Singapore’s food scene is incredibly diverse as you can find food from different cultures, including chain restaurants originating from other countries.

Where you will eat can be divided into:

Hawker Centres

Hawker centres are basically food courts. It’ll be here where you can try local foods at cheap prices. The best part is you can order from multiple stalls and eat it all together at your table. Most hawker stalls with only have a few dishes on their menu, hence why the food standard is so high.

There is no air conditioning at hawker centres, only fans. Malls will have food courts with air conditioning, though the prices will be more expensive than at hawker centres.

Average hawker centre prices

Average entree cost: 4-7 SGD. There is an additional charge for takeout packaging.
Average (non-alcoholic) drink cost: 1.50-3 SGD

Hawker centre etiquette

Seating

At hawker centres, the seating is first come, first serve. Like in the picture above, tables are usually large – fitting anywhere from 4 – 8 people. You should find a seat (preferably by the fans) before ordering any food. You can “reserve” (or “chop”, as the locals say) your table by placing something not valuable (like your umbrella, or a packet of tissues) at your table.

Likewise, don’t sit at any tables that already have stuff at the table. It is common to share tables with others eating at the hawker centre, too – locals may ask (in Mandarin) if they can sit at open seats at your table if there are no other available seats.

You can sit at any table in the hawker centre, regardless of which stall you are ordering from. You can also order from multiple stalls and eat it all at the same table.

Ordering and paying

Most hawkers (the people running a hawker centre stall) will be able to speak basic English. The meals here are self service. If the dish is quick to prepare, they will prepare it on the spot and have you stand by the stall for a few minutes to collect your dish.

If there is a longer wait, the hawker may provide you with a buzzer that will ring and you should go back to collect your dish then. Be sure not to wander too far from the stall as the buzzers might not work with a longer range.

🚫 There is no tipping required at hawker centres. Credit cards are NOT accepted.
At hawker centres, you will pay upon ordering. Unless you are a Singaporean resident who can use the local bank transfer apps, you will need to use cash for all your hawker centre meals.

The stalls will have utensils for you, however you should only take utensils from the stall you ordered from because the stalls have to wash/pay (if disposable) for these utensils themselves.

Returning your tray

❗️You will need to clear the table yourself at hawker centres by returning your dishes and trash to the dish returns. You will be fined if you leave any trash or your used dishes at the table. Dish returns are split up into Halal and Non-Halal, so make sure you return your dishes accordingly.

❗️Opening times may vary as hawker stalls are often run by one/a few people. Double check the opening times on Google Maps before making the trek over.

The most popular hawker centres are Lau Pa Sat, Maxwell Food Centre, Chinatown Complex Food Centre, and Newton Food Centre. However, food court style stalls exist all over the city to maximize convenience for residents.

Restaurants

Average restaurant prices

Average entree cost:  7-12 SGD. There is an additional charge for takeout packaging.
Average drink cost (non-alcoholic): 3-6 SGD. A cup of ice water is usually under 1 SGD. Alcohol is heavily taxed in Singapore, thus any alcoholic drinks are going to be expensive.

Restaurant Etiquette

At restaurants, if you order at a counter, you will likely pay upon ordering. Otherwise, you will pay at the counter when leaving by providing your table number.

🚫 There is no tipping required at restaurants.
The price on the menu is the price with tax (GST), if not the price after tax should be clearly stated. Many restaurants utilize QR code ordering, where the price with tax is visible upon ordering via QR code. Some restaurants will have a service charge (usually 10%) added on the bill (this should be stated on the menu).

Many restaurants do not accept credit cards (local bank transfers only). It is recommended that you always have enough cash, or ask before ordering if they accept “PayWave” (the payment system used to run credit card transactions).

Water / Napkins

🚫 Free water and napkins are NOT provided at any hawker centres or restaurants.
You should bring your own to use, otherwise they will be charged at restaurants.

Most locals will order a drink with their meals. At hawker centres, you can bring your own water bottle, however some smaller hawker centres will have drink stand employees that go around to each table asking if you’d like to buy a drink. Restaurants will have cups of drinking water on the menu, usually under 1 SGD.

Solo Dining

Singapore is perfect for solo travelers due to the abundance of hawker centres and food courts. Hawker centre meals are usually intended to be a single serving (and priced accordingly). You should also have no problem getting a table for 1 at most restaurants.

Vegetarian/Vegan Food

Singapore is a foodie paradise – and don’t worry, this also applies to vegetarians & vegans! Singapore is one of the best, if not the best, place for veg food. You can read my Singapore vegetarian food guide & vegetarian restaurant guide for complete information. (COMING SOON)

Common Food Allergens

The menus, especially at hawker centres, do not contain descriptions – usually only the name of the dish and a picture.

❗️Knowledge about gluten allergies is not common in Singapore, and there are virtually no gluten free markings on menus.

❗️I have rarely seen nut allergy warnings on menus. Peanuts are present in MANY dishes, either as in ingredient or as a garnish/side. If you have a peanut allergy, I recommend checking with staff before ordering anything. These are dishes that contain peanuts: