Melburnian-style brunch, unfussy Italian fare, and smashed patty burgers: these restaurants and cafes serve the best food at One-North.
Sandwiched by the Buona Vista and Queenstown neighbourhoods, the area is Singapore’s downtown for the knowledge-based economy. Media companies like Lucasfilm and Mediacorp have homes here, as well as the pharmaceutical conglomerate Proctor & Gamble. If you ever hailed a Grab, your data probably passed through their massive gleaming headquarters here.
All these workers need to eat, and One-North provides a diverse range of restaurants and cafes spread over the large vicinity. Near the MRT station, Bread Yard has bagels, cruffins, and grain bowls for the brunch crowd. Pietrasanta does uncomplicated Italian food by the way of Tuscany. Daehwa takes the best of Korean cuisine and makes them vegetarian. One Fattened Calf puts together homemade smashed patty burgers, and Takagi Ramen makes the Japanese culinary icon for the average Singaporean. At Timbre+, a swath of local food awaits with live music.
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Bordering One-North Park is Jimmy Monkey Cafe, a Melbourne native’s tribute to his hometown’s cafe culture, and Arkadas, which showcases Turkish food. On the other side of the park is Curry Nations, which slips in dishes from the west Indian city of Mangalore.
The food offering at One-North also extends outside of its business centres. Head to Rochester Park for Cali and its rendition of Tex-Mex favourites. Then travel back in time to Colbar, which serves homey staples and a peek into the area’s colonial past.
11 cafes and restaurants to visit for the best food at Singapore’s One-North
A meal at Arkadas can be as light or rich as you want. The Turkish restaurant serves easygoing appetisers like hummus, halloumi, and stuffed grape leaves, to hearty fare including grilled lamb kebabs, lasagna-like musakka, and falafel rolls. Bring a dining companion, because the lovely kunefe with crisped pastry, pistachio, and cream is large enough for three.
(Image credit: @growlandprowl / Instagram)
- Address 1 Fusionopolis View, #01-02, Eclipse 138577
google map - Website Website here
- Phone 6467 5053
Bread Yard is a playground for all sorts of baked goods, including matcha cruffin, kouign-amann, sticky cinnamon bun, and loaves of sourdough and shokupan. For dine-in, the cafe has all-day brunch items like beef kofta shakshuka and pulled pork eggs, Benedict, alongside a lox bagel and a Middle Eastern-inspired vegan bowl.
(Image credit: Bread Yard / Facebook)
- Address 1 Fusionopolis Pl, #01 - 23 / 24 Galaxis, Singapore 138522
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- Phone 9773 5318
Colbar is slightly outside of the One-North hub, and a giant step back in time. Founded in the 1950s as a bar for the British military, the original location was slated for destruction in the early 2000s until a petition saved it, and it was rebuilt nearby in its original form. The eatery serves local food like Hainanese pork chop and curry chicken rice while nodding to its heritage with beans on toast, and fish and chips.
(Image credit: @purplefries / Instagram)
- Address 9A Whitchurch Rd, Singapore 138839
- Phone 6779 4859
A little finesse is needed when seeking out Tex-Mex food on Cali’s menu, which has generic Western dishes like burgers, pizzas, and even Guinness oxtail stew. Instead, find them under appetisers, where chicken quesadilla, jalapeño tostada, and cheesy nachos await, as well as a sizzling plate of fajita with kurobuta pork. Finish with a chewy Mexican brownie or the lava torte, which oozes chocolate.
(Image credit: CALI Singapore / Facebook)
- Address 31 Rochester Dr, #01-01/02, Singapore 138637
google map - Website Website here
- Phone 6684 9897
The food of Mangalore in west India is underrepresented in Singapore, but Curry Nations has changed that. They serve a smattering of dishes from the coastal city like kori rotti gassi – chilli-marinated chicken in a coconut milk gravy, eaten with a crisp rice flatbread – and a spicy fish curry soured by tamarind. They also do familiar north Indian food from butter chicken and gobi Manchurian and are generous with portions.
(Image credit: Curry Nations Restaurant Singapore / Facebook)
- Address 21 Biopolis Rd, #01-05, Nucleos 138567
google map - Website Website here
- Phone 8755 3929
Korean food is heavy on meat, but Daehwa Korean takes a healthier route without sacrificing taste. The restaurant makes vegetarian, MSG-free versions of staples including jjampong, yachae mandu, doenjang jjigae, and kimchi pancake. While egg and cheese are still part of the menu, they do not cook with alliums.
(Image credit: Daehwa Vegetarian)
- Address 1 Fusionopolis Pl, #01-35 Galaxis, Singapore 138522
google map - Website Website here
- Phone 6254 8446
One-North Park is hilly, and Jimmy Monkey Cafe keeps you fuelled or recharged after a visit. Started in 2011 by Michael Ryan, the Melbourne native brought a slice of his hometown’s cafe culture through quality coffee and brunch fare. The Hulk is a popular order, featuring a whole avocado with chunks of feta and dukkah crowning a sourdough slice, while Toast Soldiers have melted edam on top of vegemite-laden bread, accompanied by two soft-boiled eggs. For coffee, the hi-tech Slayer espresso machine makes an excellent flat white.
(Image credit: @australiainsg / Instagram)
- Address #01-51 One-North Residences, 9 One-north Gateway, 138643
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- Phone 6777 8470
One Fattened Calf makes an intriguing case for a smashed patty burger. The eatery does everything in-house, including baking the potato buns, grinding the grass-fed beef, and making their own sauce and pickles. The signature features 150g of beef, charred and fresh onions, tomato, sauce, and pickles between two fluffy buns, or upsize with additions of beef brisket and slabs of grass-fed butter.
(Image credit: One Fattened Calf / Facebook)
- Address 1 Fusionopolis Pl, #01-31 Galaxis, Singapore 138522
google map - Website Website here
From a medieval Italian town to the sleek Connexis building, Pietrasanta brings affordable rustic Italian fare with a strong focus on flavour. Named after a commune on Tuscany’s north coast, the restaurant serves a set that marries a whole burrata with pizza, pasta, and tiramisu, as well as handmade fettuccine with pork sausage and black truffle. Tuscan food can be rich, but Pietrasanta lightens it by using less salt, butter, and cream, unless absolutely necessary.
(Image credit: Ristorante Pietrasanta / Facebook)
- Address 1 Fusionopolis Way, #01-08 Connexis, Singapore 138632
- Website Website here
- Phone 9863 9253
Takagi Ramen’s slogan is “ramen for the average Singaporean,” which could either be a sign of chronic underachievement or a brilliant marketing statement. Thankfully, it’s the latter, and it signifies offering quality noodles at around SGD 10. With a tonkatsu broth boiled for 12 hours, the signature Butashoga ramen is topped with sweet ginger-braised pulled pork, bamboo, and spring onions, while Takagi ramen adds chashu and beansprout. There are more than just the usual suspects too. Takagi also does Japanese-style porridge, onigiri, and dry-style ramen with soft-shell Singapore chilli crab.
(Image credit: Takagi Ramen / Facebook)
- Address 1 Fusionopolis Way, #B1-12 Connexis, Singapore 138632
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- Phone 9170 7870
One-North does not have a hawker centre, but Timbre+ bridges the gap by offering local favourites in a hip setting. The stalls offer a broad spectrum of food including ban mian, wanton noodles, Peranakan dishes, nasi padang, chicken rice, and nasi lemak, as well as international cuisines from Thai to Korean. In the evening, grab a Gin and tonic from the drinks stall and unwind with live music.
(Image credit: Timbre+ One North / Facebook)
- Address 73A Ayer Rajah Crescent, JTC LaunchPad @ one-north, Singapore 139957
google map - Website Website here
- Phone 9850 5819
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