January brings a fresh wave of openings and reimagined menus across Singapore’s dining scene. Missed our November edition? Catch up on what opened before the year-end rush.
This month’s roundup of new restaurants, cafes, and bars that just opened in Singapore spans experimental sushi counters and suburban mall debuts, alongside menu launches that signal shifts in direction for established names.
From Duxton Road’s agave and rice spirit education to a northern neighbourhood finally getting its dining moment, these are the spots that have landed on our radar and our bucket list to visit.
Jellyfish Sushi
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Bjorn Shen’s latest project is a ten-seat counter tucked within Artichoke at New Bahru, spinning off from his experimental Small’s concept.
Jellyfish takes the idea of “bread sushi” and pushes it further, sushi-like in spirit but unbound by tradition. The up-to-12-course menu ($165) shifts every few months, exploring different cultural angles while keeping fish central. Think shime saba with stracciatella on chewy toast, sea urchin with scrambled eggs and parmesan on charred bread, or risotto sushi that bends Italian into Japanese.
Led by Mathew Woon (Artichoke’s head chef) and Fernando Tendean (Baba G’s Pizza Place), it’s precise, restrained cooking with minimal heat; curing, seasoning, light searing and a curiosity about what sushi can become.
Address: 46 Kim Yam Road, #01-02 New Bahru, Singapore 239351
Lentor Modern
The new 90,000-square-foot Lentor Modern mall opened in January, integrated directly with Lentor MRT station and bringing a curated dining scene to the northern suburbs.
Among the F&B lineup are three new-to-market concepts: Nolita, serving Italian techniques with Japanese ingredients like uni tartufo with lobster; Bunny’s, a playful burger spot specialising in Tokyo-style patties; and MERLE & CO, a Korean-inspired, plant-based cafe.
There’s also Omote: Special Edition with an outlet-exclusive menu of shareable Japanese dishes, and Ssada Gimbab, Korea’s popular gimbab chain making its Singapore debut. Familiar names like A Hot Hideout’s Singaporean-style mala and Tim Hortons round out the mix.
Address: 15 Lentor Street, Singapore 787498
Elephant Grounds
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Hong Kong’s beloved cafe concept has landed in Singapore at Guoco Midtown, bringing its roastery, bakery, and restaurant approach to Beach Road.
What started as a coffee kiosk in 2013 has grown into a regional presence known for house-roasted specialty coffee and thoughtfully crafted menus that balance precision with ease.
The Singapore outpost reflects the city’s maturing cafe culture. Open daily from 8am to 8pm, it’s design-driven but relaxed, the kind of place that works equally well for a morning flat white or a longer meal that extends into the afternoon.
Address: Guoco Midtown I, Unit 01-04, Singapore 189771
AMI Patisserie
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Chef Makoto Arami, the La Liste’s 2025 Pastry Talent of the Year, has rolled out a winter Chef’s Table Discovery Experience ($118++) at his intimate nine-seat Tsudoi Dining Room. The six-course menu flips the script on fine dining by leading with pastries, both sweet and savoury, finished à la minute.
Highlights include a savoury custard pudding topped with Hokkaido scallop and crab, Caramel Sweet Yaki (a takoyaki-inspired bite with Kagoshima sweet potato), and the Signature Choux filled with organic egg and caviar.
The savoury courses build toward Omi beef with potato “mille-feuille” before transitioning to desserts like Marble Dark Chocolate and Ichigo Blanc & Rose with Beni Hoppe strawberries. It closes with warabi mochi, a nod to Chef Makoto’s grandfather’s 1935 wagashi shop.
Address: 27 Scotts Road, Singapore 228222
Cat Bite Club
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Cat Bite Club has revamped its menu for 2026, ditching the classics-focused format for something more exploratory. The new setup dedicates one page to agave spirits and another to rice spirits, with an option to add a small neat pour ($10) alongside your cocktail to taste the base spirit in its purest form.
It’s spirits education with a playful twist such as think Get The MSG? with chilli oil-washed mezcal and a beer float, or Ube Noir blending baijiu with black sesame and ube-coconut cream.
The bar also launched a Spirits Explorer Passport, inviting guests to log their way through Singapore’s largest collection of Mexican and Asian spirits across 200+ bottles, with perks for the committed.
Address: 75 Duxton Road, Singapore
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This article was first published in City Nomads.
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