Singapore Little Black Book

Area guide
Dempsey Hill
Go here for... Cafés, bars, restaurants, gourmet food shops,
art galleries, antiques and colonial chic
Dempsey Hill
Tucked away near the Botanic Gardens and just a few minutes from Orchard Road,
Dempsey Hill served as the British army barracks in colonial times and more recently
as a base for the local military. These days, however, the refurbished enclave is filled
with tropical trees and hosts some of the city’s top restaurants, cafés and galleries.
The lush green setting is great for a relaxing weekend brunch. Stop by PS.Café 1
(28B Harding Rd, +65 9070 8782, pscafe.com) and enjoy traditional eggs Benedict
or their signature Brunch Burger, topped with Camembert, while overlooking the leafy
environs. Another early-afternoon weekend dining option can be found over at House
2 (8D Dempsey Rd, +65 6475 7787, www.dempseyhouse.com). Try the Asian sliders
made with pork belly in steamed buns.
All of this can be followed by some serious unwinding right upstairs at Beauty
Emporium 3 (Blk 8D, Lvl 2, Dempsey Rd, +65 6479 0070, www.spa-esprit.com). The
spa pays tribute to its charmingly verdant surroundings with a wide range of signature
treatments that pluck their ingredients straight from the hand of Mother Nature.
Gourmet grocery shopping can also take place in this neck of the woods. Shop for
freshly ground coffee, organic ingredients from around the world or wander into the
chilled cheese room at Jones the Grocer 4 (Blk 9, #01-12 Dempsey Rd, +65 6476
1512, jonesthegrocer.com). A few blocks down, top cuts of meat and sausages are
on display at Huber’s Butchery 5 (18A Dempsey Rd, +65 6737 1588, hubers.com.
sg). Both spots have great lunch specials.
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Qu
RedDot Brewhouse
Commonwealth
Dempsey Hill
Dempsey Rd
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10
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13
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9
Dempsey Rd
Dempsey Rd
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Dempsey Rd
1
Loewen Rd
Don’t miss...
Tippling Club
Rd
Tippling Club 13 (8D Dempsey Rd,
+65 6475 2217, www.tipplingclub.
com), offering modern five-, ten-
and 15-course dinner menus that
match cocktails to dishes.
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5
8
8
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10 11
Harding Rd
Dempsey is filled with antique shops that offer furniture, masks and trinkets from
around the region and throughout China. Woody Antique House 6 (Blk 13, #01-05
Dempsey Rd, +65 6471 1770, www.woodyantique.com) has old Chinese chests, Indian
doors and Burmese teakwood. Asiatique Collections 7 (Blk 14A, Dempsey Rd. +65
6471 3146, www.asiatiquecollections.com) handpicks modern and vintage jewellery,
homewares and art from around the world. Red Sea Gallery 8 (Block 9 Dempsey Rd,
+65 6732 6711, www.redseagallery.com) showcases ceramics, sculptures, paintings
and glass works from Vietnam, Indonesia, India and New Zealand.
As the sun begins to set on the Hill, winers and diners pour into the
neighbourhood. As well as the Tippling Club, stand-out restaurants include;
Pamplemousse 9 (Blk 7, Dempsey Rd, #01-04, +65 6475 0080, www.
pamplemousse.com.sg), with its experimental Asian twists on classic European
dishes; and the Disgruntled Chef 10 (26B Dempsey Rd, +65 6476 5305, www.
disgruntledchef.com), where creative cocktails can be paired with small dishes like
the crispy lamb short-ribs.
Stick around for live music at CM-PB 11 (Blk 7, Dempsey Rd, #01-05, +65 6475
0105, www.cm-pb.net) – the acronym stands for Contemporary Melting-Pot & Bar; or
share a tower of the Monster Green Lager at RedDot Brewhouse 12 (25A Dempsey
Rd, #01-01, +65 6475 0500, www.reddotbrewhouse.com.sg), Singapore’s first local
microbrewery, where acoustic acts perform regularly.
15
Holland Rd
Ryan Clift,
Tippling Club
Asiatique Collections
Tanglin Rd