The days of being served up an uninspiring salad and a plate of mushrooms when you request 「something vegetarian」 are long gone, and good riddance too. Whether your reasons for seeking out something vegan, organic or vegetarian (or any combination of these) are for health, in the interests of animal welfare, for religious reasons or out of concern for the environment, there are plenty of options here in Singapore.

We checked out a range of restaurants, from fine-dining organic food to local neighbourhood all-raw vegan dishes, where the chefs go to extra lengths to cater for the discerning foodie in search of healthier options.

For Mediterranean vegetarian food…

Mmm veggie lasagna

Original Sin

43 Jalan Merah Saga, #01-62, Holland Village

6475 5605

The enduring popularity of this Mediterranean vegetarian restaurant in Chip Bee Gardens is a marvel in fickle Singapore, where so many restaurants open and close in a blink. A marvel, but not surprising. Founded in 1997 by owner-chef Italian-Australian Marisa Bertocchi, it’s maintained impeccable standards and stayed true to its lights; we』ve been regulars since 2001.

In the same way that South Indian vegetarian food is so satisfying, Marisa’s vegetarian interpretation of Mediterranean food is so good that carnivores might not even notice the absence of fish or flesh on the menu.

Start with the mezze platter ($22 starter; $30 main), piled with sun-dried tomato ciabatta bread, falafel balls and four fresh and light dips: tzatziki, chickpea hummus, pumpkin and carrot, and eggplant babaganoush; or another perennial favourite, the magic mushroom ($18). For mains, try the bosco mista ($26), a toothsome burger made from spinach, feta and tofu coated with crushed almonds and sesame seeds and topped with mushrooms and fine asparagus in a tangy sauce. It’s delicious, and so is the lasagne ($26). Leave plenty of room for the tiramisu ($10), too – perfectly moist and rich, and appropriately alcoholic.

Star dish: Bosco mista

Verne Maree

For raw vegan and vegetarian…

There's nothing sexier than a tangy wrap

Central Park

University Town @ NUS

2 College Avenue West #01-09 EduSport Building

6734 0298

Singapore’s one and only professional chef trained in raw vegan food, Sandra Lee, heads up Central Park, a fairly new restaurant at NUS Dover’s UTown campus. Her menu of raw vegan and vegetarian food (raw meaning unheated, or cooked at less than 40ºC) is delicious, and worth the initial effort to find the place.

Go for the steamed mushroom tofu ($9) served with a truffle-infused mushroom and vegetable gravy on top of the delicate silken tofu; or try aseafood tortilla wrap ($9) stuffed full of salmon, dory, prawns and salty cheddar cheese. The creamy risotto ($9) was definitely a sharing dish, and the biggest hit in my books. For dessert we devoured a pot of deconstructed cheesecake ($5). As we dipped in we discovered crumbly chocolate cake, raw chocolate sauce (apparently made smoother with the addition of avocado), cream cheese frosting and a smattering of berries.

Central Park opens your eyes to the variety and depth of flavours that raw, vegan and vegetarian food can actually offer, and the best part is that it fits nicely under the banner of healthy eating.

Star Dish: Organic black jasmine rice risotto with raw blue cheese

Amy Brook-Partridge

For an in-house vegetable garden…

Pollen is housed in Gardens by the Bay (and suitably posh)

Pollen

Flower Dome, Gardens By The Bay, 18 Marina Gardens Drive

6604 9988

There are few restaurants in this city that can boast a private Mediterranean herb and vegetable garden, but when your location is the remarkable Flower Dome at Gardens by the Bay, it seems a no-brainer. This fresh produce is used liberally in all the options on Michelin-starred British chef Jason Atherton’s vegetarian menu. (Meat options are available on the main menu.)

Not only are the dishes exquisitely pretty, but the starters of asparagus and grilled heirloom tomato salad ($26) and oven-roasted baby beetroots, goats curd and beetroot leaves ($24) are uniquely flavoursome too. There are two healthy main course options – roasted artichoke and salt-baked celeriac with truffle ($44) and a hearty fregola pasta, parsley and mimolette cheese ($40) – both of which are good choices. Top it off with a smorgasbord of sweet treats prepared before your eyes at the dessert bar, and perhaps a languid stroll through the Flower Dome afterwards.

Star Dish: Roasted artichoke and salt-baked celeriac with truffle ($44)

Katie Roberts

For meat-free and organic…

Veggie food can be just as satisfying

Real Food

6 Eu Tong Sen Street, #B1-52/53 The Central

6224 4492

Whenever people ask me for a healthy place to dine at, my first recommendation is, without a doubt, Real Food. It was set up by three friends who were tired of unrecognisable ingredients in lacklustre food. Despite expanding to four outlets (10 Sinaran Drive, 110 Killiney Road and one in Penang, Malaysia), Real Food has managed to maintain its small organic café feel.

The menu labels each dish – vegan; containing soy, garlic or onion; or wheat- or gluten-free – so patrons know exactly what they are ordering. Even then, they』ll try to cater to any specific allergies or preferences.

All dishes are made to order, so service can take some time, but it’s worth it. My go-to dish is the beet millet burger ($12.80) with pan-fried sweet potato wedges on the side. A value-for-money option is the brown rice set($8.80) served with different side dishes depending on the chef’s whim, so you never quite know what to expect!

For an Asian take, you really can』t go wrong with their signaturesteamed dumplings ($7), drizzled with sesame oil and tamari, bursting with the goodness of carrots, mushrooms, bean curd, French beans and chestnuts. These dumplings are handmade in limited numbers daily, so go as early as possible.

Round your meal off with a cold-pressed fruit juice (from $6), for a healthy dose of enzymes, minerals and vitamins.

Star Dish: Steamed dumplings ($7)

Michelle Ng

For vegan…

Delightfully tasty and healthy wraps

The Green Room Café

1382 Ang Mo Kio Ave 1, Bishan Park II

6556 1533

OK, I hold my hands up. I admit that I have been guilty of saying 「A meal without meat isn』t a proper meal」 in the past. If there wasn』t some sort of beef element on the menu, I』d throw my menu at the wall and sprint to McDonald’s. But then I tried The Green Room.

To start, the volcanically spicy Myanmar-style salad ($10): each crunchy mouthful was crammed with explosive contrasting flavours of mint, peanut crunch, turnips, mushrooms and more. For mains, I didn』t even notice the lack of meat in the avocado wrap ($14) with its bursts of flavour alternating between warm orange honey dressing and ripe avocado. The vegan soy laksa($14) was a creamy, wholesome noodle dish with a pleasant kick. A few mouthfuls of my partner’s rendang tahu ($13) – with perfectly fluffy tofu and tangy banana crisps – proved that The Green Room Café is not about replacing meat flavours, but exploring vegan ones. The fact that these guys don』t serve meat isn』t the main focus.

The delicious naughty-tasting-but-not-actually-naughty-at-all raspberry rhapsody cheesecake ($13) and the equally healthy yet fulfilling chocolate and goji berry fudge crunch ($12) are the perfect ending.

Star Dish: Peanut butter ice cream (unbelievably made of brown rice)

Tip: Get some friends together and, afterwards, make the most of Middle Rock Bar, which is set in sprawling, atmospheric jungle. It’s open until 3am and plays great music.

Rachael Wheeler

For vegan and organic…

Because even vegans crave burgers

VeganBurg

200 Turf Club Road

#01-32 The Grandstand

6462 1281

You』d think the best person to take to a vegan restaurant might be, well, a vegan. But I took my allergic-to-greens, meat-loving beau to test a meatless burger. The moment he sunk his teeth into the char-grilled satay burger ($6.90), though, his eyes widened in surprise and his face broke into the widest grin.

How can a meatless burger be so tasty? First of all, the organic ciabatta bun is soft and very fluffy. In between, the grilled soy patty – smothered with nutty and savoury satay sauce – is extremely succulent and every bite is heavenly. However, the creamy shrooms burger ($7.90) stole the show. It’s an organic whole-wheat ciabatta bun sandwiching a crumbed and fried soy patty, sliced button mushrooms and a generous amount of delicious, dairy-free creamy sauce. The pepper in the patty, which is surprisingly meat-like in taste and bite, gives this burger a delightful kick.

End the meal with organic brown rice ice cream ($5.80). Coated with rich dark chocolate and almonds, the creamy, almost cake-like confection does not melt too quickly, even in the Singapore heat. Set meals ($9.80 to $11.80) are served with seaweed fries and a choice of drink.

Star Dish: Creamy shrooms burger

Yusrina Yusoff

For sustainable and organic....

A lovely setting for your healthy grub

Waterfall Café

22 Orange Grove Road

Shangri-La Hotel, Garden Wing, Level 1

6213 4138

Vegetarian food is often considered boring or bland. Not so at Waterfall Café, where chef Stephane Cocu combines seasonal ingredients from sustainable or organic sources to create Mediterranean-inspired dishes with bold, fresh flavours.

Sardinian-style fregola, which looks a bit like giant Israeli couscous, is the main ingredient in the delicious fregola pasta salad ($18): juicy fresh figs, strips of tangy pequillo pepper, tasty tomato confit and pine nuts in a pesto dressing. The mild curry-spiced Alaskan king crab salad ($23) mixed with pineapple and a crunchy summer macédoine comes with a sesame tuile perfect for scooping up the creamy mixture. Crisp rectangles of flaky pastry topped with caramelised onion, tomato confit and ash-coated goat cheese create a surprisingly rich and filling warm tomato tart ($18), which is nicely balanced with a mixed herb salad and freshly made pesto.

For a lighter option, try the fresh spinach and buffalo ricotta ravioli with summer ratatouille ($20), which tastes like the ingredients have just been picked from the garden.

The restaurant also caters for fish and meat eaters – the meat is all organic and hormone- and antibiotic-free, the seafood is from sustainable sources, and there are options for those who are gluten-intolerant, too. Healthy food has never tasted so good!

Star dish: fregola pasta salad of fresh figs, pequillo pepper, tomato confit and pine nuts with pesto dressing

Harriet Empey

For Thai-Peranakan…

Local vegetarian food is a rare treat

Whole Earth

76 Peck Seah Street

6323 3308

A Thai-Peranakan restaurant that’s vegetarian too? I almost didn』t bother asking my uber-carnivorous husband to join me for this one. But I needn』t have worried. The Penang rendang ($19) we ordered was so beautifully spicy and (almost) meaty that that he may not even have noticed it was pan-fried mushrooms had I not mentioned it to him. The signature olive brown rice ($8) alone could have kept his chopsticks busy.

The secret, says co-owner Phyllis Ong, is that Whole Earth makes its own sauces – there’s no MSG thrown in, no mock foods on the menu. Rather, dishes reflect the passion of Thai and Peranakan cooking, and with great success.

When we visited on a Thursday evening, the place was pleasantly full: having been around for 10 years it has, deservedly, established a loyal clientele who return for dishes such as broccoli with braised monkey head mushrooms ($19) and oatmeal tofu with curry leaves ($15).

Don』t leave without glugging down a Beauty Enzyme Essence drink($9) – I feel healthier just writing the name. Made of a special enzyme that’s months in the making in Whole Earth’s kitchen, the warming blend of lemon, tomatoes and apples is one nourishing tipple. bBy the time you read this, the restaurant will have had a renovation – we』re looking forward to seeing the new look.

Star dish: Penang rendang

Jess Smit

Not enough for you? Here are even MORE vegetarian and vegan options in Singapore…

Veggie Cottage

A casual eatery serving wide range of food from avocado salad, local delights like nasi lemak, claypot tofu rice set and Western items like club sandwich and spaghetti bolognese. Snack on their avocado dip and organic tortilla chips for a lighter meal.

13 Dalhousie Lane 6785 6771

Cafe Salivation

A small vegetarian café decorated with brightly coloured furnishings. The cuisine is predominantly Western and Mediterranean with subtle Indian influences. Their menu includes walnut and cheese tortellini, spaghetti soya bolognaise, tofu steak sandwiches, and grilled vegetable sandwiches. There are also pizzas, burgers and even enchiladas. Most of the items on the menu can be prepared without onion or garlic. For desserts, tuck into their eggless cakes and pastries.

176 Race Course Road 6298 1412

Gokul Vegetarian Restaurant

Here you can find the very best in North, South Indian and Asian vegetarian food. With over 100 food items from small bites like samosa chaat, dosa to mains like tom yum noodle, Hokkien noodles and paneer fried rice to Western and Asian salads, it can be quite overwhelming, but the more the merrier, we say. All foods contain no onion, garlic and egg.

19 Upper Dickson 6396 7769

Bespoke Vegetarian Restaurant

It doesn』t get much healthier than vegetarian sushi. Why not enjoy a nice dinner of sushi, tempura and noodles at Bespoke Vegetarian Restaurant? They serve anything Japanese from sushi to buckwheat noodles to bento sets and even mock sashimi.

SunShine Plaza #01-50 6337 7050

Loving Hut

All of the dishes at Loving Hut are purely plant-based (vegan). This small simply decorated café serves tofu rice set, olive vege rice set, noodles dishes and also burgers and salads. You can also request for organic brown rice.

Suntec City #03-016, Tower 2 Sky Garden 6238 6755

Herbivore Zen

Here’s another option for Japanese food. This small café serves udon, sushi, bento set and more. Dishes feature mock meat like chicken, pork and also mock unagi and salmon sashimi.

Fortune Centre #01-13/14 6333 1612

Water Drop Teahouse

A relaxed casual restaurant, this teahouse offers Chinese vegetarian cuisine serving mostly rice and noodles dishes.

Fo Guang Shan, 1 Punggol Place 6411 0590

Pita Pan

For homemade Mediterranean dishes, make a beeline for Pita Pan, a modern open concept restaurant with a scenic view of Marina Bay Sands. Get their full or half pockets – filled with crispy chickpea falafels and special sauces, wrapped in your choice of pita bread. Their salad bar boasts 35 different Middle Eastern salads including pickled vegetables, home-preserved sundried tomatoes, homegrown olives and air-flown spices. The food is 100 percent vegetarian and most of the items are diary-free.

The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, L1-87, Bay Level 6688 7450

Genesis Vegan Restaurant

Boat Quay’s Genesis Vegan Restaurant has plenty of options for diners whether you』re in the mood for Western or Chinese cuisine. Their dumplings and homemade desserts (tofu cheese pie and apple pie) are a big hit.

1 Lorong Telok 6438 7118

7 Sensations

A holistic and vegetarian restaurant, 7 Sensations has plenty on their menu, including Asian fusion, Japanese, Thai and Singaporean Peranakan. They also have cakes and pastries and a beverage bar for organic juices. Food choices include pumpkin soup, Portobello mushrooms, avocado hand rolls and black olive brown rice.

P3-07 Parco Marina Bay, Millenia Walk 6298 8198

The Living Café

A modern menu of raw and raw-fusion dishes. No red meat, no cow dairy, no white sugar, no preservatives, no additives and no artificial colourings.

779 Bukit Timah Road (just before 6th Avenue) 6468 4482

LingZhi Vegetarian

From clay pot to steam-boat, Chinese favourites made from vegetables and mock meat here.

541 Orchard Road, Liat Towers | 6734 3788

Velocity@Novena Square | 6538 2992

Thunder Tea Rice

Stalls that serve brown rice topped with a healthy mix of green beans, wing beans, tofu, peanuts and ikan bilis (fried anchovies) plus a side order of greenmatcha soup.

Look for them in Food Republic food courts.

Just Greens Vegetarian Food

Very local eatery in Joo Chiat that serves Chinese fare with mock meat made from yam (to replace pork), gluten or mushroom (for chicken) and bean flour or coconut flesh (instead of fish).

49-51 Joo Chiat Place 6345 0069 | 6222 2039

JAAN

Award-winning JAAN launched its Jardin Gourmand menu earlier this year, taking vegetarian food to new heights. Chef Julien Royer’s five- and seven-course menus use vegetables in beautifully artistic ways while staying true to the ingredients. Lunch: $118 (5 courses). Dinner from $148 (5 courses).

Level 70, Equinox Complex, Swissôtel The Stamford 9199 9008

Little Green Cafe

Fancy going veggie at home? Seek out Little Green Café, an East Coast cookery school that teaches vegetarian recipes from India, Vietnam, Thailand and more.

9763 1483

For Indian Veggie…

Almost a third of Indians in India are vegetarian, so it’s no surprise that Indian vegetarian restaurants abound. These are our favourites in Singapore:

Annalakshmi

While Little India is the epicentre of Indian veggie restaurants, one of the city’s best is, surprisingly, on Amoy Street in Chinatown. Annalakshmi also has a most interesting concept: eat what you want, pay what you want. The restaurant is staffed by volunteers and all donations go to charity. And the home-style curries, breads and rice dishes are excellent.

104 Amoy Street (there are also other outlets) 6223 0809

Ananda Bhavan Restaurant

Celebrating its 90th anniversary next year, Ananda Bhavan is said to be Singapore’s oldest Indian vegetarian restaurant. There are now at least six branches, the one next to Mustafa’s being the most popular. Try the thosai set with accompanying curries and dhal.

95 Syed Alwi Road 6398 0837

Komala Vilas Vegetarian Restaurant

The queue at the main Serangoon Road branch of Komala Vilas is already forming by the time the doors open for breakfast, and it rarely shortens. It has a great ambience and excellent South Indian dishes served with silver pots of masala tea.

76-78 Serangoon Road 6293 6980

Gokul Vegetarian Restaurant

Specialities include mock chicken and prawn dishes.

19 Upper Dickson Road 6396 7769

Nalan Restaurant

Much newer than the others listed here, but well regarded.

106 North Bridge Road #B1-01A Funan Digitalife Mall 6336 6404

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