The ultimate guide to Singapore Botanic Gardens

Entrance Tyersall Gallop Gate

Most of us visit the Singapore Botanic Gardens to spend time outdoors – but there's reason to go indoors too. The Forest Discovery Centre @ OCBC Arboretum recently opened as part of the new Gallop Extension. Singapore oldest surviving colonial bungalow has been transformed into a gallery about the forest ecosystem. Told through photographs, audio recordings, interactive booths and informative panels, kids and adults alike will enjoy learning about the amazing flora and fauna in Singapore. 

Entrance Tyersall Gallop Gate

Also part of the new Gallop Extension is the Botanical Art Gallery. Housed within Gallop House No. 7, this is the country's first permanent display of botanical art. View hundreds of botanical paintings, sketches and drawings in multiple art styles. These come from the Gardens' collection of more than 2000 botanical artworks, and serve as a depository of Singapore and the region's precious natural heritage. 

Entrance Tanglin Gate

If it's the Singapore Botanic Gardens' history that you're interested in, then the SBG Heritage Gallery is the place for you. Situated in Holttum Hall, once the residence and office of former Gardens' Director Professor Eric Holttum, the museum traces the Gardens' development from pre-war years to present times. On the second floor, learn about different botany techniques and the economic importance of the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Told through audio recordings, old photographs, artefacts and rare botanical books, this place offers an intimate look into the past of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

Entrance Tyersall Gallop Gate

The kampong days are over, but kids can still have fun and reconnect with nature at Como Adventure Grove. This new playground at the Singapore Botanic Gardens takes inspiration from our country's natural flora and fauna. The centrepiece is a 10-metre banyan tree-like structure which has climbing ropes, hammocks and a lookout point for children to climb and swing from. What's a playground without slides, right? The Como Adventure Grove has two, as well as a mini obstacle course and climbing structure shaped like a jackfruit – which are thrilling additions compared to the Jacob Ballas Children's Garden. 

Entrance Bukit Timah Gate

Young visitors to the Jacob Ballas Children's Garden can choose to be an 'Adventurer', 'Gardener' or 'Naturalist' for the day, with features catered to each. Thrill-seekers will love the suspension bridge, treehouse, floating platform and other nature play areas. Budding gardeners can head to the sensory and potting gardens to hone their green fingers, while naturalists won't be short of streams and trails to explore. 

Nestled in the heart of the Botanic Gardens is The Garage, a new two-storey F&B concept with a café named Bee’s Knees on the ground floor and restaurant/bar Botanico on the second. Bee’s Knees is more of a first date joint, where you can have coffee and sandwiches in a casual setting, but if you’re looking to take things to the next level (quite literally), Botanico has a menu driven by the seasons, featuring dishes like lamb tartare, cured and grilled Spanish mackerel, and braised pork belly with sherry sour sauce. 

Established since 2001, Halia at Singapore Botanic Gardens is one of the first restaurants in Singapore to showcase modern European cuisine with Asian influences. Also helped by its unique location within the UNESCO Heritage Site, this is  a popular destination for locals and tourists alike. Dine on fusion delights like lemongrass and chilli prawn salad ($16), Halia's Singapore style chilli crab spaghettini ($26) and honeydew sago ($10) in a glass-ensconced dining room that invites the sunlight and nature on the outside, in. 

If you're up for some really fancy, head to fine dining restaurant Corner House. Set in an elegant 1910 bungalow, its location is steeped in history: the restaurant borrows its name from the tropical botanist, EJH Corner, who lived in the building while laying the foundations for Singapore’s garden city pedigree. The interior is plus, decked out in handsome grey armchairs, lavish art and cushioned tables. The food is described as 'gastro-botanico', taking influences from Mediterranean, Latin American and South-East Asian cooking. Start with the entry-level four-course meal set ($148), or make a splash with the seven-course chef’s menu ($258).