Duxton is part of the larger Tanjong Pagar neighbourhood, which everybody knows is home to a whole slew of restaurants, cafes, and other food options bound to leave you with a satisfied stomach.
But we have noticed the smaller Duxton areas don't get as much love as its surrounding vicinity, so we decided to shine the spotlight on Duxton and show this quaint part of Tanjong Pagar some love.
Excited to find out more about what Duxton has to offer? Let’s get started.
Explore Duxton Hill
Duxton Hill is one part of the neighbourhood you might be tempted to skip if you don’t know what it promises, but don’t be so quick to pass up on this little area.
Lined with vibrantly coloured shophouses, Duxton Hill offers a myriad of upscale restaurants and trendy cafes.
Although Duxton Hill arguably deserves a whole standalone feature, we will just give a brief rundown of what you can expect here for now.
Take a walk through Duxton Hill and you’ll find yourself spoilt for choice when it comes to picking a place for lunch.
If you can’t decide where to go for lunch, why not try HUSK Nasi Lemak? Its name says it all, and this eatery prides themselves on using high quality ingredients in all their dishes. HUSK’s Nasi Lemak is delivered with a modern twist, using only the freshest ingredients that are sourced on a daily basis.
With the variety of worldly cuisines that Duxton Hill’s restaurants have to offer, which range from Japanese and French to Spanish and Italian, you’re bound to find something that’ll appeal to your palate.
Duxton Hill
Opening Hours: Varies across stores
Grab a bite at a hipster food court: Essen
Although food courts are in abundance in Singapore, it’s not every day that you come across a “hipster” one. For one, Essen @ The Pinnacle looks nothing like your regular food court. With dark brown wooden tables and black metal chairs, the place is more reminiscent of a hip cafe or laidback bar.
Essen is home to a total of six food stalls and a drink bar, and offers a variety of cuisines for you to choose from. Enjoy a hearty plate of Indian lamb biryani, some Chinese dim sum, a comforting bowl of Vietnamese beef noodles, an Italian pizza, and more. Let’s face it: the best part of dining in a food court (or hawker centre) is the fact that you don’t have to settle on ordering from just one stall, so don’t hold yourself back.
Essen @ The Pinnacle
Address: 1 Cantonment Rd, #01-01, Singapore 080001
Opening Hours: Daily from 11am–10:30pm
Contact: 6727 6068
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Taste 33 years of tradition: Ji Xiang Ang Ku Kueh
Nestled under a Housing Development Board (HDB) flat is a humble store famous for their hand-made ang ku kueh, opened by a husband and wife duo in 1988.
Ang ku kueh (Hokkien for “red tortoise cake”) is a soft, sticky pastry with trademark red skin made of glutinous rice flour and a sweet filling. This nonya delicacy is commonly spotted during Lunar New Year or a baby’s full-month celebration, as the Chinese believe ang ku kuehs are a symbol of longevity, prosperity and wealth.
Apart from selling traditional flavours (peanut and sweet bean paste), Ji Xiang also offers various unique flavours such as coconut, yam, corn, salted bean, and occasional special flavours to cater to their expanding customer base. At just $1 per piece, this is one sweet treat you have to try when you’re in the area.
Ji Xiang Ang Ku Kueh (Everton Park)
Address: Block 1, Everton Park, #01-33, Singapore 081001
Opening Hours: Monday–Saturday, 8:30am–5pm
Contact: 6223 1631 / 9270 0510
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Have some burgers and fries: Shake Shack
For Shake Shack fans, this one probably isn’t news to you. The burger chain’s second Singapore outlet is located just a stone’s throw away from Duxton Hill.
Unlike its mall counterparts, this outlet is located in the middle of a neighbourhood. While the outlet may see longer lines during the weekends, queues are generally shorter during the weekdays. All the more reason why you should head down to this outlet to munch on your favourite burgers, fries, shakes and concretes.
On your way to Shake Shack, keep an eye out for this massive multicoloured mural located on the back wall of the restaurant. Painted by local artist Sam Lo, the piece is titled “Community” and features elements and symbols found in the neighbourhood.
Here’s a fun little activity for you while you’re there: see how many burgers can you spot on the mural.
Shake Shack Singapore (89 Neil Road)
Address: 89 Neil Road, #01-01, Singapore 088849
Opening Hours: Sunday–Thursday, 11am–10pm
Friday & Saturday, 11am–10:30pm
Website | Facebook | Instagram
Chow down on some high-grade unagi: Man Man Japanese Unagi Restaurant
If you’re not familiar with the Duxton area, then this restaurant probably hasn’t been on your radar — unless you’re a fan of unagi (Japanese freshwater eel).
Man Man Japanese Unagi Restaurant specialises in hitsumabushi, a specialty dish from Japan’s Nagoya city that consists of eel grilled in a savoury sweet sauce, accompanied with steamed rice and a variety of garnishes and sauces.
There are three ways to eat hitsumabushi: as it is with the rice and garnishes; pairing it with the sauces, shimichi (Japanese spice mix), and some fresh wasabi (that you get to grate yourself); and lastly, by adding dashi stock to a bowl with your unagi and rice.
While dishes here are on the pricier side (the cheapest unagi item on the menu will set you back about $26+), you can be assured that what you’re getting here is the real deal because the restaurant only uses freshwater eels imported directly from Japan in their dishes.
Man Man Japanese Unagi Restaurant
Address: 1 Keong Saik Road, #01-01, Singapore 089109
Opening Hours: Monday–Saturday from 11am–1:45pm, 5pm–7:45pm
Contact: 6222 0678
Get lost in an indie bookstore: Littered With Books
Constantly on the search for the next good book to read? Drop by Littered With Books, an independent bookstore that spans across two floors, and stocks a range of titles from different genres.
Throughout the store, you’ll find little handwritten notes pasted on the shelves, which introduces you to a story or a quote from a book. We think that’s what makes browsing in this bookstore so fun and enjoyable — being able to see what someone else has loved about a book before deciding to commit to it sure makes the purchasing process a lot less worrisome.
Littered With Books
Address: 20 Duxton Road, Singapore 089486
Opening Hours: Daily from 12pm–8pm
Contact: 6220 6824
Work up a sweat: Yan Kit Playfield
Standing on the site of the former Yan Kit Swimming Complex is the relatively new Yan Kit Playfield. This open-air community sports facility only opened its doors back in 2019, so you can be sure that the facilities here are still as good as new.
Whether you’re looking for a place to crush your fitness goals or have some harmless fun, Yan Kit Playfield has you covered. This playfield is free for all to use, boasting a wide variety of amenities including a multi-purpose court, a fitness corner, a jogging track, an open lawn, and so much more.
Yan Kit Playfield
Address: 17 Yan Kit Road, Singapore 088268
Opening Hours: 24 hours daily
Admire the sunset from 50 floors up
Looking for a place to wind down and catch the sunset after a day of exploring the Duxton area? We know just the perfect spot: the rooftop garden located at The Pinnacle@Duxton’s 50th floor.
The Pinnacle@Duxton is a residential building comprising seven blocks linked together by two sky gardens. The garden on the 50th floor is accessible to the public, at a small fee of $5.
Contrary to popular belief, this residential development is not actually a condominium, but a HDB flat — making it the tallest public housing development in the world. Take a leisurely stroll among the other skyscrapers in the ‘hood, or take a seat on one of the many resting areas, while you watch the sun make way for the moon.
Pro-tip: if you know someone who’s a resident here, try asking them if they’ll be open to lending you their access card, which allows you to enter the rooftop garden for free.
The Pinnacle@Duxton Sky Garden (50th Floor)
Address: 1 Cantonment Road, Singapore 080001
Opening Hours: Daily from 9am–10pm
Ready to explore the gem that is Duxton? Make sure you bring a few of your good friends along — with the amount of food options available here, you’ll definitely need more than one other person to share all that good food with.
