If your idea of heaven is paging through manga with a cocktail in hand, look no further than Ume Maru. It’s the newest venture of the team behind Ume San 100 opening on May 1, and just like that umeshu bar, this whisky and bespoke cocktail bar also has a hidden entrance made of bookshelves and newsstands. Push past it and you’ll find an elegant bar serving up drinks inspired by manga and anime. The “Light of Nara”, for one, is inspired by the Studio Ghibli classic Princess Mononoke, blending muscat and nashi pear umeshu with rose vermouth and persimmon sugar. 

If cocktails aren’t your thing, go for the whisky flights instead, which come in Japanese and Scotch variants, including a premium craft whisky set that presents top-shelf pours such as Royal Blue Royale and Wolfburn Small Batch 177. Make sure to fill up on bites including the truffle hotplate maki and the yuzu soba.

Ume Maru
Address: 14 Scotts Road, 05-26 Far East Plaza, S(228213), +65 8069 8055

Officially launching on May 1 is Nook, a new restaurant on Craig Road that spans three floors. On the first floor, indulge in head chef Koh Han Jie’s European food with Asian accents, including dishes including the kinmedai Alfonso, a textural wonder with its crispy scales and caviar beurre blanc sauce, before going onto mains such as the Aquina organic chicken and the Spanish octopus leg. 

Go up to the second floor for the second part of your evening at the bar called Nowhere, where you can lounge on unique mismatched furniture with a cocktail in hand. For some fun, the Members Lounge on the third floor is an intimate space that boasts stylish decor and a virtual reality golf course.

Nook
Address: 11 Craig Road, S(089671), +65 8300 7274

Read more: Revolver launches its brand-new private experience room

Pizza lovers have yet another opening to look forward to. Il Clay just opened its doors on April 30 with chef Ciro Sorrentino at its helm; his pizzeria Magherí in Cesenatico, Italy ranks among the 50 Top Pizza Italy list in 2024, and is the No. 12 pizzeria in the Emilia-Romagna region. Make sure to stick around when night falls, when the pizzeria transforms into a supper club.

Il Clay
Address: 3D River Valley Road, 01-04 Clarke Quay, S(179023)

This new gastro-bar is all about oysters—Japanese oysters, to be precise, sourced from some regions such as Akasaki and Kuju-ku Shima Bay for the highest quality. They can be eaten raw or fried with tempura batter for a delightful crunch, alongside an array of other modern Japanese tapas dishes such as the clam and smoked oyster soup and the A5 Hiroshima Samurai Wagyu ribeye sukiyaki. These are treats best enjoyed with cocktails, including its signature, the “Tapasutini”, which is crafted with gin, cucumber juice, and a dash of sweet and sour mix.

Tapasu Oyster Gastro Bar
Address: 29 Stanley Street, 01-01, S(068738), +65 8299 2101

Whether you’re at a bistro by the Seine or a trattoria by the Tiber, the romance of European riverside dining will never die. At Toma by the River, you’ll get a slice of that magic right next to the Singapore River on Robertson Quay with its European fare and seasonal cooking. Expect influences across the Mediterranean and the European continent, bringing out the natural flavours of the ingredients.

Toma by the River
Address: 80 Mohamed Sultan Road, 01-12 The Pier@Robertson, S(239013), +65 6031 1176

A newcomer on Robertson Walk, Fi Woodfire Thai opened in April with its dishes cooked in a double-insulated wood-fire oven, making for food that bursts with flavour and aroma. You’ll find elegantly-presented renditions of street food classics here, including the moo ping marinated smoked pork ribs, or the iconic tom yum soup. There is, of course, pad thai which comes with your choice of protein; wash it all down with some Thai milk tea or refreshing lemongrass jelly.

Fi Woodfire Thai
Address: 11 Unity Street, 01-07, S(237995), +65 8776 1569

Be transported to the picturesque region of Alsace at La Table d’Emma, the new Alsatian restaurant at the Mercure Icon Singapore City Centre. It is named after chef Michael Muller’s wife, and his Alsatian classics are an homage to love. Take the bouchée à la reine, a small pastry originally crafted by Queen Marie Lesczynsky as an aphrodisiac for Louis XV; here, veal, chicken, and a mushroom velouté accompany flaky puff pastry. Don’t miss out on signatures such as the tarte flambée either, which comes in four flavours such as the traditional onion and lardons; mushroom; and smoked salmon. 

La Table d’Emma
Address: 8 Club Street, 01-04 Mercure Icon Singapore City Centre, S(069472), +65 8101 8691

One of Shanghai’s most popular food chains is making our way onto these shores. The first overseas outpost of the casual restaurant Bites & Brews is located in Joo Chiat, making it the next best spot for brunch in the neighbourhood—especially with international delights such as the Philly cheesesteak and the mapo tofu lasagna. 

Bites & Brews
Address: 15 Crane Road, S(429360), +65 8815 9615

From the team behind Thug Shop comes Higher Ground, a rooftop bar and restaurant with stunning views of the Marina Bay skyline and the creative dishes to match its seductive interiors. Take the grilled hispi cabbage that comes with a flavour-packed brown butter anchovy, citrus pistachio pesto and generously topped with grana padano, or its salmon rillette brioche sandwiches topped with citrus gel. A place like this, of course, demands eclectic wines and cocktails; you might sip on a libation such as “The Masala Express” with its combination of chai tea and yoghurt liqueur with rum, or a wine from its curated wine list. 

Higher Ground
Address: 64C Boat Quay, S(049852), +65 9667 9424

NOW READ

What you need to know about Pullman Singapore Hill Street’s three new dining concepts

5 restaurants and cafés in Asia championing social change and empowerment for people with disabilities

Why Air is one of the most exciting nose-to-tail restaurants to open in Singapore this year