Best Bengali Food & Restaurants in Singapore | Homejourney Guide

The best way to experience authentic Best Food and Restaurants in Bengali Food and Cuisine in Singapore is to focus on a handful of trusted Bengali and Bangladesh cuisine specialists that are consistent, transparent about ingredients, and highly rated by the local Bengali community. In this guide, Homejourney highlights the most reliable places for hilsa fish, biryani, Dhaka-style street food and sweets, plus insider tips on how this food culture connects with neighbourhood choice and long‑term living in Singapore.

This cluster article supports our main pillar guide on international food and lifestyle for Singapore property seekers, and is designed for travellers, expats and investors comparing Singapore with Bangladesh and the wider region. For a broader overview of Bengali food in Singapore, see Bengali Food & Bangladesh Cuisine Guide in Singapore | Homejourney .

Why Bengali Food Matters When You’re Choosing Where to Live

For many Bangladeshi and Bengali families, access to familiar food is a non‑negotiable part of settling in a new city. In Singapore, Bengali food clusters naturally around central, eastern and migrant‑worker districts, and this often lines up with popular rental areas and HDB resale hotspots.

From my own experience living along the East–West MRT line, weekend queues for mutton kosha and fish fry at Bengali restaurants are a good proxy for where Bengali communities actually live, work and worship. If you want to feel at home quickly, staying within 10–15 minutes’ walk of these eateries can matter just as much as being near an MRT or a good primary school.

Quick Snapshot: Where to Find the Best Bengali Food in Singapore

CBD / Tanjong Pagar: Aapon – refined Kolkata‑style dishes and slow‑cooked kosha mangsho.[2]
Little India / Serangoon Road belt: Mustard – Singapore’s first dedicated Bengali–Punjabi restaurant with classic Bengali fish curries and biryani.[5][1]
Central / City fringe (Farrer Park / Race Course Road): Kolkata Beckons – Bangla bhoj style thalis and hilsa (ilish maach) when in season.[3][6]
East Coast / Siglap: Bangla Bondhu – homely, delivery‑friendly Bengali food, with well‑reviewed snacks and street‑food favourites.[4][7]

Key Bengali Dishes to Try in Singapore

Even if you are new to Bengali food and Bangladesh cuisine, there are a few anchor dishes you should prioritise. These appear again and again on menus across Aapon, Mustard, Kolkata Beckons and Bangla Bondhu, and are reliable benchmarks for quality.

1. Hilsa Fish (Ilish Maach)

Hilsa is the most iconic fish in Bengali cuisine – rich, oily and famously bony, usually steamed or simmered in mustard gravy. Many Bengali restaurants in Singapore import frozen hilsa and serve it as a seasonal special; you’ll often see it listed as ilish maach or hilsa in mustard sauce on tasting menus and Bangla bhoj sets at places like Kolkata Beckons.[3]

Insider tip: Call ahead if hilsa is crucial to your visit. Stocks vary based on import cycles and festivals like Pohela Boishakh; some restaurants only offer it on weekends or require pre‑booking.

2. Biryani – Kolkata & Dhaka Styles

Unlike Hyderabad or Lucknow, Bengali biryani often carries a subtle sweetness from fried onions and may include a whole potato along with mutton or chicken. Mustard and Kolkata Beckons both serve Mughal‑influenced biryanis; Kolkata Beckons highlights its Moghul biryani as a signature, reflecting Kolkata’s own biryani heritage.[3][5]

What to look for: Long‑grain basmati, a clear fragrance of ghee and whole spices, and rice grains that separate easily without being dry. A decent single portion in Singapore typically ranges from S$14 to S$26 in Bengali‑focused restaurants.[1][3]

3. Dhaka‑Style Street Food

For a taste of street food Dhaka in Singapore, look for snacks such as Bengali singara (a lighter, flakier cousin of the samosa), beetroot or mochar chops, cutlets and papad at homely outlets like Bangla Bondhu.[4] These echo Dhaka’s street‑side culture of deep‑fried snacks with tangy sauces.

Insider tip: In the East, Bangla Bondhu’s snack boxes are popular for weekend gatherings; order slightly before mealtime peaks (around 6–7 pm) because popular items like chicken cutlet and fish fry can sell out according to regulars.[4][7]

4. Slow‑Cooked Meat Curries

Mutton or goat kosha mangsho is often the dish locals use to judge if a Bengali restaurant is serious. Aapon’s kosha mangsho, slow‑cooked Kolkata‑style and served with basanti pulao, is specifically highlighted as its must‑try signature.[2] Mustard and Bangla Bondhu both offer their own versions of mutton kosha as well.[4][5]

5. Bengali Sweets

Many Bengali restaurants in Singapore carry at least a small dessert list – from mishti doi (sweet yoghurt) to rasgulla and sandesh. Availability is less standardised than in Kolkata or Dhaka, but festival periods (Durga Puja, Diwali, Pohela Boishakh) are the best time to find a wide range of sweets and special dessert platters.

Restaurant‑by‑Restaurant Guide: Where to Eat Bengali Food in Singapore

Aapon – Authentic Bengali in the CBD

Best for: Office lunches, business dinners, and expats working in Tanjong Pagar who want refined Bengali flavours close to Grade‑A offices.

According to Time Out, Aapon in the CBD was created by Chef‑owner Chinmoy Ghose to introduce authentic Bengali cuisine to Singapore, staying faithful to family recipes from Kolkata.[2] The three‑storey space is described as fine‑dining but homely, offering dishes like Phulkora Singara (their Bengali samosa), kosha mangsho and basanti pulao.[2]

Practical tips (approximate, subject to change):

Location: Within walking distance of Tanjong Pagar MRT (3–7 minutes depending on exit).
Price range: Expect around S$25–S$40 per person for a main, side and drink at lunch; more for full dinners.
Best time to go: Weekday lunches can fill up with CBD workers – reservations are advisable for groups.

Neighbourhood note for buyers: If you like being right in the CBD, nearby condo projects are popular with both investors and tenants; check current yields and transacted prices on Projects Directory and explore nearby listings via Property Search .

Mustard – Singapore’s First Bengali–Punjabi Specialist

Best for: First‑timers to Bengali food, mixed groups who also enjoy North Indian dishes, and tourists staying near Little India.

Mustard, near Little India, explicitly brands itself as Singapore’s first and only Bengali & Punjabi restaurant, highlighting mustard as the ingredient that ties the two cuisines together.[5] Opened in 2005, it has become a comfort‑food destination for regulars and tourists, and has been recognised in Indian‑restaurant round‑ups in Singapore for its Bengali fish curry, prawn malai curry and mutton kosha.[5][1]

Practical tips:

Location: Walking distance from Little India or Farrer Park MRT (roughly 5–10 minutes on foot).
Price range: Mains typically start around the high‑teens to low‑20s in Singapore dollars.[1][5]
Good to know: Portions are generous; sharing 3–4 dishes among 2 people is usually enough.

Neighbourhood note: Little India and Farrer Park are established rental belts with both HDB and private options, popular among South Asian expats. Track upcoming launches and resale data at Projects before committing to a long lease in this area.