Singapore is an island nation at the southern tip of the Malay peninsula.
Where to stay
Hotel 1929 50 Keong Saik St., Chinatown
011-65-6327-1929
This 29-room boutique hotel has moderate prices and tiny but ultra-stylish rooms, each with its own vintage designer chair, flat-screen TV, and a great location at the heart of Chinatown near the subway. Doubles from $65.
Ritz-Carlton Millenia7 Raffles Ave., Marina
011-65-6337-8888
If nothing but the best will do, try this swish and modernist hotel overlooking the Marina. Rooms are large, touched with local art and blonde wood, and have enormous bathrooms with octagonal windows that offer views toward the city and Indonesian islands all at once. Doubles from $218.
Where to eat
Oso Restaurant
27 Tanjong Pagar Road
011-65-6327-8378
It's hard to decide who is more of a drawing card here: chef-owner Diego Chiarini and his robust takes on Italian trattoria cooking, or general manager-owner Stephane Colleoni and his smooth team of servers and wine stewards. Entrees 18-$50.
Restaurant EmberHotel 1929, 50 Keong Saik Road
011-65-6347-1928
This tiny, black wood-floored restaurant is popular for chef-owner Sebastian Ng's cooking. Entrees $12-$20.
JadeThe Fullerton
1 Fullerton Square
011-65-6877-8188
Chef Sam Leong, though no longer always in the kitchen, is still firmly holding the rudder of this contemporary Singaporean-Chinese which he made famous with dishes such as cocoa ribs. Entrees $40-$52.
Saint Pierre the Restaurant
3 Magazine Road, Central Mall
011-65-6438-0887
Emmanuel Stroobant is among the most creative chefs in Southeast Asia and his dining room, overseen by his wife, has casually excellent service and great wines. His food is French-Japanese with homey, contemporary touches. Entrees $16-$40.
San MarcoThe Fullerton, Level 8
1 Fullerton Square
011-65-6438-4404
Another Stroobant venture, but atop the Fullerton hotel in what was once a lighthouse. Here, a protege delivers modern French takes on Italian cuisine with fewer than two dozen seats, frosted glass walls, and sweeping views. Entrees $16-$35.
What to do
The Arts House1 Old Parliament Lane
011-65-6332-6900
This thoughtful revamp of a landmark colonial government building is an example of Singapore's desire to reinvent itself as an arts hub. For the architecture alone, it is worth wandering, but it also contains a great series of stores, galleries, performance spaces, and cafes.
Esplanade Theatres on the BayMarina Bay
011-65-6828-8389
The city-state's millennial answer to the Sydney Opera House is not one, but two enormous green glass-and-steel domes that sit right on the Marina. By day, they resemble prickly durian or bug eyes; by night, as the lights come on, their harsh facade melts away into a warm, jade-colored, and very textured whole. Inside is a library, smart cafe, tiny mall, and theater for opera, Broadway shows, and more. Views from the rooftop and walks on the outside esplanade are a must.
