The Best Singapore Vegan Travel Guide

Hello Singapore! We are back in Southeast Asia after several years, and in this complete Singapore vegan travel guide, I highlight the best vegan food spots, places of tourist interest and essential travel tips — all in one.

Introduction

Singapore is a vibrant city-state located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. Spanning 728.6 square kilometers—about the same size as New York City—this island nation has a population of 5.7 million people.

For travelers, Singapore offers an array of attractions such as the iconic Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay, and Sentosa Island. Its efficient public transport system, cleanliness, safety and luxury experiences make it a fine destination.

Singapore is a fine city – You will notice once you land that there seem to be a lot of rules & instructions everywhere. Strict rules and regulations include a ban on chewing gum and vaping, the death penalty for drug trafficking, caning for certain offenses, heavy fines for littering or smoking in some areas, and a ban on eating on public transport (durians are outright banned, likely from the strong smell).

Automation is prevalent throughout Singapore, giving it the feel of a futuristic city. It’s not exactly the destination for a laid-back atmosphere, a budget or a beach holiday – it’s more of a luxury Asian city escape.

Practical Info

Currency: Singapore Dollars (SGD). Card payment is widely accepted, but many small businesses or street vendors accept cash only. As of current exchange rates, 1 SGD = 0,70 EUR approx.

Language(s): Singapore is a multilingual country with four official languages. English is the primary language used in business and education – it serves as the lingua franca among the diverse ethnic groups. Mandarin Chinese is widely spoken and Chinese is the largest ethnic group in Singapore. Malay and Tamil are also official languages.

Weather: Singapore is located a degree north of the Equator, and has a tropical humid climate with temperatures being 30+ degrees year round. March – April, when we visited was perfect. There tend to be thunderstorms every now and then with the rainier months being November – December.

Visa: Travellers from certain countries, including India, need a visa to visit Singapore. All travellers have to fill out an Arrival Card within 3 days of arrival. Check visa requirements and apply on the official website.

Getting Around Singapore

Getting around town is straightforward, thanks to an efficient and affordable public transport system of buses and the MRT (metro).

You can purchase a travel card and load it with value, for example, 30 SGD, which would last for several days. Simply tap the card when boarding a bus and tap out when deboarding—it automatically charges you based on the distance traveled.

From the airport, we boarded the Skytrain between terminals and then the metro from Changi Airport MRT Station into town.

Renting a car (right-handed drive) only makes sense if you want to travel outside Singapore. Taxis can be pricey, but Uber and Grab make it convenient to book a taxi.

Where to Stay in Singapore

This was a family visit for me, and I stayed with my sister in Singapore. The apartment was close to the MacRitchie Nature Park, which I recommend for canopy walk and hikes – you can spot some wild animals here, which was quite a surprise. We saw monitor lizards, monkeys, tortoises and a Malayan colugo!

Green spaces to check-out in Singapore: MacRitchie Trail, The Botanical Gardens, Fort Canning Park, Gardens by the Bay

AirBnb is restricted in Singapore as the laws don’t allow for short term rentals of private homes. For a budget stay, there are several hostels and guesthouses, and I suggest a serviced apartment and self-catering. There are 5-star hotels all around Central Singapore, but no vegan hotels, and few offer animal-friendly menus. The luxury hotels may provide plant-based food upon request. Reserve well in advance – prices are high on average.

Selection of Hotels*

*includes affiliate links through which you can make bookings (no extra costs to you; you can also choose other hotels). The commision supports the blog, thanks!

Vegan in Singapore

This vegan guide to Singapore is from a tourist point of view, and focuses on Central Singapore.

My overall impression as a vegan traveler from Europe is that Singapore is not particularly vegan-friendly. It is possible to find amazing Asian vegan food with some research, and there are over 40 vegan establishments scattered across the country. Compared to some other Southeast Asian countries, however, Singapore is relatively vegan-friendly.

We live in Helsinki and have travelled to many major European capitals, where it seems like veganism is going mainstream now, but that’s not the case in Singapore. ‘Vegetarian’ is widely understood, and due to the Indian population in Singapore, there’s many vegetarian restaurants. There are several Chinese vegetarian hawker stalls too, but these may be difficult to find if you don’t understand Chinese – and you’d need to communicate the need for dairy/egg free food.

I noticed that some items marked plant based might actually have milk, egg, or fish/oyster sauce. So don’t trust the labelling either. It’s best to ask the staff, especially if you have allergies to seafood. Luckily, we have resources..

Resources for vegan dining in Singapore

Abillion: a mobile app designed to support and grow the global vegan and sustainability movement. Its primary function is to help users discover vegan-friendly products, restaurants and brands while contributing to social causes.

They are based out of Singapore so expect up-to-date info on the Singapore vegan dining scene. Sign up with invite code ‘VEGANHAVEN’ so I can follow you there!

Fussy Traveller Club Playing Cards: created by fellow vegan travellers, this pack of cards also has translations in 52 languages for ”I’m vegan”, ”I do not eat meat, fish, dairy, or any animal products”. It will come handy in Singapore (and nearby Thailand and Vietnam), while communicating the need for vegan food. Get one*

Shopping centres, cafes, fast-food chains

Singapore has plenty of massive shopping centres, and you will find yourself spending a lot of time in those. Eating out at malls seems to be a national pastime too – shopping centres have a large food court and some on several levels.

There’s plenty of smoothie, juice, bubble tea kiosks, ice cream kiosks, and it was rare to spot a vegan option. The ice-cream sandwich is a popular snack, but we didn’t find any vegan.

Food courts and hawker stalls tend to be meat and seafood heavy, you need to know which specific spots to go to. A lot of high-end restaurants seem to cater to meat eaters, and it was disturbing to come across roasted ducks displayed on windows : (

Plant based milk is not widely available in cafés.. Starbucks and Coffee Bean Tea Leaf have soy or oat milk, but with surcharge. Here are some vegan spots:

• Oatberry – plant based in Orchard, offering gluten-free options, including waffles and açai bowls.

• Cultivate Café – plant based ‘fine dine’ health food café located in Maxwell Reserve Hotel.

Fast food chains – McDonald’s, Subway, KFC are especially terrible for vegan options, we once had a look at the Mac and Subway menu but found that there’s nothing eatable.. Burger King might be an option if you find no other food options – they have the impossible burger, ask for a vegan one.

Let’s talk about this thing called ‘beancurd’, which is basically TOFU! You will often see this on the menu – they do make a variety of tofu and great soy based mock meats here.

I hope this guide helps you plan your dining around in Singapore! Below I list all the spots we dined at and more, in the popular areas of the city.

Restaurants

Greendot Plus

78 Airport Boulevard, B1-297, Jewel, Singapore Changi Airport

Greendot is found in the shopping centre at Changi. So when you land in Singapore and need to eat, head over. It’s not at the food court, but the floor above. Vegan dishes are labelled on the menu. They have a lot of mushroom and soy based dishes and their ‘beancurd’ dish was pretty good! The nuggets we ordered were a bit dry and too crunchy, more like pakoras.

I was happy to see vegan dessert cakes but did not try any. They have other locations around town – check Google Maps

The Kind Bowl

71 Killiney Rd, Central Singapore, Singapore 239527

All vegan restaurant offering Vietnamese cuisine. It’s a short walk away from Orchard Road (a popular area with shopping malls). We had the Spring Rolls, Chicken ‘beancurd’ Rice and a salad – everything well presented and delectable.

Many things left to try such as the Bahn Mi and Kind Pho. Their hot coffee tasted like Nescafé, but was made excellent! It’s not a huge eatery and best to reserve a table during weekends.

VeganPho – Lucky Plaza

304 Orchard Road, Level 1 BaoBao Foodcourt, Singapore 238863

Another vegan Vietnamese spot at Orchard Road! It’s a stall eatery in a shopping centre food court. They have good reviews, reasonable prices and a few good choices such as the ‘Crab’ Noodles and vegan Chicken Pho.

Thai Accent – VivoCity mall

1 HarbourFront Walk, #02-143 VivoCity, Singapore 098585

This is a fairly nice Thai restaurant where we chose to have dinner. There is a separate vegetarian menu, and most dishes are vegan – soup, salads, rice and noodle based dishes. I ordered the hot basil beancurd (actually very spicy, would not recommend, unless you can handle.)

Portions large, comes with rice, good service and all in all good experience. Prices 11-15 SGD per dish. Other options nearby:

• If you’re looking for sushi, Genki Sushi restaurants have some vegan options.

• Food Republic in VivoCity is a large food court, when you return from Sentosa and want to eat. We spotted only a couple of stalls with V labels and this one had plant-based snacks! Red bean buns are nice treats too but they may contain milk in the dough, confirm with the baker.

Veganburg

44 JALAN EUNOS, SINGAPORE 419502

A burger restaurant, as you can guess.. Did you know it was the world’s first vegan burger joint, established in 2010? They have a fab lineup of burgers, featuring soy and mushroom-based patties served in wholemeal buns. Popular choices include the BBQ Burger and the Tangy Tartar, along with local-inspired creations like the Satay Burger.

The only downside is that the restaurant is located a bit far out, in East Singapore.

Chinatown

You must visit Chinatown in Singapore! Find beautifully preserved temples, shophouses and landmarks showcasing the history of the Chinese community of Singapore, and also find time to shop and eat some delicious food. There were many stalls selling durians, which is funny because durians are banned in public transport in Singapore..

Yi Xin Vegan Food

43 Temple St, Singapore 058588

Dining out in Singapore can be expensive, but there are affordable spots, such as hawker centres and streetside food stalls. Yi Xin is a small streetside cafeteria in Chinatown with a few tables. They have a buffet but also à la carte menu.

We got the Brown Rice Fried Rice, Curry ‘Chicken’ and Satay Skewers. Everything was delicious. The Chinese family running the restaurant did not speak English but they understood us and served our dishes in no time! Good portions, lunch buffet available.

Eight Treasures – vegetarian

282A South Bridge Road, Sago Ln, Singapore 058831

Chinese restaurant located right next to the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple. Vegan options are marked – I tried the Sweet n’ Sour vegan chicken and fried rice. It turned out to be slightly expensive and like some places, you need to pay for the wet wipes on the table, if you open the pack.

• The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple has a vegetarian dining hall in the basement that offers affordable mixed rice and noodle based dishes as well.
• Another vegan spot around Chinatown reopened as Firefly – go here for local specialities such as Kolomee and ‘thunder tree rice’.

Tre Café – Vietnamese fusion & bar

1 Club St, Singapore 069400

We dropped in here during happy hour to try a Singapore Sling and noticed that they have a plant-based menu! Prices are steep and while I don’t recommend the cocktail (too sweet and not strong), the vegan options did look good.

Little India

What else to do around ‘Little India’ besides eat Indian food? And if you’re an Indian living abroad, you might want to check out Mustafa for snacks to take back home. The following restaurants offer Indian vegan food options. They are classified as ‘pure vegetarian,’ which means they serve vegetarian food without eggs but do include dairy products.

Gokul, MTR, Aarya and Ananda Bhavan – have South Indian vegan meals like dosa with coconut chutney and sambar. We dined at Ananda Bhavan one day and they also have a ‘vegan menu’ on display. It has different dosas, idly with chutney, puri set, and noodles and fried rice.

Universal Studios

Universal Studios Singapore is one of the best theme parks in the world. Located on Sentosa Island, it’s a major attraction for families and travellers alike. We spent a day enjoying the rides, which are fantastic (Revenge of the Mummy and Transformers are my fav). However, it’s not very vegan-friendly, especially compared to amusement parks in Europe. Entry ticket to the park costs ~80 SGD

The Lost World theme restaurant offered Sweet and Sour Vegetarian Prawns and ‘Fish’ wrap with rice for 16 S$. Fossil kiosk has potato wedges – make sure to tell them no cheese. Ancient Egypt has the Oasis cafe restaurant with some food options like samosas, chickpea curry and veggie biryani. Besides these, we did not come across much vegan at the park. I do hope they improve the offerings.

Find tours and other activities to do in Singapore via GetYourGuide here*

Clark Quay & Boat Quay

The quay is a happening area by the river with a bustling food & bar scene and nightlife – not very vegan/animal-friendly unfortunately. Here are some vegan spots in and around the Clark and Boat Quay:

NomVNom – vegan

3rd Floor, Clarke Quay Central mall

NomVnom is a beloved vegan fast food restaurant known for their signature burgers, such as the “QQ Cheezy” made with a house-made mushroom patty, gooey vegan cheese. Their popular “Vegan Truffle Fries” and “Mala Soup” blends local flavours with international trends.

We got the Ramly and the Fishless burger – both tasty! Ramly was unique and something I had not tried before – it’s a vegan twist on the popular Malaysian street burger.

Privé – vegan options

Victoria St, #01-33, Singapore 187996

Privé has a great location in Chijmes, with a lovely outdoor seating area. The menu is ‘sustainability’ focused, and has several vegan options labelled. The All-Day-Breakfast has vegan sausage muffin! We ordered the Veggie Lovers pizza with soy based ‘mozzarella’, and Muchos Nachos with extra avo which was quite filling.

I regret not ordering the Tiramisu! When there is vegan Tiramisu on menu – you order it! The prices are above average, but it’s definitely worth a visit. They have a restaurant in the Botanical Gardens as well.

Analogue – vegan

30 Victoria St, #01-31 CHIJMES, Singapore 187996

This bar is near Privé in Chijmes, and we walked past it a couple of times, admiring the interiors. It’s an upscale bar with a fancy cocktail list, and their snack bar menu is actually completely plant-based! See menu here.

Flavours by Sauté – vegetarian

107 North Bridge Rd, Funan Mall #B1-30, Central Singapore, 179105

Plenty of choices at this Singaporean fusion restaurant – everything on menu is vegan unless otherwise mentioned. Main dishes are priced at around 11 – 13 SGD.

We ordered the Vegan Orh Luak and Kolo Mee with minced soy with yuba noodles. Also tried the fried gyozas which were OK – 5 pieces per plate, no dip.

• Genesis is a small restaurant serving Chinese cuisine in Havelock. It’s located inside the Havelock shopping mall, and seems tricky to find. We didn’t dine here, but it’s a known spot for vegan versions of Singaporean, Korean and also pasta dishes.

Marina Bay

The main attraction of Singapore is undoubtedly the iconic Marina Bay Sands resort, featuring three 57-story hotel towers connected by a massive rooftop structure, and a world-famous infinity pool.

There is a light show over the bay every evening, free to watch. Gardens by the Bay nearby is worth a visit as well for a light & music show at the Supertree Grove.

Level33 – vegan options

8 Marina Blvd, #33 01 Tower 1, Singapore 018981

For a fam dinner, we chose to dine at Level33, a unique rooftop microbrewery offering stunning views of Marina Bay alongside a refined dining experience. As the world’s highest urban microbrewery, it’s known for craft beers brewed on-site.

Beyond this, they cater to conscious diners with a selection of vegan dishes – creative plant-based appetizers, mains, and dessert. You need to request the vegan menu as they don’t give it by default, for some reason.

We had the housemade vegan burgers, truffle fries, spring rolls and the pearl barley risotto. Everything was delicious! Reservations needed and expect to pay 50S$ per person.

Whole Earth Café

76 Peck Seah St, Singapore 079331

Singapore’s first plant-based restaurant, Whole Earth Cafe, has been included in the Michelin Bib Gourmand list for multiple years. It is renowned for its Peranakan-Thai inspired cuisine and thoughtfully crafted vegan dishes, like the Penang Rendang and Olive Rice. It is a vegetarian restaurant but almost all dishes seem to be vegan.

Other tips on dining out in Singapore

Singapore is a foodie destination – but don’t go to a restaurant expecting there to be vegan options – do your research and check menus beforehand : )

• Restaurants that also deserve a mention: Joie for a vegetarian fine-dining experience, The Boneless Kitchen for veggie Korean classics, The Living Cafe for raw vegan, gluten-free options, Pizza Fabrica for good vegan pizza, Saladstop for vegan bowl options, Kind Kones for vegan dessert!

Happy Hour is a thing here, but I feel it’s a scam, as you get diluted cocktails and the prices are still quite high. Trying the (original) Singapore Sling at Raffles (popular among influencers), is fun experience for cocktail enthusiasts.

In Singapore, mala is popular, with many local food stalls offering variations of spicy noodles, stir-fries, and hotpots. You can pick and choose vegan ingredients only and make your own mala.

Grocery Shops: FairPrice is a general grocery store where you can get all basic supplies like bread, fruit, veg and plant milk.

Singapore Vegan Travel Guide!

I did a lot of research before (& after) my trip to bring you this guide : ) Are you planning to visit Singapore? Bookmark this page! If you have – what were your favourite spots? Let me know in the comments..

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Last updated on November 10th, 2024