9 Best Nasi Briyani in Singapore (2026)

Nasi briyani is one of Singapore's most beloved Indian-Muslim dishes, and this guide gathers nine of the best places for briyani across the island, from century-old heritage restaurants in Kampong Glam to dum-style specialists and hawker stalls in Little India, Geylang Serai and Beach Road. Each was checked against its own website or public listings for how it describes its food and whether it is still operating in 2026. Treat it as a shortlist to explore rather than a strict ranking, and confirm opening hours and halal certification before you go.

Bismillah Biryani is a Muslim-owned specialist on Dunlop Street in Little India built around slow-cooked dum biryani, where seasoned rice and meat steam together in a sealed pot. The kitchen describes its food as 100% Muslim-owned and cooked with no MSG, and its menu runs to lamb shank biryani, gosht (mutton) biryani, chicken kofta biryani and yakhni mutton pulao, plus sides such as nihari, haleem and korma. Its Dunlop Street outlet has been listed as a Michelin Bib Gourmand pick across multiple years.

Little India
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Islamic Restaurant is one of Singapore's oldest biryani houses, tucked among the shophouses of Kampong Glam near Arab Street and North Bridge Road. The restaurant traces its roots to 1921 and says it has served more than 20 million plates, with its signature biryani built on a closely guarded family recipe handed down the generations. Expect an old-school, sit-down setting and generous plates of fragrant rice with mutton or chicken rather than a quick hawker counter, which makes it a good choice for a leisurely meal.

Kampong Glam
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Singapore Zam Zam is a century-old Indian-Muslim institution on North Bridge Road, directly opposite Sultan Mosque in Kampong Glam. The restaurant says it has been perfecting nasi briyani and murtabak since 1908, and while its stuffed, pan-fried murtabak draws the crowds, its fragrant briyani rice topped with a boiled egg is a long-standing mainstay. It is a bustling, two-storey spot in the Bugis and Kampong Glam heritage quarter, popular with both neighbourhood regulars and visitors passing the mosque.

Kampong Glam
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Allauddin's Briyani has been serving Tekka Centre in Little India since 1968 and is now run by a later generation of the same family. The stall is known for mounding basmati briyani onto the plate alongside a hard-boiled egg, tangy achar, papadum and a bowl of dhal, with mutton and chicken among the choices. It is a no-frills hawker counter that has been featured in the Michelin Guide, and queues build quickly around lunchtime, so it pays to arrive early.

Tekka Centre, Little India
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Yakader Muslim Food is one of the many briyani stalls inside Tekka Centre, and it cooks its rice dum-style, layering marinated meat between spiced basmati in a large sealed pot so the flavours exchange as it steams. The stall offers chicken, mutton and fish briyani in hearty hawker portions, and it draws steady lunchtime queues from Little India workers and visitors alike. It is a counter-service stall, so expect to order, pay and find your own table, and check the day as some Tekka stalls close midweek.

Tekka Centre, Little India
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Geylang Briyani Stall sits inside Geylang Serai Market and Food Centre and dates back to 1964, when it was started by a founder from Chennai; it is now run by the third generation of the family. The stall keeps a focused menu of mutton briyani, curry chicken briyani and fried chicken briyani, with the mutton and curry chicken as its signatures. It is a heritage hawker stall rather than a restaurant, so come for honest, home-style briyani at market-stall pace and prices.

Geylang Serai
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Koothurar Nasi Briyani, better known simply as the Beach Road briyani because it long went without a signboard, is a cult favourite tucked into a block off Beach Road in the Crawford area. Run by the same family for decades, it is celebrated for tender, fall-off-the-bone mutton and juicy chicken piled over fragrant basmati rice. It is a modest, hawker-style operation with a devoted following, and popular cuts tend to sell out, so it pays to arrive well before they run low.

Beach Road (Crawford)
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Mr Biryani is a Hyderabadi-style specialist in Little India, founded in 2017 by chef Govinda Rajan, who set out to recreate a true Hyderabadi dum biryani tweaked for local palates. The rice is layered with marinated meat and steamed in a pot sealed with strips of dough, and the menu is broad: chicken dum briyani, boneless mutton masala, prawn and fish versions, plus vegetarian options such as paneer, brinjal and jackfruit. It is halal-certified and has an outlet on Chander Road.

Little India
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Al-Jasra is a long-running, 24-hour Indian-Muslim restaurant on Changi Road near Kembangan, offering a rare late-night and early-morning option for a briyani fix in the east. While it is widely known for its all-you-can-eat prata buffet, its menu also covers nasi briyani, tandoori chicken, mee goreng and other Indian-Muslim staples. It is a casual, canteen-style eatery that suits supper crowds and groups, and the round-the-clock hours make it handy when the Little India stalls have long closed.

Changi Road (Kembangan)
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