14 Great Restaurants in Little India

At Banana Leaf Apolo, you can expect a more tourist-based clientele, upmarket surroundings and some higher prices to match. With house specialties such as fish head curry and Masala chicken, this restaurant is one of the best places to eat in Little India.  

The inspiration for is name, Banana Leaf Apolo, becomes clear when you receive your food, as many of their dishes are served on banana leaves instead of plates – a famous dining practice in this neighborhood and across India.

The Tekka Food Center pretty much sums up the culinary diversity of Singapore. It’s also one of the cheapest places to eat in the city. From delicious curry-canteens to Chinese hawker stalls, and traditional Malay snack-stalls to cheap Singapore noodle stands, this food court caters to just about any taste.

The Tekka Food Center is also a wet market and shopping mall, where you can see locals shopping for fresh meat and produce, as well as traditional Indian attire and souvenirs.

Ananda Bhavan Restaurant is one of the longest running vegetarian restaurants in Singapore. Founded in 1924, there are around 6 outlets across the city, including one at Changi Aiport’s Terminal 2. Special set menus start from S$7 – standouts include the biryani set, rasam (South Indian soup), and onion masala dosa (savory Indian pancake). 

Khansama Tandoori Restaurant specializes in Indian cuisine prepared in a Tandoor oven. The menu consists of vegetarian and meat-based dishes, so there’s something for everyone at this restaurant. If you’re a meat lover, Khansama Tandoori Restaurant serves tandoori chicken, mutton kebabs, as well as fish and prawn curries, which you can pair with rice or roti (bread).

Allauddin's Briyani is where you can enjoy biryani, a plate of herb-infused basmati rice, served with a rich curry sauce, chunks of mutton, chicken or fish, and a boiled egg. While it’s more of a food stall rather than a proper restaurant, Allauddin's attracts a crowd of locals and tourists to the 2nd floor of the Tekka Food Center, where it’s located.

For full authenticity and extra messiness, enjoy biryani like a local by ditching the utensils. Just use your right hand (or Peshwari bread) to mix everything together and scoop it into your mouth. 

Taste of India delivers authentic dishes from the northern and southern regions of India. This rather elegant restaurant features marble pillars, grand chandeliers, bold artwork, and statues, which might make you feel like you’re dining in an art gallery rather than a restaurant.

Taste of India’s signature dishes include tandoori chicken, Amritsari fried fish, and fish head curry. You can also find a good selection of vegetarian options such as ghee rice, paneer tikka, curd rice, and aloo palak (potatos in a smooth spinach sauce).

Serving a purely vegetarian menu, Komala Vilas offers generous set meals from as little as S$3 – about the same as what you’d pay for a glass of water in downtown Singapore. Established in 1947, there are 3 branches throughout Singapore – head for the one on Serangoon Road if you’re an early riser. It opens at 7am, so you can enjoy a hearty breakfast of dosa or uthappam with chutney and sambar (S$2.70). 

Chomp Chomp Hawker Center only opens in the evenings, but it’s often packed with late-night diners enjoying a wide range of affordable Asian dishes. The food court is also called Serangoon Gardens Food Center, and has dozens of stalls cooking up hawker fare such as grilled stingray, barbecued chicken wings, spring rolls, noodles, and satay right in front of you.

Swee Choon stands out from most dim sum joints in Singapore, as it’s one of the few places that opens until 6am. As dim sum is traditionally eaten for breakfast or brunch, the restaurant is a popular spot for supper crowds and clubbers looking to refuel after a night out. A full range of steamed, baked and fried dim sum are available, mostly of which cost around S$2. 

Standouts include char siew bao (BBQ pork buns), steamed salted egg yolk custard bun, lotus paste bun, and har kow (shrimp dumplings). Swee Choon also serves noodles and rice dishes if you’re looking for something more filling, but its extensive dim sum offerings are not to be missed.