Where to Eat in Bukit Timah

This neighborhood is enjoying a resurgence, with many new openings in Bukit Timah. Restaurants such as New York-styled Little Diner, casual Mediterranean restaurant Onion, and Peranakan restaurant Violet Oon’s kitchen have all opened in the past 12 months and quickly started rolling in the crowds.

The Living Café

The idea of eating raw food may turn some people off, but for the initiated, there is no better way to detox. And over at The Living Café, part of wellness and holistic center Balanced Living, you can do both in a white-washed, minimal setting. Everything about this Bukit Timah café feels welcoming, from the cheery, knowledgeable waitstaff to the very pretty dessert counter and smooth jazz and downtempo. Their signature dishes Living Café Roll ($12) and raw taco boats ($12) are nothing short of excellent. There are also sandwiches, pastas and meat dishes on the menu to suit more mainstream tastes.

The Living Cafe, 779 Bukit Timah Rd.

The Living Cafe’s taco boats

Little Diner

Modeled after a casual New York-style restaurant, this latest addition to Bukit Timah opened just over three months ago. Brace yourself for large portions of comfort food such as Lafayette crab cakes ($13) and Rosario’s fried risotto balls with basil pesto ($10.50). To go with the food, there’s a pretty good list of wines (from $10/glass; eight house vinos), housed in their 4.7-meter-tall rack which holds a 950-bottle collection.

Little Diner, 789 Bukit Timah Rd.

Little Diner’s fried risotto balls with basil pesto

Onion Restaurant & Bar

This Mediterranean restaurant serves up fare such as chilled seafood platters (from $68.80), tapas like gambas al ajillo (Spanish tiger prawns with garlic and bell peppers; $10.80) and oysters with Cava ($12.80 for two). Onion Restaurant & Bar is a relaxed spot that even offers more substantial Western mains including roasted lamb rack with red wine sauce ($25.80) and braised chicken stew in rosemary-garlic sauce ($16.80).

Onion Restaurant & Bar, #01-01, 791 Bukit Timah Rd.

Onion Restaurant’s seafood platter

1855 the Bottle Shop

The second outlet of this popular wine shop (they’ve recently launched their fourth and latest at Republic Plaza) houses about 800 wines, with an emphasis on France (specifically Bordeaux), Australia and Italy. Bottles start at a very affordable $28 for South African offerings, and there are even a few tables and chairs to enjoy wine if you want to have your purchases there. While they don’t serve food, they’re pretty chill about you ordering food in from the neighboring coffee shops and nearby restaurants.

1855 the Bottle Shop, #01-03, 8 Sixth Ave.

more restaurants in Bukit Timah

Chums – A Place Like Home

This informal café is relatively new to Bukit Timah and opened by the same folks who brought you Chums Steak House in Toa Payoh and Onion Restaurant & Bar. Early birds can pop by for classics like French toast ($11.90) and Eggs Ben ($15.60), while evenings see more substantial eats such as bouillabaisse ($27.90). They even have a sweet one-for-one happy hour promo on house wines (from $9) every Wednesday to Friday from noon to closing.

Chums – A Place Like Home, #01-06 Royal Ville, 833 Bukit Timah Rd., 6467-1939, www.chums.sg.

Violet Oon’s Kitchen

Violet Oon’s been keeping busy with her most recent venture, a welcoming family-run black-and-white outfit. As you’d expect, there are Peranakan items on the menu including full-flavored classics like ayam buah keluak ($22) and beef rendang ($22), made even better with some spicy sambal belachan. Alternatively, there are also Western items like shepherd’s pie ($17) and bread & butter pudding with whiskey sauce ($13), as well as local-inspired dishes like hae bee hiam panini ($16) and bubor cha cha panna cotta ($9) to be had.

Violet Oon’s Kitchen, 881 Bukit Timah Rd.

Violet Oon’s Kitchen’s ayam buah keluak

Blu Kouzina

It’s hard to find Greek restaurants in Singapore, and this one’s a real gem. Sure, the three-story setup makes a mean first impression and it boasts a charming Mediterranean vibe with a classic seaside white and blue color scheme, wooden tables and chairs. But it’s the authentic Greek food they serve that keeps us coming back; even the extra virgin olive oil used is made from handpicked organic olives from the Tsakiris’ family estate in the hills of Messinea.

Blu Kouzina, 893 Bukit Timah Rd.

Blu Kouzina in Bukit Timah

Outpost 903 Gastrobar

Raw yet chic, this five-month-old corner shophouse venue is populated with cool repurposed pieces like benches fashioned from wood flooring. Food-wise, it’s a bit of an eclectic mix with everything from the hearty 903 burger ($16) to fettuccine rendang ($16) to Outpost Wings ($12), marinated in Nyonya sambal. Aside from the usual suspects, this laid-back haunt also has six beers on tap including three craft brews (from $9/pint), bottled beers (from $6) and cocktails ($10), too.

Outpost 903 Gastrobar, 903 Bukit Timah Rd.