kha Pak. The salads are all excellent, our favourite being Yam Somo aka Pomelo Salad. Our top picks for mains would be Phad Thai, Green Curry and Red Curry. More at Unbeatable Veg(etari)an Thai Dining at Jim Thompson Singapore.
Jim Thompson: 45 Minden Road, Dempsey Rd, Singapore 248817 P: +65 6475 6088
KOMA
Cuisine: Japanese | Great for Vegetarians & Vegans
KOMA offers a modern interpretation of Japanese cuisine, presenting a next level dining experience amidst a dramatic and unique setting. Some of the popular veg options here are Maki – 7 Treasure Vegetable (S$16, avocado, cucumber, asparagus, kanpyo, yama gobo, shiso, soy paper), Blistered Shishito Peppers and the Okra Myoga Roll (okra, myoga, barley miso). They also offer various Vegetable Tempura like Asparagus, Japanese Sweet Potato, Japanese Onion etc.
Koma: The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, 2 Bayfront Avenue, #B1-67, Singapore 018972. P: +65 6688 8690 | Website
Tippling Club
Cuisine: Modern | Great for Vegetarians
Chef-Owner Ryan Clift offers modern gastronomy that is fun, playful and fresh. Spanning three shophouse units in Tanjong Pagar, Tippling Club has won awards for its innovative, ultra-progressive cuisine and cocktails. Clift offers a Classic Menu (S$150 without pairing, S$255 with pairing) that features unique dishes such as Shin Jyagaimo New Potato (jerusalem artichoke, tonburi), Vichyssoise (milk braised parsley root) and Celeriac Lasagne (salt baked, shiro miso, salsa verde). The Gourmand menu (S$245 without pairing, S$405 with pairing) offers additional star dishes like the Faux Foie Gras Cheesecake (Iranian pistachio, mandarin, yoghurt) and a selection of Sweet Treats.
Tippling Club: 38 Tanjong Pagar Road Singapore. P: +65 6475 2217 | Website
Otto Ristorante
Cuisine: Italian | Great for Vegetarians
The colours of Italy! Risotto with Italian tomato, Burrata cheese and sweet basil scented olive oilOtto Ristorante offers authentic Italian food in a sophisticated ambience. The a-la-carte menu features a few vegetarian dishes and Otto’s Vegetarian Degustation Menu (S$98) is a veg foodie’s dream come true with much loved dishes like Tortelli alla Parmigiana di Melanzane con Spuma di Burrata e Pomodorini Confit (Eggplant parmigiana tortelli with burrata espuma and confit tomato). Dessert is a Venetian iced meringue cake with warm chocolate soup, pistachio heart. From taste to presentation, everything at Otto is superb.
Otto: 32 Maxwell Road, #01-02/03 Maxwell Chambers, Singapore 069115. P: +65 6227 6819 | Website
Founder and Editor-in-Chief of EatRoamLive, Pooja’s enthusiasm for food and travelling is palpable from the variety and intensity with which she writes. A traveller at heart and a big-time foodie who is vegan, EatRoamLive was incepted with her desire to create a resource aimed at making dining out fun, and not restrictive, for veg(etari)ans. Not just (solely) veg(etari)an restaurants, she marks out places that serve sumptuous food with enough meat-free options. A hands-on mum to 3 young kids, the former architect and interior designer has her hands full juggling her love for writing, travelling and home.
