Restaurant in Singapore, Singapore
Michelin value, spice on your terms.
A Michelin Bib Gourmand pick in Little India with easy booking and a $$ price point that makes the recognition feel like genuine value. Chef Kaesavan works across six flavour registers, with spice levels calibrated to order. The full moon Chilli Challenge draws a crowd, but midweek is when the kitchen shows what it can actually do.
Getting a table at Lagnaa is easier than at most Michelin-recognised restaurants in Singapore, which makes it one of the more accessible Bib Gourmand picks in the city. That low booking friction matters: you are not fighting a three-week waitlist for food that competes well above its $$ price point. If you are in Little India and want Indian cooking with genuine range, flavour complexity, and a bit of theatre, book it. The Chilli Challenge alone draws repeat visitors, but the reason Lagnaa has held its 2024 Michelin Bib Gourmand is the cooking itself.
Lagnaa occupies a three-storey shophouse on Upper Dickson Road in the heart of Little India. The ground floor runs conventional table seating; the upper floors shift to floor seating, which changes the mood considerably — looser, more communal, and noticeably quieter than the street-level room. If atmosphere matters to your group, ask for upstairs. The energy downstairs is lively during peak service, with the hum of a neighbourhood room that knows it has found its audience. It is not a quiet dinner; it is a participatory one.
Chef Kaesavan's approach is built on spice calibration rather than spice maximalism. Diners can specify their heat tolerance, and the kitchen adjusts accordingly. The full moon Chilli Challenge draws a specific crowd — people there to test limits, not to eat contemplatively , so if you want the flavours without the spectacle, avoid full moon nights or arrive early before the challenge crowd fills in. For explorers who want to understand what Indian cooking can do across the six flavour registers Kaesavan works with (spice, sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and astringent), a quieter midweek table is the better context.
Parties of two should look at the set menus, which give you a structured route through the kitchen's range without requiring individual dish literacy. Larger groups have more flexibility to order across the menu, but the set menus represent reasonable value at the $$ price tier and are a practical way to cover ground on a first visit.
Midweek evenings and early weekend sittings give you the full experience without the Chilli Challenge crowd. Full moon nights are worth experiencing once if the competitive eating format interests you, but they are not representative of what Lagnaa does leading. The ambient noise level rises considerably on those nights as the room fills with groups there for the event rather than the food. For first-timers, a Tuesday or Wednesday dinner gives you the neighbourhood feel, attentive service, and enough quiet to actually taste what the kitchen sends out.
Given Lagnaa's popularity and its accessible price point, the question of whether the food works off-premise is worth addressing directly. Indian curries and braised dishes generally hold well in transit, and Lagnaa's format , set menus, portioned dishes , is structurally suited to takeaway. However, the three-storey shophouse experience, the choice between floor and table seating, and the tableside spice calibration are all lost when you order to go. The atmosphere is a meaningful part of the value here, not incidental to it. If you are ordering delivery, you are paying for the flavour, not the room , and the flavour, at this price point, holds up. For the full case for Lagnaa, eat in.
Lagnaa holds a 2024 Michelin Bib Gourmand, which in Singapore's competitive dining context means the inspectors found it worth a detour for its price-to-quality ratio. The Google rating sits at 4.4 across 1,531 reviews , a volume that adds credibility to the score. At the $$ price tier, few Indian restaurants in Singapore carry both signals simultaneously.
Reservations: Easy to secure; walk-ins are often possible, though a booking is advisable for groups or weekend evenings. Budget: $$ , accessible pricing that makes the Michelin recognition feel like genuine value rather than an entry-level formality. Dress: No stated code; smart casual fits the shophouse setting without overthinking it. Getting There: Upper Dickson Road sits in Little India, within walking distance of Little India MRT (NE7/DT11). Group Size: Parties of two benefit most from the set menu structure; larger groups should book upstairs floor seating for the full atmosphere.
See the comparison section below for how Lagnaa sits against Singapore's wider dining field.
For more Indian options in Singapore, Anglo Indian (Shenton Way), Bhoomi, Mustard, and Muthu's Curry cover different registers of the cuisine at comparable or nearby price points. If your Singapore trip covers other cuisines, Les Amis sits at the leading of the French fine dining bracket for when budget is not the constraint. For the full picture, see our full Singapore restaurants guide, our Singapore hotels guide, our Singapore bars guide, our Singapore wineries guide, and our Singapore experiences guide.
If you are tracking Indian restaurants across the region, Chaat in Hong Kong, Haoma in Bangkok, and INDDEE in Bangkok sit at different points of the format and price spectrum. For higher-end Indian cooking in other cities, Trèsind Studio in Dubai, Opheem in Birmingham, Amaya in London, Avatara Restaurant in Dubai, and Benares in London provide useful reference points for what the cuisine looks like at the $$$–$$$$ tier.
For parties of two, yes. The set menus at Lagnaa give you structured coverage of Chef Kaesavan's approach to flavour layering across multiple registers, which is a better introduction than ordering piecemeal if you do not already know the menu. At the $$ price point, the value case is clear. If you want a more expansive tasting format, Trèsind Studio operates at a different tier and format, but within Singapore at $$ the set menu here is one of the stronger propositions.
Specify your spice tolerance when ordering , the kitchen adjusts, and this is not performative. Choose floor seating upstairs for a calmer atmosphere; the ground floor runs louder during busy service. Avoid full moon nights unless you are there specifically for the Chilli Challenge. The set menus are the leading starting point for two people. Little India MRT puts you within walking distance, and the neighbourhood is worth an hour before or after dinner.
Booking difficulty is low relative to its Michelin Bib Gourmand status. A few days' notice covers most weeknight visits. For weekend evenings or groups of four or more, book a week ahead to secure the seating configuration you want. Walk-ins work on quieter nights but are less reliable on weekends and full moon evenings when the Chilli Challenge brings in additional traffic.
Muthu's Curry is the most direct neighbourhood comparison , also in Little India, also at the $$ tier, with a strong track record on fish head curry specifically. Bhoomi takes a more contemporary approach to Indian cooking and suits a different kind of evening. Mustard works well if you want Bengali-focused cooking rather than the broader Indian format. Anglo Indian (Shenton Way) is worth considering if you want a more business-district setting.
It works better for a relaxed celebratory dinner than a formal one. The $$ price point and shophouse setting make it a good choice when the occasion calls for something memorable but not ceremonial , a birthday dinner for food-curious guests, or a first date where the conversation matters more than the formality. For a higher-stakes occasion where the room and service polish need to match the moment, Les Amis is the reference point at the leading of Singapore's formal dining tier. Lagnaa's Michelin recognition gives it enough credibility to feel considered without the price pressure.
At $$, Lagnaa is one of the stronger value propositions in Singapore's Indian dining bracket. The 2024 Michelin Bib Gourmand specifically recognises price-to-quality ratio, and the 4.4 rating across 1,531 Google reviews confirms the kitchen is consistent at volume. You are not paying for a room with design ambitions or a long wine list; you are paying for cooking that covers six flavour registers with precision. That trade-off is worth it for food-focused diners.
Lagnaa does not operate a bar in the conventional sense , the venue is structured across three floors with table seating downstairs and floor seating upstairs. There is no bar counter option. If counter or bar dining is important to your visit, this is not the format for it. The floor seating upstairs offers a more informal feel if that is the register you are after.
No stated dress code. Smart casual is appropriate and fits the Little India shophouse setting without effort. The room does not demand or expect formality , guests range from tourists exploring the neighbourhood to regulars eating on a weeknight. If you are heading somewhere else in the evening, what you wear to Lagnaa will not need to change.
| Venue | Price | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lagnaa | $$ | Easy | — |
| Zén | $$$$ | Unknown | — |
| Jaan by Kirk Westaway | $$$ | Unknown | — |
| Iggy's | $$$ | Unknown | — |
| Summer Pavilion | $$ | Unknown | — |
| Waku Ghin | $$$$ | Unknown | — |
Key differences to consider before you reserve.
For parties of two, the set menus are the clearest path through the menu and a practical way to sample the range of flavours chef Kaesavan balances: spice, yes, but also sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and astringent. At the $$ price point, the set format represents good value for a Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant. If you prefer to order freely, the à la carte route works too, but the sets remove the guesswork for first visits.
Lagnaa runs across three floors of a shophouse on Upper Dickson Road in Little India: table seating on the ground floor, floor seating upstairs. You can specify your spice level, which matters here — the menu is designed around heat as one element among several, not as a gimmick. The Chilli Challenge happens on full moon nights and draws a crowd; if you want a quieter first visit, avoid those evenings.
A few days ahead is usually sufficient for midweek visits; book further in advance for weekends or if you're bringing a group. Walk-ins are often possible, making Lagnaa accessible by Singapore Michelin standards. Avoid full moon nights unless the Chilli Challenge is specifically what you're after.
For Indian food at a comparable price tier, Anglo Indian (Shenton Way), Mustard, and Muthu's Curry each offer a different register of the cuisine. Muthu's Curry is the go-to for fish head curry in a no-frills setting; Anglo Indian skews more contemporary. Lagnaa's edge is the customisable spice system and the Bib Gourmand credential, which the others don't carry.
It works for a casual celebration, particularly if the group is comfortable with a lively Little India setting and floor seating upstairs. It's not a formal dining room, so if the occasion calls for white tablecloths or a quiet atmosphere, look elsewhere. For a birthday dinner where the Chilli Challenge is the entertainment, it's a genuinely fun call.
Yes. A 2024 Michelin Bib Gourmand means inspectors specifically rated it as good value, and the $$ pricing keeps it accessible in a city where Michelin recognition often means a significant spend. The cooking engages more than heat alone, which separates it from novelty spice restaurants. For what you pay, the quality-to-cost ratio is among the stronger cases in Singapore's Indian dining scene.
The venue data doesn't confirm a bar counter as a standalone seating option. Lagnaa's documented seating formats are table seating on the ground floor and floor seating on the upper levels. check the venue's official channels via their address at 6 Upper Dickson Road to confirm current seating arrangements.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
