A landmark since the 19th century, Katong continues to prevail as a culinary destination thanks to these restaurants and cafes that serve the best food there.
Katong started to see development in the 1820s when the British began building a marine yard there. The area also fronted the sea until the late 1960s, when land reclamation gave birth to the Marine Parade neighbourhood.
Today, people are mainly drawn to Katong’s row of restored shophouses on East Coast Road, where traditional eateries still preserve the old-school charm. There is Dona Manis Cake Shop, famous for its banana pie. Chin Mee Chin is popular for its kaya toast and Eurasian pastries. At Sin Hoi Sai, tze char staples like chilli crab and sambal stingray cover most tables, and Katong Mei Wei is a popular, family-owned chicken rice stall.
Modern restaurants and cafes are also jostling for space. Micro has taken over the iconic Katong Bakery & Confectionery to sell sourdough loaves made with single-origin, traceable grains. Lower East Side Taqueria does burritos with sambal mayo salsa. Birds of Paradise continues to see lines out the door waiting for its botanical-inspired gelato, and Stirling Steaks prides itself on offering 10 cuts of beef, and a steak buffet. Discover them below.
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12 restaurants and cafes for the best food in Katong
A trip here demands a visit to 328 Katong Laksa. The eatery, which was on the 2017 Bib Gourmand List, counts celebrities and renowned chefs (including Gordon Ramsay) as patrons. Theur laksa sees fresh seafood and thick rice vermicelli cooked in a rich and spicy coconut gravy. Besides the usual toppings of cockles and prawns, 328 Katong Laksa offers premium seafood options like tiger prawns and flower clams. Be sure to have the laksa here with their house-made otah-otah.
(Image credit: @labellelune425 / Instagram)
- Address 51 East Coast Rd, Singapore 428770
google map - Website Website here
Baba Chews is a modern Asian restaurant at Hotel Indigo Singapore Katong that serves up an array of Western and Peranakan-inspired fare. Popular items include their house-made ngoh hiang and foie gras-stuffed tau kwa. Desserts are also something to look forward to. The kueh durian here is an indulgent take on kueh dadar with durian mousse and gula melaka.
(Image credit: Baba Chews / Facebook)
- Address 86 East Coast Rd, Katong Square, Singapore 428788
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- Phone 6723 2025
This artisanal ice cream parlour sees snaking lines for its botanical-inspired gelato creations. If you’re lucky to score a seat in this small cafe, snap up a thyme-infused waffle cone with one or two scoops of ice cream. Popular flavours included white chrysanthemum with cacao nibs and strawberry basil.
(Image credit: Birds of Paradise Gelato Boutique / Facebook)
- Address 63 East Coast Rd, #01-05, Singapore 428776
google map - Website Website here
- Phone 9678 6092
Bee hoon, the staple at humble food stalls, gets brazen at Cheeky. The chain was founded by Darwin Wong, previously of French restaurant Beurre and modern izakaya Jidai, who uses a Sarawak variety that is silkier and holds flavours better. The signature is laden with clams, meatballs, and minced meat, and comes with a charcoal youtiao to soak up the smoky broth. Other options range from dry bee hoon to toppings of braised pork.
(Image credit: Cheeky Bee Hoon / Facebook)
- Address 37 East Coast Rd, Singapore 428755
google map - Website Website here
- Phone 8644 2108
Chin Mee Chin dates back to 1925 when founder Tan Hui Dong set up a coffee shop and ran a bread delivery service. As the Eurasian community grew, the business expanded into traditional Eurasian pastries such as sugee cake and cream horn, which have become their specialities. Still family-owned, Chin Mee Chin has become a popular spot for the quintessential kaya toast, soft-boiled eggs, and Nanyang coffee, together with baked goods like otah bun and chocolate peanut butter tart.
(Image credit: Chin Mee Chin Confectionery / Facebook)
- Address 204 East Coast Rd, Singapore 428903
google map - Website Website here
This traditional bakery, tucked in the basement of Katong Shopping Centre, is famous for the old-school banana pie — a homely treat with a flaky crust, stuffed with caramelised banana slices. Dona Manis also has other popular bakes like cream puffs and chocolate tarts.
(Image credit: @truffats / Instagram)
- Address 865 Mountbatten Rd, B1 93, Singapore 437844
google map - Website Website here
- Phone 6440 7688
Soki Wu harboured dreams of becoming an actor, but his family’s chicken rice stall, which started in 1988 at People’s Park Complex and moved to Katong Shopping Centre, eventually won out. Wu took over in 2019 and refined their recipes, and the business remains highly popular today for its tender chicken, as well as sides of achar and salted fish bean sprouts. However, his passion for the limelight has not been diminished: Wu was given a supporting role in a Chinese-language comedy show and has a large following on TikTok.
(Image credit: @foodventureswithj / Instagram)
- Address 865 Mountbatten Rd, Katong Shopping Centre, Singapore 437844
google map - Website Website here
- Phone 9789 6073
Lower East Side is not your typical Mexican joint, and they are not shy about it. Dishes like ancho pulled pork burrito are slathered with sambal mayo salsa, and tacos are filled with Jamaican-style grilled chicken. The restaurant has a spiciness metre with a warning that the upper levels are “dangerous,” and offers a one-for-one deal on frozen margaritas during the weekends.
(Image credit: Lower East Side / Facebook)
- Address 19 East Coast Rd, #01-02, Singapore 428746
google map - Website Website here
- Phone 6348 1302
Katong Bakery & Confectionery in the iconic Red House is no more, but new tenants Micro is a worthy replacement. The brand prioritises traceable, single-origin grains that they do sourdough style, which involves a 16-hour fermentation and a high baking temperature to develop a dark crust. Besides selling take-home loaves, Micro has a small dine-in brunch menu with avocado tartine and a grilled four-cheese sandwich.
(Image credit: Micro bakery & kitchen / Facebook)
- Address 63 East Coast Rd, #01-06, Singapore 428776
google map - Website Website here
- Phone 8879 4890
Sin Hoi Sai is a holdout against Katong’s relentless gentrification. The restaurant serves charmingly unpretentious tze char food such as chilli crab, sambal stingray, barbecued squid, and cereal prawns, to be washed down with fresh coconut and bottles of beer. They also have specialities like Guinness pork ribs and stir-fried clams with garlic.
(Image credit: @nozomiichka / Instagram)
- Address 187 East Coast Rd, Singapore 428893
google map - Website Website here
- Phone 6440 6956
For a taste of different steaks side-by-side, there’s Stirling. The restaurant and butchery sells 10 different cuts, including tomahawk, rump, and T-bone, which are grilled over charcoal and served with their homemade herb sauce. Prices are affordable too, from the SGD 9.90++ (USD 7++) flank steak value meal to the steak buffet, which tops out at SGD 35++ (USD 26++) per person.
(Image credit: Stirling Steaks / Facebook)
- Address 115 East Coast Rd, Singapore 428804
google map - Website Website here
- Phone Website here
The now-shuttered Italian restaurant La Barca has been reincarnated as Volare, a more casual outfit at the Odeon Shopping Complex. The concept now has items like pasta and pizza for sharing. Diners can also expect quality meats at affordable prices, such as Black Angus Fiorentina steaks. There’s also an impressive list of Italian white, red, and sparkling wines to go for.
(Image credit: Volare)
- Address 11 East Coast Rd, #01-22, Singapore 428722
google map - Website Website here
- Phone 6346 5813
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This story first appeared here.
Currency conversion was done at the time of writing.
(Hero and featured images credits: @ingrid829 / Instagram)
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