Michelle Yee

Singapore’s private home dining scene continues to grow, with chefs, home cooks and MasterChef alumni opening their homes to small groups for intimate, story-driven meals. These experiences range from heritage Peranakan feasts and handmade pasta to bold South Indian spreads and chef-led tasting menus. Most operate through word of mouth and Instagram DMs, and come with notoriously long waitlists, sometimes stretching months or even years. Scoring a seat at the most sought-after tables can feel like winning the lottery. The payoff is well worth it, though. In recent years, more seasoned chefs have stepped away from traditional restaurants to host private dining experiences at home, giving diners even more options to choose from. Whether you're after a smoky barbecue cookout, a refined tasting menu or a hearty Peranakan spread, gather a group of friends – or make new ones – and settle in for a meal where the focus is on good food, personal stories and the joy of sharing a table. RECOMMENDED: Unique restaurants and dining experiences to try in Singapore and The best secret bars in Singapore

Led by chef-owner Ethan Khoo, who cut his teeth at renowned local restaurants including Morsels, now-defunct Pollen and Les Amis, Kanves is one of, if not the most coveted private dining establishment in Singapore. Inspired by different cultures across the globe, chef Ethan’s cuisine, which he describes as “borderless”, is both elegant and contemporary. HOW IT’S LIKE A firm believer in using local produce where possible, chef Ethan works closely with local producers like Ah Hua Kelong and Spore Gardens to get what he needs for his menu, from vegetables and mushrooms to fish and more. A notable highlight is the local roast duck, which has been brined for 24 hours, dry-aged for five days and smoked with hay in a pot. We love that the skin kept is perfectly crispy and the meat tender, juicy, and full of flavour. The other dishes are also cooked to perfection, such as the zucchini, arugula, pistachio and cured egg, and the ocean trout, clams, tarragon and tomato. Chef Ethan takes the same approach for his desserts, featuring no more than four main components in each dish, focusing  on layering flavours through the processes behind each element. The brown butter, miso, buckwheat and passionfruit, makes the perfect end to the meal, offering a delightful combination of sweet, savoury and tangy flavours.  HOW TO BOOK Kanves has a waitlist that spans several months, and each booking requires a minimum single party of six persons, with a maximum of eight. Dinner starts from $170/person

Chef-owner Sam Chablani is no stranger to Singapore’s culinary scene. Prior to starting his own private dining stint, he was sous chef at Mediterranean-inspired Lolla, head chef at the now-defunct Fat Lulu’s and even consulted for Naughty Nuri’s in Bali, Indonesia. Apart from hosting private barbecues, chef Sam also sells his coveted umami butter online.  HOW IT’S LIKE True to its name, “no burn, no taste” is exactly what diners can look forward to when they book for chef Sam’s 10-course barbecue omakase, featuring Southeast Asian cuisine prepared with premium ingredients and grilled to perfection to bring out complex umami flavours. A self-proclaimed pyromaniac who has spent years perfecting his craft, chef Sam is fascinated by the mastery of balance it takes to make flame-blackened food taste pure, juicy, sweet and packed with flavour. Crowd favourites include his signature dishes like the garlic butter grilled crab and ribeye steak. The former, smoked over lychee wood, offers tender crab meat and a distinctive aroma, while the latter, smoked over mangrove wood, is juicy, flavourful and has a beautiful woody char. The menu is designed for sharing with a large group of friends and family, so be sure to gather a minimum of seven to eight people for this experience.  HOW TO BOOK Visit their Instagram for more information on how to book your dining experience. All bookings are for a minimum of 7-8 people. Groups of less than 7 will be required to hit a minimum spend of $1,050,