18 Singapore restaurants have been recognised on Meituan's annual food guide
When seeking out the best gastronomic experiences in the world, foodies often default to a few authorities. The Michelin Guide, of course, is one of them. There's also The World's 50 Best Restaurants, La Liste, and even category-specific guides like 50 Top Pizza or the World's Best Steak Restaurants. In recent years, another one has joined the fray: The Black Pearl Restaurant Guide. Think of it as China's version of the Michelin Guide. Launched in 2018 by tech giant Meituan (yes, that bright yellow food delivery app), the annual guide scores restaurants in Asia according to One, Two and Three Diamond distinctions.
This year's Black Pearl Restaurant Guide awards ceremony was held on Monday, March 23, 2026, in Marina Bay Sands, for the second year in a row. The event was dedicated to recognising restaurants in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and overseas regions that are featured in this year's guide. A few cities have done exceptionally well – Shanghai, with 61 restaurants on the list, followed by Hong Kong with 39, Beijing with 35 and Tokyo with 32. Closer to home, Bangkok also picked up 13 awards.
In Singapore, 18 restaurants have been recognised by the guide for 2026 – two more than last year. At the very top, with Three Diamonds, are French fine-dining establishments Les Amis and Odette, which have equivalent three Michelin star accolades to their name. Modern British restaurant Jaan by Kirk Westaway is also awarded Two Diamonds this year, adding to its two-Michelin-star status. It's the One Diamond category that sees some movement this year, with three new entrants: Greek restaurant estiatorio Milos at Marina Bay Sands, Peranakan restaurant Pangium at Singapore Botanic Gardens and omakase restaurant Sushi Zen on Teck Lim Road.
It's a big win for Chef Malcolm Lee in particular, whose two Peranakan restaurants, Candlenut and Pangium, are both now on the list, officially cementing Peranakan cuisine's influence on the global and regional food map. One Diamond restaurants like Cassia, Jade Palace Seafood Restaurant, Peach Blossoms (PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay), Seroja and Waku Ghin – last year's new entrants – also manage to retain their spots on the list. Teochew Restaurant Huat Kee, however, has fallen off.
Beyond awards given to restaurants, one special category of the Black Pearl Restaurant Guide is the Annual Dish Award, which notes the most outstanding dishes of the year. Some will remember when Peach Blossoms picked up the award last year for its Crispy Scales Fillet of Marble Goby in Spicy Pineapple Sauce. In 2026, the judges loved Odette's kampot pepper crusted pigeon – a longtime signature at the restaurant – as well as Restaurant Born's monkfish with jade fungus and chicken fat, which is a tribute to Hunan's traditional chopped chilli fish head.
View the complete 2026 Black Pearl Restaurant Guide results here, and find out more about the Black Pearl Restaurant Guide here.
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