Restaurant in Singapore, Singapore
Michelin Cantonese in a colonial setting worth booking.
Lei Garden at CHIJMES is a Michelin-starred Cantonese restaurant with a colonial interior that sets it apart from the group's other Singapore branches. At the $$ price tier with OAD Asia Top 250 recognition, it delivers serious Cantonese cooking — double-boiled soups, shrimp-paste spare ribs — at a price well below the city's Western fine-dining tier. Book two to three weeks ahead minimum.
You are booking a Michelin-starred Cantonese restaurant set inside one of Singapore's most architecturally striking colonial buildings, and the combination works better than it has any right to. Lei Garden at CHIJMES earns a direct recommendation for first-timers who want serious Cantonese cooking without the $$$$ price tag that defines Singapore's Western fine-dining circuit. At the $$ price tier, with a Michelin star, an OAD Asia Top 250 ranking (#247 in 2025, up from #219 in 2024), and a La Liste score of 78 points, the value case is clear. Book it, but book it early — this is a hard reservation to get.
The CHIJMES branch of Lei Garden occupies a specific position within the group: it is the only location with a European-inflected interior that mirrors the Gothic colonial architecture of the building around it. CHIJMES itself is a converted 19th-century convent, and the dining room reflects that setting with higher ceilings, stone-adjacent surfaces, and a formality that the group's other Singapore branches do not replicate. For a first-timer, this matters: you are not walking into a standard hotel Chinese restaurant. The room has a sense of occasion that suits the food. If the physical setting is part of what you are paying for, CHIJMES is the right branch of Lei Garden to choose. Tables are set for groups as well as couples, and the room handles both configurations without either feeling like an afterthought. Lunch service tends to be brighter and more relaxed; evening dinner shifts the atmosphere toward a more composed, occasion-appropriate register.
The menu at Lei Garden CHIJMES is the same as the wider group's offering, meaning the kitchen's identity is defined by classic Cantonese technique rather than a single chef's personal direction. For a first visit, the two things most worth your attention are the double-boiled soups and the deep-fried spare ribs marinated with shrimp paste. The soups are slow-cooked and carry the kind of depth that comes from long preparation , they are a reliable measure of any Cantonese kitchen's seriousness. The spare ribs are crispy with a pronounced umami load from the shrimp paste marinade. Beyond these, the chef's selection menu is worth checking when you book: it runs alongside the main menu and offers a structured route through the kitchen's current strengths. If you are visiting for the first time and want a framework for the meal rather than picking à la carte blind, it is the right starting point.
Lei Garden is a Cantonese restaurant first, and the drinks program is structured accordingly. The focus is on Chinese tea service, which is the correct pairing for this style of cooking and is worth taking seriously rather than defaulting to wine. For a first-timer, arriving for dim sum at lunch and working through a pot of Pu-erh or Tie Guan Yin while ordering from the kitchen is the standard format here, and it is one that rewards engagement. The restaurant is not positioned as a cocktail destination, and you should not expect a bar program comparable to what you would find at a standalone cocktail bar. Singapore has a deep bar scene , see our full Singapore bars guide for that side of the city. At Lei Garden, the drinks are in service of the food. Chinese rice wine or a bottle from a short wine list are the realistic options for dinner; tea remains the more considered choice for lunch. The pairing of double-boiled soups with good tea is, specifically, the kind of thing this restaurant does well that a Western wine list cannot replicate.
Lei Garden CHIJMES runs a consistent split-shift format across the week: lunch from 11:30 AM to 3:00 PM, dinner from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM, seven days a week. There are no days off in the current schedule, which makes weekend bookings possible but also more competitive. Given the Michelin star, the OAD ranking, and a Google rating of 4.2 across more than 1,000 reviews, demand is consistent. This is not a restaurant where a same-week booking is realistic for popular slots. Aim for at least two to three weeks ahead for weekday dinner; weekend lunch during peak tourist periods requires more lead time. The $$ price tier makes it one of the more accessible Michelin-starred Cantonese options in the city relative to what comparable quality costs elsewhere in Singapore's fine-dining tier. The address is 30 Victoria St, #01-24 CHIJMES, Singapore 187996 , the entrance sits within the CHIJMES complex, which is well-signposted and a short walk from City Hall MRT.
For broader context on where Lei Garden sits within Cantonese fine dining across the region, comparable destinations worth knowing include The Chairman in Hong Kong, Sun Tung Lok in Hong Kong, and The Eight in Macau. Within Singapore's Cantonese tier specifically, Crystal Jade Golden Palace is the most direct peer comparison. Further afield in the same cuisine category: Above & Beyond in Hong Kong, Cai Yi Xuan in Beijing, Shang Palace in Paris, and Royal China Club in Shanghai.
If your trip also includes broader fine dining in Singapore, Odette, Les Amis, and Zén represent the city's leading Western contemporary tier. For British contemporary at a lower price point, Jaan by Kirk Westaway is worth considering. See our full Singapore restaurants guide for ranked options across all categories, and our Singapore hotels guide, wineries guide, and experiences guide for broader trip planning.
Quick reference: Michelin 1 Star (2024) | OAD Asia Top 250 #247 (2025) | La Liste 78pts (2025) | $$ price tier | 11:30 AM–3 PM, 6–10 PM daily | 30 Victoria St, #01-24 CHIJMES | Booking difficulty: Hard , reserve 2–3 weeks minimum.
| Venue | Price | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lei Garden | $$ | Hard | — |
| Zén | $$$$ | Unknown | — |
| Jaan by Kirk Westaway | $$$ | Unknown | — |
| Iggy's | $$$ | Unknown | — |
| Summer Pavilion | $$ | Unknown | — |
| Waku Ghin | $$$$ | Unknown | — |
What to weigh when choosing between Lei Garden and alternatives.
Lunch is the stronger case for most visitors. Cantonese restaurants at this level typically anchor their midday service around dim sum and lighter dishes, and the $$ price range makes lunch a low-risk way to assess the kitchen. Dinner suits groups wanting a longer, more composed meal. Both sessions run the same hours seven days a week: 11:30 AM to 3 PM and 6 PM to 10 PM.
Yes, and the CHIJMES location is well-suited to group dining given its colonial-style interior, which is larger and more architecturally distinct than a typical shophouse setup. For larger parties, check the venue's official channels to confirm private room availability. At $$, it is a practical choice for celebratory group meals without the outlay of a tasting-menu-only format.
Summer Pavilion at The Ritz-Carlton is the closest like-for-like alternative — Michelin-starred Cantonese at a higher price point with a hotel setting. If you are considering a broader comparison, Waku Ghin and Zén operate at a significantly higher price tier and different cuisine formats. For Cantonese specifically, Lei Garden at $$ with a Michelin star and an OAD Top 250 Asia ranking (2025) is hard to beat on value.
Lei Garden is a Cantonese restaurant with a tea-forward drinks program, not a bar-dining concept. There is no documented bar counter service at this location. Seating is table-based, and the setting inside CHIJMES is dining-room focused rather than casual counter-style.
At $$, a Michelin star and an OAD Top Restaurants in Asia ranking of #247 (2025) represent strong value by Singapore's fine-dining standards. You are getting classic Cantonese technique — double-boiled soups and the chef's selection menu are specifically called out as highlights — in a colonial-era setting at a price point well below what comparable accolades typically command in this city.
Yes, more so than most Cantonese restaurants at this price. The CHIJMES branch has a European-inflected interior that distinguishes it from the group's other locations, and the setting inside a restored colonial building adds occasion weight without requiring a tasting-menu format. A Michelin star and consistent OAD recognition since 2023 back up the choice if you need external validation.
Book at least one to two weeks ahead for weekday lunch and two to three weeks for weekend dinner or peak periods. The CHIJMES location draws both tourists and local regulars, and the combination of a recognised accolade set and accessible $$ pricing means tables move quickly. Walk-ins are worth attempting at lunch on slower weekdays, but not a reliable plan.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
