Known to be the Peranakan enclave, the East side of Singapore has recently become a favorite haunt among the Indian community. Long before the glistening condominiums brought the expatriates, the East has played home to a sizeable Indian community with institutions such as Sri Senpaga Vinayagar Temple and the Katong Gurdwara existing since the 1850s and 1950s.
So it comes as no surprise that the East would have built up a treasure trove of of Indian restaurants. With plenty of new additions joining the old favourites, the choices available for a foodie are plentiful .
Our definitive guide to the Indian restaurants in East Coast Singapore starts you off at Bombay Cafe on Tanjong Katong Road, ushers you all the way through to the edge of East Coast Road ending off at Kinara Restaurant. Walk with us to sample the tastes from the entire Indian subcontinent!
Bombay Cafe – Transporting you to the glitz of Bollywood
Staying true as its name, walk into Bombay Cafe to enjoy a slice of Mumbai in Singapore. The retro hot pink and interiors evoke a Bollywood theme of the yesteryears. Posters and other movie memorabilia adorn the walls and other little nooks to enhance the feel of a Mumbai from the past. Offering pure vegetarian cuisine with a focus on dishes from Mumbai, step in to taste their exquisite chaat. Whether you are craving for a simple samosa or a more elaborate bhel puri, you can’t go wrong here!
Delhi 6 – Experience the authentic flavours of Old Delhi
From Mumbai, we move westwards to Delhi 6, a dining experience that will transport you back in time straight to the heart of undivided colonial India’s Northwest Frontier Province. Borrowing the number ‘6’ from the shortened postal code of 110006, Delhi 6 pays tribute to the Chandni Chowk area of Old Delhi, one of the oldest and busiest markets in India known for its potpourri of cuisines from Central Asia and North India.
Udipi Ganesh Vilas – A taste of home away from home!
From Delhi, we throw you down to the South to Udipi Ganesh Vilas. While it’s not the place you’d bring a first date to, it reminiscent of a street stall in India where you can pop in to grab a piping hot vadai with a cup of filter coffee. With flavours of home cooked food, Udipi Ganesh Vilas is a humble pure vegetarian restaurant with great food at friendly prices. Perfectly located opposite the beautiful Sri Senpaga Vinayagar Temple, it is the perfect place to grab that crispy vadai after all that praying 😉
Haveli – Combining the joys of great food and a good wine.
And we’re back up to the Northern and Central India! Having moved to a more busy part of East Coast Road, Haveli Bar and Restaurant occupies a 2 storey shophouse close to 328 Katong Laksa, a street away from Udipi Vilas. Originally only serving Western cuisine in 2006, it has since expanded its menu to serve North Indian cuisine. Offering the usual suspects in North Indian Cuisine with a fairly extensive menu of , this restaurant also offers a lunch and dinner buffet worth checking out!
The Bazaar – Step into a colourful Indian bazaar themed restaurant
Located across I12 Katong, The Bazaar has a vibrant setting designed to recreate the colorful Indian marketplaces (bazaars). It An award winning Indian restaurant run by the same team from On a Roll, it has been dubbed as the one of the rare Indian restaurants that can get desserts and curries right. And if that doesn’t turn your head, well listen to the Wall Street Journal as The Bazaar is the only restaurant in East Coast to have have been featured by them. Definitely tasty and definitely worth a visit!
The Mango Tree Indian Coastal Restaurant – A journey along the western Indian coast
If the Bazaar’s all booked out, hop over to i12 to The Mango Tree Indian Coastal Restaurant. Open for over 15 year now, this restaurant specializes in coastal cuisine from Mumbai, Goa and Kerala. Check out their lunch buffet!
Zaffron Kitchen – Great food paired with amazing decor and wit
Playing on the word saffron, Zaffron Kitchen is definitely a clever little restaurant. While offering the usual fare, it also offers Singaporean Indian food with a good dose of witticism – I mean, have you seen the chefs wearing aprons with captions “The Devil Eats Prata”! With a bold, almost Halloween-esque theme of orange and black, it is run by two Malaysian brothers who are always up for a chat. Aside from awesome food, we were really floored by the thoughtful incorporation of a kids play area, making Sunday family Lunches a little less frazzled! 
Chutney Mary – Savour street food from across India in the East
Hustling you down to Siglap, Chutney Mary aspires to bring authentic street food from cities across India into a restaurant setting. Here you can experience all sorts of chaats, from Kolkata pani puris to Jaipur’s paapri chaats. For those who love their meats, Chutney Mary has a wide selection of kebabs and tandoori dishes.
For the ones in the further easties, you can find them in Changi Airport as well.
Indian Wok
As the name suggests, Indian Wok is a restaurant that serves Indian Chinese fusion cuisine. The Indianization of Chinese cuisine happened with the Hakka people who moved to India centuries ago. Indian Wok has a wide spread of dishes that can be enjoyed in their cosy ambience.
Indian Curry House
Indian Curry House focuses on Indian curries and Tandoor items from across India. They have a wide selction of over 100 dishes. Started in 2008, the Indian Curry House has quickly expanded into 2 other locations in Singapore Expo and at Bukit Timah. Definitely a place to check out if you want a wide selection of curries.
Mayura Cuisine
Mayura Cuisine has been serving Indian Chinese food for over 20 years. Mayura prides itself in serving up the best in Indian and Asian cuisines. The restaurant has interesting fusion dishes like vegetarian chicken in satay sauce. Its popularity has spun off a highly successful event catering arm as well – Mayura Catering.
Chat Masala
Chat Masala is a place where you can spot local football legend V. Sundramoorthy. Run by Sundramoorthy’s wife, Chat Masala has been at its location for over 14 years. The restaurant has a quiet ambience and is famed for its Mysore Mutton and Keralan fish curry.
Kinara
The Kinara Group has restaurants dotted across the island. It has been a mainstay in the Indian restaurant scene for a long time. Since, Kinara means coast/river side in Hindi, it was only appropriate that they would have a restaurant in East Coast. The ambience here is great for a family dinners. View the full listing at Kinara at East Coast! There you have it – the entire selection of Indian restaurants in East Coast! The great thing about the East is that you can walk off the calories with a stroll along the beach.
