The best healthy restaurants in Singapore

Genius Central Singapore is part of a worldwide network of resorts and beach clubs that cater to the growing entrepreneur crowd. While the outlet at Amoy Street is nowhere near a beach, it’s a spacious and chic spot to get some serious work done among other equally hardworking folks. If you have dietary restrictions or are just a health nut, you’ll be glad to know that Genius Central has a wonderfully inclusive menu. The café serves up largely organic fare, with vegetarian, vegan, dairy-, gluten- and nut-free options if you so desire. It doesn’t skimp on taste either – just try the fragrant coconut-forward Bumbu Bali ($13.80) curry with rice, flavours of Asia ($14.80) salad bowl or organic popcorn chicken ($8.80) snack with housemade paprika mayonnaise.

It's a hard task to create a menu that completely omits gluten. It's an even harder task to create a menu where you don't notice that it's gone. But The Butcher's Wife has been doing just that since 2018 – feeding both the gluten-free crowd and those looking for a good meal in a casual space at Tiong Bahru. Fermentation techniques feature extensively in the kitchen, and is used to create some homemade kombucha ($14) with flavours that change up frequently. Roselle and orange, tart and bright, will whet the appetite for a full meal ahead. Try the pretty blue pea flower naan sandwich ($20), stained in an indigo hue from the addition of blue pea flower extract. Within, fermented black beans are used as a base to make its falafel, and yoghurt and green mango chilli sauce add a bright pop of freshness. Gnocchi ($22), made using sweet potatoes and buckwheat flour, is also a great option for carb-lovers.

It's common knowledge that salmon comes packed with omega-3, protein, potassium, and more nutrients. Here, the humble seafood gets prepped in multiple ways at Salmon Samurai. Whether you’re in the mood for some fresh sashimi, or cooked and glazed with teriyaki, there’s a meal bowl that will satisfy your salmon craving. A basic set starts from $9.90, and comes with your choice of salmon – sashimi, spicy, garlic shoyu, teriyaki, mentaiko, and more – served atop yuzu ume rice, chilled udon, or buckwheat soba. There’s even the option to swap out carbs for mixed salad greens to create a guilt-free lunch.

It’s not all about cold salads when eating clean. At Tokyo Sundubu, tuck into a warm meal of Korean tofu stew, which is well-loved for its collagen-rich soup and fresh toppings. Its main highlight: the humble sundubu, or soft soy tofu, that’s made in-house to yield a silky texture. Choose from ingredients like chicken ($14), beef ($17) or Asari clams ($16) to add an extra dose of protein, before slurping up the fiery broth with red pepper that’s said to help kick-start your metabolism.

Pink Fish may be a fast-food joint, but the menu includes plenty of dishes that feature sustainably farm-raised salmon from Norway. Aside from the regular menu of burgers and wraps, the eatery also whips up poke bowls that come topped with seasoned seafood, alongside fresh greens. Love your spice? Try the locally inspired mala bowl, where plump salmon cubes are slathered with a house-made mala sauce brimming with Sichuan peppercorns and fresh chillies. 

The latest all-day dining concept of Tiong Bahru Bakery serves up thoughtful, clean plates that aren’t just leaves tossed with dressing. Take for instance the hot chicken salad with caramelised pumpkin ($20) – it might sound simple, but to prepare it, chicken breast is first marinated overnight in turmeric and lemongrass, then slow-cooked in a pan. For a balanced square meal, pair it with the Super Green Warm Soup ($16) blended with a long list of nutritious greens, or get the one-dish Rainbow Bowl ($19) where brown and wild rice are topped with pineapple kimchi, purple potato chips, salsa verde, and a slow-cooked organic egg. The only downside? Resisting the buttery pastries on display.  

COMO Cuisine brings together the best dishes from the luxury hotel’s various properties. So while you might be dining at COMO’s hip Dempsey enclave, your tastebuds will be taking a journey across the globe, sampling Bhutanese momo ($12) with a side of ezay chilli, or digging into the same aromatic lobster biryani ($48) that’s served at its Cocoa Island property. The menu leans healthy, thanks in part to a series of signatures from COMO Shambala, the brand’s wellness arm. Try the popular tandoor cauliflower ($22), which is marinated in yoghurt, turmeric, garlic, ginger, and coriander before it goes into a tandoor oven to earn a smoky char. Savour other vegetable-forward dishes like the mangrove crab salad ($24) and golden beetroot ($20) as well. 

Supergreek makes its own Greek yoghurt – a painstaking process that takes over 30 hours – just because it believes that the final product is smoother, creamier, and healthier. Try it in its protein-packed Super Smoothies ($6), blended with fruits, or find it in a range of homemade sauces like tzatziki and avocado that tops the many healthy grain bowls. There’s the grilled chicken steak ($9.90) with quinoa, spinach, roasted pumpkin, and other vegetables, served with hummus and Greek yoghurt avocado sauce; and the more traditional Greek beef meatballs ($9.90), which comes with spicy feta cheese and tzatziki. 

Here, toasts (from $8) come topped with hearty, healthy ingredients like mashed avocadoes or roasted eggplant drizzled with miso dressing ($8). The Social Space also serves colourful smoothie bowls (from $10) blended with a variety of fruits and vegetables. You can also swap out the usual cuppa for a calming chamomile lavender latte ($7) or a golden turmeric latte ($6). But more than just a healthy eatery, is is also home to a socially-conscious nail salon, and stocks eco-friendly lifestyle products.

If you're in the heart of the CBD and looking for really healthy food, Shake Farm serves up healthy juices, protein shakes, acai bowls, super toasts, pita pockets and salads you can mix and match to your heart's desire. Healthy eating comes with a cost of course, as salads start from $10 for a regular bowl. Shakes and juices start from $8 but it they're packed with superfood ingredients like bananas, spinach, almond butter and more.

DoSiRak serves healthy, sub-500 calorie Korean-style lunch bowls in the CBD. Create your lunchbox by choosing a carb, a protein and several veggies including its housemade kimchi. The standard serving packs white rice into the bowl, but add $1 for brown rice or buckwheat noodles to add heft to add-ins like beef bulgogi ($9.90), cured salmon ($11.90) and kimchi tofu ($7.90), drizzled with DoSiRak’s homemade Korean chilli sauce.

For healthy and affordable build-your-own bowls in the CBD, hit up Wafuken at either Asia Square Tower 2 or OUE Downtown Gallery. A plain donburi ($4) – choose between furikake Japanese brown rice or white rice – is served with onsen egg, daikon and cucumber pickles and you can choose to add on protein options like sous vide chicken breast ($4) to make a bowl that still comes in at under $10.

Opened by health coach Elika Mather, Kitchen by Food Rebel aims to improve the wellbeing of diners through what they eat. Everything in this 40-seater café is made from scratch – including the sauces and salad dressings – and is free from preservatives. You can’t do wrong with one of its signature Buddha bowls: the vegan sweet potato and chickpea one ($19) comes with beetroot hummus, quinoa, and a dollop of tofu and avocado that’s been blended together, finished with tahini dressing. Craving pasta but trying to curb your carbs? Opt for the zoodle bolognese ($18), raw zucchini noodles ladled with hearty meat sauce that’ll leave you satisfied but not stuffed.

There may be no shortage of healthy restaurants in this city, but Singapore has nothing quite like this: a one-stop café, health shop and ‘lifestyle-improvement’ space (apparently that’s a thing) overseen by Balanced Living founder Dana Heather. You’ll be amazed by how extensive the menu is, proving that eating clean doesn’t need to be limiting. There are raw food mains like pad thai noodles ($16.50) made with zucchini, and taco boats ($18) packed with guacamole, mango salsa and ‘meatballs’. You can even chow down on burgers and wholemeal pizza without the guilt – or hunger – pangs after. And don’t forget to pop by the retail space on the second floor to stock up on more healthy eating essentials.

Workspace Espresso stands out from the ‘build-it-yourself’ grain bowl crowd by offering dishes peppered with Middle Eastern flavours. For $13.80, you can select one base, one hot protein, three sides, two toppings and a dressing. Or, choose one of the pre-constructed Super Bowls like Belly Awesome ($16.30) or Oishi-Seyo ($16.30). Belly Awesome comes with roasted pork belly, tofu, brown rice, and baby french beans, while Oishi-Seyo comes with miso mirin salmon, chap chae, eggplany, and kimchi salad. Aside from grain bowls, Workspace also offers pita pockets, coffee and cakes so you’ll always have a pick-me-up for the rest of the day.

Haakon, pronounced  ‘haw-coon’, is a Scandinavian-inspired café that brings superfoods from Norway to your plate. It only uses premium Norwegian smoked salmon – it’s rich in protein, Omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants – to make dishes like their specialty bowls (from $10.90) and hummus vege burger ($12.90). For those with a sweet tooth, go for Haakon’s classic acai bowl (from $7.90), topped with coconut flakes, banana, strawberries and blueberries for a quick and guilt-free energy boost.

As the first restaurant to bring Hawaii’s answer to chirashi to our shores, Aloha Poké deserves a special mention in our books. Customise your poké bowl with tuna, salmon, tofu or seasonal fish dressed in sauces like wasabi mayo and nutty sesame, atop your choice of carbs (white or brown rice) or salad. Add on edamame, cherry tomatoes, cucumber and tamago ($1) to really pack in as much guilt-free snacking as possible. 

Finding wholesome food in the CBD isn’t difficult at all, but Grain Traders is holding on to a winning ticket built on tasty veggies, premium meats and a wealth of grain options. The high-ceilinged space bears the good looks of a sun-kissed Aussie café and Mexico-style washed pastels, cleverly worked into a chilled-out respite. Each bowl is priced at $16 and comes with your choice of grain, protein, two vegetables, one side, sauce and topping.

The Daily Cut is the meat lover’s answer to the ubiquitous salad bowl in the CBD. Owner Jonathan Yang caters to a #eatclean crowd with customisable bowls priced from $9 packed with healthily grilled options like chicken thighs, striploin steaks and salmon that pair alongside other accompaniments like egg whites, brussel sprouts, avocado and okra.

This vegan deli retailer bar has its sights set on bringing the raw food movement proper to Singapore. Afterglow works with local and regional farmers to procure the ingredients for its inventive fare like a dragon fruit, pomegranate, avocado salad bowl with chunky chopped macadamia and mint dressing ($16), and a raw pizza topped with seasonal vegetables ($22). The restaurant's also noted for making its own vegan cheese ($14) with cashew nuts. Adding to the buzz of the area at night, a selection of small-batch wines, craft beer and whiskeys is also served to accompany the healthy cuisine.

Even if you're not on a juice cleanse, there's something life affirming about sucking down a cold cup of nature's sweet nectar after a carb-heavy lunch. Here's a list of where to find some juice.