Sustainable dining is on the rise in Singapore. Here are the city's best restaurants that let you know where your food comes from.
Sustainable dining is on the rise and is here to stay in Singapore. If you aren’t already on board, this movement’s essentially about how food lovers can indulge their appetites without damaging the planet. It’s not just about the greens and grains on your plate without the food miles. Sustainable food is about provenance: knowing that the meat on your plate was raised ethically and your seafood was sourced responsibly. If you’re keen to eat consciously, check out our list of great sustainable restaurants and cafes doing it right in Singapore.
The best sustainable restaurants in Singapore
1. Scaled by Ah Hua Kelong
One of the founders is a fish farmer, so you already know this restaurant means business when it comes to produce. Ah Hua Kelong is one of the few kelongs left in Singapore, and it continues to be a go-to seafood supplier for restaurants like Labyrinth and Level33. Sample some of the freshest fish at its dining concept Scaled, where you’ll enjoy seafood smoked, torched, or dipped in curry.
Scaled by Ah Hua Kelong, 8 Hamilton Road, Singapore 209179
2. Open Farm Community
This pioneer urban farm and restaurant works with local farmers and creative chefs to help educate urban dwellers on where their food comes from. Open Farm’s space on Minden Road houses herb and vegetable gardens, worm and ant farms, a farmers’ market, and an outdoor recreation terrace. We love its charming indoor and outdoor dining spaces where diners can dig into innovative and hearty European-fusion dishes. Everything on the menu is prepared using fresh and sustainable ingredients sourced from local and nearby farms. The dishes are divine and speak volumes about the potential of local produce.
Open Farm Community, 130E Minden Road, Singapore 248819
3. At Feast
Dempsey is home to amazing cafes and top-notch eateries, one of which is At Feast. This restaurant is at the forefront when it comes to sustainable dining in Singapore. How so? Well, it intentionally sources seasonal and organic ingredients from local producers that are carbon-neutral, plastic-free, and sustainable. These folks also promote socially responsible dining by using eco-friendly cutlery, which minimises their environmental impact.
At Feast, 16A Dempsey Road, Singapore 247695
4. Grain
When it comes to saving the planet, this homegrown brand is doing the most. Where do we start? First, Grain uses plant-based protein and sustainably grown vegetables across its catering and meal box offerings. This lowers its carbon footprint and makes sustainable eating more accessible to customers. It also offers dairy-free oat milk – lactose intolerance, begone! Secondly, Grain uses environmentally friendly packaging, and we love that. Now, here’s the clincher – food waste is minimised by donating excess meals to groups such as Just Dabao. Amazing!
Grain, available online
5. The Summerhouse
Here’s a sustainable restaurant so idyllic you’ll forget you’re in Singapore. On the second level of The Summerhouse is Au Balcon, a gorgeous dining destination that looks like a summer retreat in the French countryside. Its nature-inspired cuisine is made with garnishes and herbs from its edible garden as well as produce from local farms and kelongs. We love that the restaurant works with the farming collective to ensure value-added and sustainable practices.
The Summerhouse, 3 Park Lane, Singapore 798387
6. SaladStop!
While you should be familiar with this salad spot, you may not be aware of its efforts towards sustainability. Its first net zero outlet in Singapore features a menu that’s carbon labelled. Patrons can understand what’s being sold and what they’re consuming. This way, they can choose ingredients and offerings that are environmentally friendly. Order through the app and you’ll get the chance to offset your meal by contributing $0.20 to compensate for the greenhouse gas emissions required to prepare your food. Your contribution will be channelled towards a mangrove reforestation project in Indonesia.
SaladStop!, #01-03, CapitaSpring Singapore, 88 Market Street, Singapore 048948
7. Poison Ivy Bistro
Looking for a serene farm break away from the city? Head down to the modest Bollywood Veggies, which boasts a rustic farm-to-table cafe, Poison Ivy. The menu features local and fusion cuisine like blue (coloured naturally from the blue pea flower) nasi lemak, local kueh for dessert, and more. Strike a conversation with Bollywood Veggies’ owner, Ivy Singh-Lim, if you see her. She’s a great conversationalist who never fails to give us a new perspective (and hot take) on life.
Poison Ivy Bistro, 100 Neo Tiew Road, Singapore 719026
8. Artichoke
Reopening in May 2024 at New Bahru.
Chef-owner Bjorn Shen has always been an advocate for sustainable ingredients. This also means the menu undergoes changes seasonally. The popular Middle Eastern restaurant serves dips, sharing platters, and fresh salads; plus, it has its own herb garden. Artichoke also aims to commit 33% of its menu to locally sourced produce, which we love.
Artichoke, New Bahru, 46 & 58 Kim Yam Road, Singapore 239351
9. Kausmo
Kausmo ambitiously promotes thoughtful and conscientious living by challenging food norms that bring about unnecessary food wastage in Singapore. The brand does this by creatively repurposing discarded food. That includes imperfect-looking fruits and vegetables, sustainably sourced seafood from small farming communities, overlooked meat cuts, and forgotten native greens and florals. While it no longer has a permanent home, keep an eye on its socials to follow its farm-to-table pop-up experiences.
Kausmo, only available at pop-ups
Go forth and save the earth by dining at these sustainable restaurants in Singapore!
