The best restaurants and cafés in Jalan Besar

Over at Reiwa Soba, buckwheat noodles are handmade and freshly pressed upon each order. But there’s more to the menu than just its handmade noodles; the traditional dish gets a spicy update with a specially concocted tsuyu dipping sauce made with soy sauce, bonito, and chilli oil. Its a novel creation made possible by Thai chef Orawan and the stall’s co-owners Shinji and Ayana Matsudaira.

With only one thing on the menu, this humble eatery still rakes in long queues every day. Its laksa gravy, cooked over charcoal, is light and not too spicy – that’s what the sambal is for. Stir it in if you want more heat in your bowl. Topped only with fishcake and plump cockles, you’ll polish off a bowl in under five minutes.

A hole-in-the-wall ice cream parlour. Gelato Labo prides itself in tinkering with recipes, creating experimental flavours that cannot be found elsewhere. Flavours might rotate depending on when you visit, but some cool creations include the Kyoto shiso studded with yuzu jelly bits, the refreshing watermelon with mint and chia seeds, and Yamanashi peach suffused with lemongrass.

This café along Hamilton Road is designed for one purpose: for people to unwind and connect with loved ones. It helps that the interiors are open and welcoming; the minimalist space is splashed with white hues and wooden accents, and comes anchored by an eye-catching barista counter. The menu is also perfect for sharing. Besides the usual brunch fare of guacamole on toast ($18), For The People also whips up some special creations that are worth a try. And the best part, almost everything is under $20.

Sometimes, it's better to keep things simple. Lucid's interiors of grey and white – with its milky countertops, concrete floor, and metallic accents – make for an Instagrammable spot. But it's more than just a treat for the eyes. The minimalist hide-out also serves cups of quality brews by co-owner Andrea Tan, the first National Brewers’ Cup champion in Singapore.

Headquarters of Third Wave coffee pioneers Papa Palheta, the two-storey complex is a Mecca for coffee lovers. It starts at the Roastery, which offers an introduction, and a peek, into the process of roasting the beans, and extracting their flavours. Have a taste at the CSHH Coffee Bar, a popular café spot, before shopping at the Annex, a retail space to touch and smell the beans and brewing equipment.

This modern teahouse comes filled with plenty of sunlight and aroma. While Antea Social's range is simple – they mostly offer flavoured Oolongs – the process behind the making of each batch is careful and arduous. Their tea leaves are sourced directly from the producer whenever possible, and baked with essential oils (on a separate tray) for 12 hours. The tea leaves and oils then remain in the oven for up to a week, but this time-consuming process produces a batch of tea that can be re-steeped multiple times without losing flavour.

This minimalist coffee bar and roastery has just the right laid-back vibe to unwind with a book and freshly poured coffee. Treat your tastebuds to the rich flavours of roasted beans from Latin America, artisanal teas, and chocolates from the likes of Fossa Chocolate. It goes without saying the coffees are made with care.

As its name suggests, the humble Italian desserts take centrestage at this adorable café. Pre-order and customise each tiramisu to your own liking – from flavours of yuzu and houjicha, right down to the wetness and sweetness. Otherwise, drop by for ready-made creamy treats, paired with hearty breakfast spread of mee hoon kueh and macaroni soup.

Away from the never-ending queues of Swee Choon is a quieter dim sum eatery. Inside, Dim Sum Haus serves up a good range of freshly made and steamed treats that are just as enjoyable. Fill the table with orders of XO-tossed carrot cake, salted egg yolk-filled crispy buns, and smooth, warm congee.

Along the boho stretch of Haji Lane lies Scaled by Ah Hua Kelong, a farm-to-table concept that showcases all the different types of seafood the actual fish farm, Ah Hua Kelong produces. Think curry mussels with mantou ($16), clams tossed in sake ($14) and pan-seared seabass ($22) served with pickled mussels and roasted pepper purée.

Kotuwa is Singapore’s first full-service Sri Lankan restaurant, which hopes to bring the lively, casual street food culture of the South Asian nation to our shores. Expect a celebration of spice and bold flavours here; must-tries include the lychee achcharu ($8), chicken curry ($22), and pancake-like hoppers (from $4).

Open daily till 4am, Chuan Chuan Le is your spot if you find yourself craving for Mala dishes and Sichuan cuisine late at night. Besides the usual dishes you might find at a Mala restaurant, you can also find a side menu of skewers. Think all sorts of meats and vegetables dusted in Sichuan spices and grilled till crisp. Need cheap beer to go with that? There's also a selection.

This microbrewery specialises in rice wine, prepped by hand using a time-honoured recipe that has been around since the 1930s. Next-gen owner Danny Ng brews up rice wine the traditional way – by fermenting glutinous grains in ceramic urns – together with the help of his parents. Each bottle can be sipped as is, or used to cook up various nourishing dishes in the kitchen.

This 23-tap bar on gentrified Tyrwhitt Road gets its name from the Singapore Chinese Druggists Association, which it shares the building with. Seek out its wide selection, from advanced brews of imperial stouts and sour beers, to an approach range of pale ales and hopped lagers.