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10 Best Indian Restaurants in Singapore

A guide to ten of the best Indian restaurants in Singapore, from banana-leaf fish head curry and South Indian tiffin to Punjabi tandoor and fine dining.

Edited by
Amir Wahab
Published
Reading time
4 min read
An Indian feast of curries, biryani and naan at a restaurant in SingaporeAI image by LocalRank

Singapore's Indian dining scene runs from banana-leaf fish head curry and South Indian tiffin to Punjabi tandoor, Chettinad spice and modern fine dining. This guide gathers ten of the best Indian restaurants in Singapore, spread across Little India, Dempsey, Katong, Tanglin and Marina Bay Sands. Each was checked against its own website or official listing; treat it as a shortlist to explore rather than a strict ranking, and confirm hours before visiting.

1. Muthu's Curry

Muthu's Curry is a South Indian restaurant that grew from a Klang Road stall into a Little India institution, with further outlets the group runs at Suntec City and Dempsey. Its own site says it has cooked in the Tamil Nadu tradition since 1969, and its best-known dish is a fish head curry simmered in a tamarind-spiked gravy with okra and tomatoes. Expect banana-leaf meals alongside biryani, tandoori and other Southern and Northern Indian staples.

2. The Banana Leaf Apolo

The Banana Leaf Apolo is a Little India mainstay on Race Course Road that the restaurant says began as a thosai stall in 1974 before moving to its current home. True to its name, meals are served on fresh banana leaves, and the kitchen spans South and North Indian cooking, from a signature fish head curry it describes as a guarded family recipe to mutton biryani, tandoori chicken and naan. It is a large, casual dining hall rather than a fine-dining room.

3. Samy's Curry

Samy's Curry is a South Indian banana-leaf restaurant set in a breezy hall at Dempsey, where staff ladle rice and vegetable sides straight onto the leaf. The family business says it was started by M. Veerasamy in the 1960s and has stood at Dempsey Road for around five decades, building its name on dishes such as its masala chicken, fish head curry and Mysore mutton. It is a relaxed, order-and-share spot popular for group meals.

4. Anjappar

Anjappar specialises in Chettinad cooking, the robust, pepper-forward cuisine of Tamil Nadu, and its own site traces the brand back to 1964. The Singapore restaurant on Race Course Road, one of several outlets, is known for non-vegetarian dishes such as chicken Chettinad and mutton biryani alongside appam and dosa. It is a full-service, sit-down restaurant suited to spice-lovers and larger tables.

5. Lagnaa...barefoot dining

Lagnaa is a Little India bistro on Upper Dickson Road built around a barefoot dining concept, where diners can head upstairs to leave their shoes at the door and eat seated on the floor. The restaurant serves North and South Indian dishes and, describing itself as a curry and chilli advocate, lets guests set how spicy their food should be. Conventional table seating is available downstairs for those who prefer it.

6. Zaffron Kitchen

Zaffron Kitchen is a homegrown North Indian restaurant that started on East Coast Road in Katong and has run outlets elsewhere in Singapore, including at the RELC hotel. It describes its style as authentic North Indian food in a chic, contemporary setting, and says it cooks with certified healthier oils, lower-sodium salt and no added MSG. Expect familiar tandoori dishes, curries, biryani and breads in a smart-casual dining room.

7. Mustard

Mustard bills itself as Singapore's first restaurant devoted to both Bengali and Punjabi cooking, named for the spice that runs through both regions' cuisines. On Race Course Road in Little India, it pairs Punjabi tandoor and curry dishes with Bengali specialities such as fish cooked in a house-made mustard sauce it calls kashundi. The restaurant says it opened in 2005 and leans on personal, home-style service.

8. Khansama Tandoori Restaurant

Khansama Tandoori Restaurant is a North Indian and Punjabi kitchen in Little India, on Serangoon Road, that centres its menu on the tandoor. Its own site describes it as an authentic North Indian restaurant, with an extensive range of tandoori dishes covering meat, seafood and vegetarian options plus the usual curries, biryani and breads. It is a casual, long-running spot for a tandoor-focused Indian meal.

9. Punjab Grill

Punjab Grill is a North Indian fine-dining restaurant in The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, offering a more polished, sit-down take on Punjabi and North Indian cuisine. Its menu draws on the cooking of cities such as Amritsar, Lahore and Peshawar, running to tandoori grills, rich curries such as butter chicken and rogan josh, and dishes it frames as inspired by old royal kitchens. It suits special occasions and reservations rather than a quick casual bite.

10. Yantra

Yantra is a fine-dining Indian restaurant at Tanglin Mall serving food from across the subcontinent in a contemporary setting with an open kitchen and a row of tandoor ovens. It offers both vegetarian and non-vegetarian menus spanning North Indian tandoori and curries alongside dishes from other regions, positioned at the upscale, reservations-friendly end of the spectrum. It is a useful option for Indian fine dining outside the Little India enclave.

How to choose

  • Pick the regional style you are after: South Indian banana-leaf meals, dosa and tiffin eat very differently from North Indian tandoor, biryani and rich Punjabi curries.
  • Match the setting to the occasion, from casual Little India halls and banana-leaf spots to hotel and Marina Bay fine-dining rooms that take reservations.
  • If you have a low spice tolerance, ask how hot a dish is before ordering, as many kitchens will adjust the chilli level on request.
  • For vegetarians, vegans or anyone avoiding dairy, check the menu first, since ghee, paneer and cream are common even though most Indian kitchens have extensive meat-free options.
  • Confirm current opening hours and the specific outlet on the restaurant's own website or listing before travelling, as several of these brands run multiple branches.
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About the author

Amir Wahab

Founder and Editor

Amir Wahab is the founder and editor of LocalRank, an independent Singapore rankings and local guides publication.

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