10 best food spots in Raffles City that’ll cater to every budget
Raffles City is one of the most central malls in Singapore. Conveniently located a stone’s throw away from City Hall MRT, this bustling shopping centre is also frequented by folks from all walks of life— white-collar workers in nearby offices, tourists on a city tour, families on a weekend shopping spree, and even millennials looking to grab a quite bite before heading to the nearby museums.
To cater to such a large volume of shoppers, the sprawling shopping centre houses over 200 shops, half of which are eateries! From Michelin-starred restaurants to casual eateries, Raffles City has it all. Here are 10 best food spots in Raffles City that’ll cater to every budget.
1. PS.Cafe (#03-37)
I’m starting off this list with one of my favourite cafes— PS.Cafe. Located on the breezy 3rd level of Raffles City, PS.Cafe takes on a floating double-story greenhouse effect, creating the illusion of an idyllic retreat within the busy city district.
Whether or not you’re looking for a quick pit-stop whilst shopping, or simply looking to treat yourself after a long week at work, PS.Cafe’s quintessential brunch items and sinful desserts will definitely hit the spot.
A must-try whenever you’re at PS.Cafe is the PS.Club Sandwich (S$28). Served on a long stick and cut into large triangles, this sandwich comprises toasted Turkish bread, bacon, chicken, fried egg, cheddar and creamed spinach. It’s also served with tomato relish, gherkins and cranberry vinaigrette greens on the side.
As for mains, I always go for the classic Steak Frites (S$42) or Spicy King Prawn Aglio Olio (S$30). Be sure to save room for dessert, for PS.Cafe’s Sticky Date Pudding (S$15) is one of my personal favourites, and I always make it a point to order one whenever I’m here. You can also try the Dark Chocolate Banana Cheesecake (S$16) or Florida Key Lime Pie (S$15).
+65 6708 9288/+65 8858 8728
Daily: 11am – 10pm
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2. The Food Place (#03-15 to 17)
On a budget? You might be happy to know that Raffles City has a food court on the 3rd floor, with close to 20 stalls offering all sorts of food at different price points.
The Food Place is a popular lunch spot for the CBD crowd, so be sure to come armed with tissue packets and umbrellas to chope your table!
Newly opened in Dec 2022 at The Food Place is Tasty Sarawak Kolo Mee. Its cheapest bowl of noodles are the Sibu Mee Kampua (S$6.50), Pork Liver Noodle (S$6.50) and Sarawak Pork Noodle (S$6.50), and coming closely behind in terms of price point are the Meatball Kolo Mee (S$6.80), Sarawak Wanton Noodle (S$6.80) and Fishball Kolo Mee (S$6.80).
Those craving something soupy can head to Odeon Beef Noodles for a bowl of savoury Premier Beef Noodles (Soup/Dry) (S$7.50), or try Shen Xi Imperial Soup’s Wild Ginseng Black Chicken Soup (S$8.80).
As with most food courts, there are more than enough choices to leave you overwhelmed at lunch time. Other stalls include Pepper Kitchen, New Hong Kong Roast, Mini Wok, Chi Huo Yi Zu Cuisine (aka caifan), Chirashi-Teh, Mala Xiang Guo, Chai’s Fish Soup, Spinach Chef, Warung Penyet and Chicken Rice.
+65 6338 8055
Daily: 10am – 10pm
3. Tiong Bahru Bakery Diner (#B1-11)
Those familiar with Tiong Bahru Bakery will know this beloved homegrown bakery brand for its wonderful pastries (especially its kouign amann), but did you know that there are outlet-exclusive menus, with certain locations offering hot food, just like your regular cafe?
Its outlet at Raffles City is exactly just that, offering cafe-standard brunch dishes that are available only at Raffles City. The only other outlet to offer all-day dining is Waterway Point.
Sandwiches, burgers, pasta, eggs, pancakes and waffles— Tiong Bahru Bakery Diner at Raffles City offers the full works.
You can expect to dig into brunch classics like Organic Eggs Benedict with Calamansi Hollandaise (S$22), but my personal favourite will always be the 100% Sourdough Waffle, which are homemade liege waffles made from a sourdough starter. This iconic dish is served in either Sweet (S$21) or Savoury (S$23), with the former coming with Thai mango and lemongrass chantilly, while the latter features a sunny-side up with crisp bacon.
Note that some dishes are only available on weekdays, and that the hot kitchen has shorter operating hours (8.30am to 8.30pm daily).
+65 6333 4160
Daily: 7.30am – 10pm
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4. XW Western Grill (#B1-44B)
Offering the most bang for your buck is XW Western Grill, a casual Western restaurant located in the basement of Raffles City that offers an all-you-can-eat salad bar.
This means that every main course will entitle you to unlimited servings of hot and cold sides, such as French Fries, Mac & Cheese, Potato Salad, Baked Potato, Corn on the Cob, Aglio Olio Spaghetti, Butter Rice, Coleslaw, Sweet Potato Fries and more!
Its main dishes are priced relatively affordable too, with most items averaging out to be around S$15 to S$18. Apart from the standard Western offerings, W Western Grill also offers unique gravies to accompany your meats, such as Chargrilled Chicken with Tom Yum Sauce (S$13.90), Fried Chicken with Korean Spicy Sauce (S$14.90) and Chargrilled Ribeye with Yellow Curry Sauce (S$23.90).
For those with huge appetites, try its super combos, which pair two meats together! Examples of these include the Chargrilled Chicken & Fish (S$18.90), Chargrilled Chicken & Tiger Prawn (S$21.90) and even the Chargrilled Sirloin Steak & King Prawn (S$29.90).
+65 6264 7066
Daily: 11.30am – 10pm
5. Omote (#B1-44C)
Newly opened in Nov 2022 at Raffles City is Omote. This homegrown brand first started out as an unassuming 12-seater restaurant in Thomson Plaza in Dec 2018, and quickly grew to fame thanks to its wallet-friendly bara chirashi bowls. Most long standing fans will be familiar with its legendary queues, which unfortunately seems to be the status quo even at Raffles City!
Its second outlet at Raffles City sports a more concise menu, featuring its best-selling bowls, as well as a range of sharing plates and outlet-exclusive items.
Though its chirashi dons aren’t as affordable as they sound, you’re definitely getting quality sashimi with each bowl. Be sure to try its signature chirashi dons, such as the Tamago Mentai Chirashi (S$21.80) or Truffle Roasted Garlic Chirashi (S$23.80), or go for other favourites like the Spicy Yakiniku Don (S$19.80) or Unagi Kabayaki Don (S$25.80).
As for snacks and sharing plates, you can try the Hiratake Shrooms (S$9.80), which comes with king oyster mushrooms, cherry roma and koji sake, or the Black Truffle Tako Karaage (S$19.80), which features triple fried octopus topped with white truffle cream and black truffle shavings.
+65 9899 3670
Daily: 11.30am – 2pm & 2.30pm – 4.30pm & 5.30pm – 9pm
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6. Tenjin (#B1-46)
Though I’ve been to Raffles City more times than I can count, it took me a couple of tries to locate unassuming Tenjin. It doesn’t have much of a storefront, with its entrance demarcated simply by a piece of noren (traditional Japanese fabric dividers).
It’s located at the basement of Raffles City, and can be found right behind Tarte by Cheryl Koh.
Tenjin is a smart-casual Japanese restaurant that serves up tempura donburi, aka tendon. Pick from 6 types of tendon, ranging from the ever-favourite Inaniwa Udon Set (S$24.80) which comes with hot or cold udon and assorted tempura, or single-bowl tendon sets like Premium Set (S$22.80), Prawn Set (S$17.80) or Vegetable Set (S$12.80).
You can also choose to order additional sides and toppings, such as Truffle Chawanmushi (S$4), Anago aka eel (S$7), Ebi (S$6) or even Yaki Nasu (S$2.80), which is chilled grilled eggplant.
+65 9663 1365
Daily: 11am – 9pm
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7. Milkfish (#B1-44F)
Taking over the fish soup community by storm is Milkfish, a popular homegrown eatery specialising in slow-cooked seafood soup. Its soup is prepared lovingly without MSG, preservatives or dairy, thus ensuring that whatever sweetness you taste in the soup is truly natural.
Why does it appear milky if it doesn’t use dairy then? It’s due to the many hours of brewing fish, pork bones and chicken. After a laborious process which includes boiling, skimming and reducing, the broth is distilled into a creamy consistency, eliminating any need to add milk at all.
Milkfish’s menu is split into 3 main sections: Soup only, Sets, and Combo sets. If you’re dining alone and want something to fill you up, go for the Signature Soup Set (S$19.30), which comes with Milkfish’s signature fish soup, your choice of rice or noodles, 2 side dishes and a drink.
Those dining in a group can consider its Combo Sets, such as the Combo for 2 (S$48). This all-encompassing option comes with two signature soups, grilled whole milkfish belly, oriental salad, deep-fried prawn rolls, marinated chilled tomatoes, and your choice of rice or noodles.
Note that Milkfish also offers a tango tomato-based soup for every single fish soup.
+65 6254 4946
Sun to Thu: 11am – 9pm
Fri & Sat: 11am – 9.30pm
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8. IPPUDO (#B1-61/62)
Possibly the most well-known ramen chain in the world is IPPUDO. It was started in Fukuoka in 1985, and first came to Singapore in 2009. Currently, IPPUDO has 9 dine-in outlets in Singapore, including the one at the basement of Raffles City.
Come to IPPUDO solely for its Shiromaru Motoaji Special (S$20.85), which features IPPUDO’s original creamy tonkotsu broth served with a full range of ingredients like thin noodles, pork belly chashu, marinated half boiled egg, black fungus, spring onions and seaweed.
If you prefer stronger flavours, try IPPUDO’s Spicy Black Special (S$24.95). This creation, specially concocted for the Singapore outlets, features home-made minced pork curry miso paste, which adds a spicy kick when mixed into IPPUDO’s signature tonkotsu broth.
Note that IPPUDO is also well-known for serving seasonal ramen and lunch specials, so be sure to have a thorough look at its menus before ordering!
+65 6259 0113
Daily: 11am – 9.20pm
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9. Cafe & Meal MUJI (#02-20 to 22)
Giving a whole new meaning to “take a shopping break” is Cafe & Meal MUJI. This cafe is literally housed within the brand that runs it— MUJI, which is located on the 2nd floor of Raffles City.
At Cafe & Meal MUJI, ordering is pretty similar to how we would do at caifan shops— there’s a long display of hot and cold dishes (aka deli) to pick from. The difference here is that most of the items are based on recipes from Japan, such as Sakura Chicken with Curry Miso and Dried Chilli, Chicken Nanban with Cauliflower Egg Mayo and Thick Omelette with Japanese-style Mushroom.
Start off by picking your choice of set. This could be the 2 Deli Set (S$13.80), which comes with 1 hot and 1 cold deli, rice, soup and an onsen egg, or the 3 Deli Set (S$15.80), which features 1 hot and 2 cold deli, rice and soup. There’s even the All-Day Breakfast Set (S$9.80), which comes with 1 cold deli, rice, chicken, an onsen egg, and your choice of coffee or tea!
+65 6264 4189
Daily: 11.30am – 8.30pm
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10. Tipsy Flamingo (#01-17A)
With a burst of bright, vibrant colours, Tipsy Flamingo looks like a mish-mash of an ‘80s retro poolside lounge and something out of a Wes Anderson film.
Run in collaboration with celebrity couple Pierre Png and Andrea De Cruz and multi-concept group Tipsy Collective, Tipsy Flamingo is located along the external perimeter of Raffles City and can be found at the traffic light leading you to CHIJMES.
Like the rest of the Tipsy brands, Tipsy Flamingo offers an eclectic range of sharing items, mains, drinks and small bites. Try the Ebi Katsu Sando with Spicy Mentaiko (S$22), a substantial sandwich made of toasted brioche, breaded king prawn in spicy mentaiko, mixed with cabbage and orange tobiko.
Pair drinks such as Pierre Png’s creation, Steady Pom P-P (S$18), with 6-Piece Hyogo Japanese Oysters (S$24), and choose up to 3 topping options from flavours such as Minced Garlic Sauce, Grapefruit, Sake Mignonette, or Naked (aka with just lemon wedges).
As for mains, we’re eyeing the XO Butter Abalone Pasta (S$32) and Truffle Moonlight Hor Fun (S$25), the latter of which comes with wagyu striploin beef and a 63 degrees poached egg.
+65 9010 0348
Mon to Sat: 12pm – 1am
Sun: 12pm – 11pm
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