From Kolkata’s famed street food to the grandeur of Awadhi cuisine, these restaurants in Singapore are serving opulent feasts this Deepavali 2023.
Deepavali falls between November 10 to 15 this year, with the main event happening on November 12.
Several myths surround the Hindu holiday’s origins. For North Indians, it marks the victory of Lord Rama over the demon Ravana. South Indians believe it was when Lord Krishna defeated the demon Naraka. Other groups associate it with the goddess Lakshmi and the Sikh guru, Guru Hargobind. Despite the variations, these stories have a common theme of good triumphing over evil and light over darkness, which is why Deepavali is also known as the Festival of Lights.
In Singapore, some of the restaurants marking Deepavali 2023 include Rang Mahal, which has been operating since the 1970s and remains an institution for Indian food in an upscale setting. There is also Tiffin Room, which turns iconic Kolkata street fare into exquisite set menus.
Related Stories
Joining them is Yantra. The elegant restaurant at Tanglin Mall focuses on Indian heritage cuisine, and for Deepavali, the spotlight is on the state of Rajasthan. At the recently-opened Sansara, Awadhi cuisine and its regal dishes take precedence.
For endless rounds of food, look to Tandoor, which is trotting out a buffet with live stations. Alternatively, head to Firangi Superstar, which delivers contemporary Indian cuisine in a buzzy setting. Check them out below.
Book your stay at Marina Bay Sands via Booking.com
Book your stay at Marina Bay Sands via Agoda.com
The best restaurants in Singapore to dine lavishly this Deepavali 2023
Firangi Superstar brings back their A Night in the Lights festivities for Deepavali. Part of the festivities includes a set menu with starters of Manchurian-style seared scallops with onion bhaji, and kingfish tartare with caviar and green chilli vinaigrette, while mains range from roasted Australian rock lobster with fennel masala and lemon sothi, to white Pyrenees lamb done laal maas-style. The dinner can be supplemented with à la carte options such as The Bengal Bake Off – salt-baked sea bass with kasundi cream and banana leaf oil – then finished off with a paan dessert with pomegranate kulfi and Sicilian pistachio.
SGD 128++ (USD 94++) for the set menu
November 7-12, 2023
(Image credit: Firangi Superstar / Facebook)
- Address 20 Craig Rd, #01-03, Singapore 089692
google map - Website Website here
- Phone 3129 7552
A stalwart of the fine dining scene for over half-a-century, Rang Mahal’s Deepavali celebrations include a thali lunch set menu, which offers unlimited refills of butter chicken, dal makhani, avocado kebab, tandoor sea bass, and dessert. While the restaurant has not released details of its dinner set meal, some signatures from their à la carte options span dhuwandaar lamb chops, konkan prawn curry, panko-crusted peppers with goat cheese mousse, coconut, and rice pancake, and Kashmiri dum ghosht biryani.
(Image credit: Rang Mahal Restaurants / Facebook)
- Address 7 Raffles Blvd, Level 3 Pan Pacific, Singapore 039595
google map - Website Website here
- Phone 6333 1788
The revamped Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel now has an upscale Indian restaurant that opened just in time for Deepavali. Named after the Sanskrit word for “to flow” and helmed by chef Akhilesh Pathak, Awadhi cuisine takes centre stage here, which dates back to over 5,000 years ago and counts Mughal, Turkish, and Persian flavours among its influences. Some of its signatures include murgh paan kebab – spiced chicken breast with saffron, betel leaf, and yoghurt, and gosht biryani, which is cooked under a pastry lid and breaks apart to reveal fragrant basmati rice and tender lamb. For seafood, there is sailana jheenga, or prawns in a coconut yoghurt and tomato gravy.
These dishes are available individually, and Sansara also has Deepavali set menus that include a soup, appetiser, main course, rice, bread, and dessert. Vegetarian options are also available.
SGD 68++ – SGD 78++ (USD 50++ – USD 57++) for the set menus
October 17 – November 30, 2023
(Image credit: Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel Singapore)
- Address 392 Havelock Rd, Singapore 169663
google map - Website Website here
- Phone 6233 1338
Tandoor is rolling out a Deepavali buffet that features live dosa and chaat counters making masala dosa and pani puri, as well as a biryani station serving Awadhi Murgh biryani. They join other dishes such as kebabs of chicken, lamb, and paneer, tandoor-roasted fish, and dum ki chaamp – lamb rack cooked with cashew nut, onion, roasted gram flour, and saffron. For desserts, expect rasmalai (dumplings stuffed with sweetened cottage cheese), a Punjabi carrot and milk confectionery called gajar ka halwa, and kesari phirni featuring milk, rice, figs, and dates.
SGD 108++ (USD 79++) for two adults
November 11-12, 2023
(Image credit: Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard City Centre)
- Address 11 Cavenagh Rd, Singapore 229616
google map - Website Website here
- Phone 6733 8333
Kolkata is known for its street food, which inspires Tiffin Room’s Deepavali set menu. Highlights from the meal include an appetiser of lamb chops with spices, sesame seeds, and curry leaf chutney, and mains range from machli jaisamandi – Rajasthani-style fish in a creamy broth balanced by mint chutney, to chungdi malai, which switches out the traditional prawn for lobster, and simmered in coconut cream and spices. Rice takes the form of the tandoori-cooked malai tikka pulao with chicken, saffron, and mint, while three desserts – orange halwa, kaju aam katli cashew nut candy, and besan nariyal burfi – cap off the feast. Vegetarian options and wine pairings (SGD 88++/USD 65++) are available.
SGD 108++ – SGD 118++ (USD 79++ – USD 87++)
October 30 – November 12, 2023
(Image credit: Raffles Hotel Singapore)
- Address 1 Beach Rd, Singapore 189673
google map - Website Website here
- Phone 6337 1886
Yantra enjoys taking deep dives into heritage Indian cuisines, and their menu for Deepavali is no different. This time, they are exploring the northern state of Rajasthan, which translates into à la carte dishes like mirchi vada – potato-stuffed chilli fritters – and gatte ka saag, or gram flour dumplings with yoghurt. Dip chewy missi roti in slow-cooked lamb curry with Mathania chilli, and finish off with mawa kachori: crispy and sweet dried milk with pistachio and almond.
November 10-19, 2023
(Image credit: Yantra / Facebook)
Shop the best travel experiences here
All currency conversions were done at the time of writing.
This story first appeared here.
(Hero and featured images credits: Raffles Hotel Singapore)
Related: Where To Find The Best Mithai Boxes In Singapore This Deepavali 2023
