Quick answer: The standout Boat Quay restaurants right now are Southbridge for rooftop seafood and gin, Sonny’s Pizza for proper New York slices, O Chicken & Beer for Korean chimaek, Lumo for smoky European small plates, Vespetta for rich Italian comfort, Eat Sum Thing for creative tapas and natural wine, and Suishin Izakaya for charcoal-grilled yakitori and sake. Each one fills a different kind of hungry – pick based on the night you really want.
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How to choose
Boat Quay isn’t one vibe – it swings from quiet rooftop escapes to buzzing tapas bars by the water. Ask yourself what kind of evening you’re after. If you want a view with your drink, Southbridge or Eat Sum Thing give you the river without the squeeze. For a casual lunch or quick dinner that still tastes like someone gave a damn, Sonny’s and O Chicken & Beer deliver solid, affordable plates. Bigger appetites and family-style sharing land at Vespetta, where the Wagyu Lasagna doesn’t hold back. Lumo and Suishin suit the slightly adventurous – one leans European grill, the other a calm izakaya that takes its sake seriously. Prices range from $9 slices to $23 oyster platters, so there’s room for both a low-key Tuesday and a splurge.
If you’ve been to Restaurants in Robertson Quay and liked that stretch, Boat Quay has a more old-world, heritage feel. For those who enjoy Japanese fare, our guide to Local Restaurants in Singapore includes a few izakayas that remind us of Suishin’s honest approach.
Southbridge
Up on the rooftop of level five at 80 Boat Quay, Southbridge is where you go when you want the river to feel like a private cinema screen. The open-air bar specialises in fresh oysters – six pieces for $23++ – and an army of gin cocktails, with house pours starting at $12++. Happy hour turns the already quiet perch into a proper hideaway.
It’s open daily from 5pm to midnight, so time your arrival for the sunset and let the city lights do the rest. Bring a date you actually want to talk to, or a small group of friends who’d rather be tucked away than fighting the crowd downstairs. There’s no loud music, just the clink of glasses and the occasional boat gliding past.
Address: 80 Boat Quay, Rooftop, Level 5, Singapore 049868
Phone: +65 6877 6965
Hours: Daily 5pm – 12am
Damage: Oysters $23++ for six, spirits from $12++
Southbridge
Sonny’s Pizza
Sonny’s sits at 17 Circular Road and runs on New York attitude – by-the-slice pies built with ridiculous attention to detail. The GM slice (bacon, béchamel, $9+) is the one regulars swear by, but the Saigon Stunner – fish sauce marinara, hot honey – is the kind of curveball you didn’t know you needed. A 12-inch whole pie sets you back $26.
It’s the right call when lunch should be quick and still make you pause mid-bite. Open Tuesday to Thursday 12.30pm–10.30pm, Friday till midnight, Saturday 1.30pm–midnight, closed Sundays and Mondays. Grab a stool, fold a slice, and don’t skip the hot honey.
This round-up is editorial. Suggestions are welcome – tell us what you offer and where.
If pizza by the water is your thing, you might also like what’s happening at Restaurants on Club Street in Singapore, where a few casual joints do their own take on Italian comfort.
Address: 17 Circular Road, Singapore 049373
Phone: +65 9822 4825
Hours: Tue–Thu 12.30pm–10.30pm, Fri 12.30pm–12am, Sat 1.30pm–12am, closed Sun & Mon
Damage: Slices from $9+, whole 12” pizzas from $26
Sonny’s Pizza
O Chicken & Beer
Run by Korean expats who clearly understand crispiness, O Chicken & Beer at 56 Boat Quay does chimaek the way it’s meant to be: fried chicken that shatters under your teeth, and cold beers or soju to wash it down. Varieties range from original and soy sauce to spicy Yam Nyung, with boneless options if you’re lazy about bones. The menu also swings into Jajangmyeon and Japchae territory.
Lunch service Monday to Friday 11.30am–2.30pm, then dinner 5.30pm–11pm; Saturdays only dinner from 5pm; closed Sundays. It’s the natural spot for after-work venting with your kaki – loud enough to feel alive, small enough to still be a conversation.
Address: 56 Boat Quay, Singapore 049845
Phone: +65 8673 0526
Hours: Mon–Fri 11.30am–2.30pm & 5.30pm–11pm, Sat 5pm–11pm, closed Sun
Damage: Fried chicken from about $20, soju and Korean beer available
O Chicken & Beer
Lumo
Lumo occupies a shophouse unit at 50 South Bridge Road with an open kitchen that puts the charcoal grill centre stage. The menu reads like a European sketchbook: Fresh Organic Blue Mussels with ciabatta at $15++, Grilled Chicken Heart with roasted garlic and chimichurri at $10++. Cocktails come from a bar team that knows its craft, and the river is a two-minute wander away.
Hours are Tuesday to Thursday 12pm–3pm and 5pm–12am, Friday to 1am, Saturday 6pm–1am, Sunday 6pm–10.30pm, closed Mondays. It suits the kind of night where you want to try things – a few small plates, a drink that surprises you, the sound of the grill keeping the room warm.
Address: 50 South Bridge Road, #01-00, Singapore 058682
Phone: +65 8921 3818
Hours: Tue–Thu 12pm–3pm & 5pm–12am, Fri 12pm–3pm & 5pm–1am, Sat 6pm–1am, Sun 6pm–10.30pm, closed Mon
Damage: Small plates $10++–$15++, cocktails around $20++
Lumo
Vespetta Italian Restaurant
Vespetta on 40 Boat Quay channels southern Italian home cooking, no shyness about portions. The Wagyu Lasagna arrives rich and bubbling, the Risotto with seafood and asparagus tastes of the coast, and the Super Calzone is the kind of oversized, stuffed thing that makes you pat your belly afterwards. It’s heritage-style comfort without getting too atas.
Open Monday to Saturday for lunch 12pm–3pm and dinner 5.30pm–11pm, closed Sundays. Bring the family, or anyone who believes a meal isn’t over until you’ve loosened the belt. The shophouse setting along the river just adds to the feeling that you’ve stumbled into a nonna’s Sunday kitchen, only with air-con and a proper wine list.
Address: 40 Boat Quay, Singapore 049829
Phone: +65 3135 1374
Hours: Mon–Sat 12pm–3pm & 5.30pm–11pm, closed Sun
Damage: Mains roughly $20–$35
Vespetta Italian Restaurant
Eat Sum Thing
Right on the ground floor at 66 Boat Quay, Eat Sum Thing is the tapas bar born from nightlife heads – so you know the playlist and the energy are part of the deal. “Small things” like Mac and Cheese Balls lead into “big things” like Grilled Chicken with Cauliflower and Zucchini, all flanked by craft beers, natural wines, and sake. It’s the kind of place where you keep ordering one more plate because the conversation is too good to leave.
Open Tuesday to Saturday 5pm–midnight, closed Sundays and Mondays. It works for a pre-game hangout or a late bite when you don’t want to commit to a full dinner. If you like the idea of supper with art and music woven in, this one clicks.
Address: Level 1, 66 Boat Quay, Singapore 049854
Phone: +65 9667 9424
Hours: Tue–Sat 5pm–12am, closed Sun & Mon
Damage: Tapas plates roughly $10–$20, drinks from $12
Eat Sum Thing
Suishin Izakaya & Sake Bar
Suishin at 30 Boat Quay takes the izakaya template and adds river breeze. Charcoal-grilled yakitori skewers, sushi, and sashimi form the backbone, with a sake list deep enough to keep you curious all evening. It’s lunch-ready Monday to Thursday 11.30am–3pm and 6pm–11pm, and open continuously Friday to Sunday from 11.30am to 11pm, so weekend afternoons are fair game too.
This is the place for a quiet unwind – you and a couple of good friends, a few skewers, a flask of sake, and the conversation rolling as slowly as the river. No website listed, so best to call ahead or just show up and chope a table by the window.
Address: 30 Boat Quay, Singapore 049819
Phone: +65 6532 6283
Hours: Mon–Thu 11.30am–3pm & 6pm–11pm, Fri–Sun 11.30am–11pm
Damage: Check with the business
Website: Check with the business
How to choose
Think about the mood first. Southbridge and Eat Sum Thing give you the river view but take different paths – one is quiet and romantic, the other artsy and buzzy. Sonny’s and O Chicken & Beer are your lower-damage, high-satisfaction picks when you just want a meal that hits the spot without a booking drama. Vespetta delivers big, warm Italian plates if you’re feeding a group or craving something that feels like a reward. Lumo and Suishin require a bit more curiosity – small plates, grill smoke, and sake pairings reward the diner who likes to explore.
For those who love Japanese but want more variety, our South Indian Restaurants in Singapore guide has a completely different spice journey, but the sense of honest, no-fuss cooking overlaps. And if you’re planning a full day out, consider swinging by Restaurants in Raffles City before heading to Boat Quay in the evening.
| Restaurant | Cuisine | Must-Try | Price Signal | Hours | Good For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southbridge | Seafood & Cocktails | Oysters ($23++/6) | $$$ | Daily 5pm–12am | Date night, sunset drinks |
| Sonny’s Pizza | New York Pizza | GM Slice ($9+) | $–$$ | Tue–Thu 12.30pm–10.30pm, Fri–Sat late, closed Sun–Mon | Quick lunch, casual dinner |
| O Chicken & Beer | Korean | Fried Chicken (Soy Sauce) | $–$$ | Mon–Sat lunch & dinner, closed Sun | After-work groups, comfort food |
| Lumo | Modern European | Grilled Chicken Heart ($10++) | $$$ | Tue–Sun lunch/dinner, closed Mon | Adventurous plates, cocktails |
| Vespetta | Italian | Wagyu Lasagna | $$–$$$ | Mon–Sat lunch/dinner, closed Sun | Family dinners, big portions |
| Eat Sum Thing | Tapas & Bar | Mac and Cheese Balls | $$ | Tue–Sat 5pm–12am, closed Sun–Mon | Music, art, small plates |
| Suishin Izakaya | Japanese Izakaya | Yakitori Skewers | $$ | Mon–Thu 11.30am–3pm, 6pm–11pm; Fri–Sun 11.30am–11pm | Sake, quiet unwind |
Summary
Boat Quay’s restaurant line-up covers everything from a rooftop oyster escapade to a no-nonsense slice of pizza. Whether it’s the Korean fried chicken you’ve been thinking about all week or a quiet izakaya with good sake, there’s a table here for the kind of evening you actually want. Pick your spot, bring the right people, and let the river do the rest.
This round-up is editorial. Suggestions are welcome – tell us what you offer and where.
Disclaimer: All information provided has been compiled from publicly available sources. While we have made every effort to ensure accuracy, details can change. Confirm directly with the business before making plans, and let us know if something needs updating.
Frequently asked questions
Which Boat Quay restaurant has the best view?
Southbridge’s rooftop on level five gives you an unobstructed river panorama without the street-level foot traffic. Eat Sum Thing also sits right by the water on the ground floor, so you’re practically on the river.
Are there affordable options at Boat Quay?
Yes. Sonny’s Pizza sells slices from S$9+ and whole pizzas from S$26. O Chicken & Beer’s fried chicken and soju combos are reasonably priced, and many spots run happy hour deals.
Can I find Korean food at Boat Quay?
O Chicken & Beer at 56 Boat Quay specialises in Korean fried chicken, jajangmyeon, japchae, and soju. It’s run by Korean expats and open most weekdays for lunch and dinner, Saturdays for dinner only.
Which Boat Quay restaurant is good for a date?
Southbridge is a classic choice for a quiet, romantic evening with rooftop views. Lumo, with its open kitchen and creative small plates, also sets a cosy, modern mood.
Do I need to make a reservation?
It’s wise for evening dining, especially on weekends. Southbridge, Lumo, and Eat Sum Thing fill up fast; Sonny’s Pizza and O Chicken & Beer are more walk-in friendly. Call ahead if you want a specific spot.
Is there a Japanese restaurant in Boat Quay?
Suishin Izakaya & Sake Bar at 30 Boat Quay serves sushi, sashimi, charcoal yakitori, and a broad sake list. It has both lunch and dinner hours and opens all day from Friday to Sunday.
