Fresh flavours and bold debuts to savour this summer
As the city heats up, so too does its dining scene with a line-up of buzzy new launches and mouth-watering menus. From a hotpot house steeped in Yunnan traditions to a gelato cult favourite making waves from Australia to Club Street, Singapore’s F&B circuit has never looked more indulgent. Here’s a look at what’s new, and what’s not to be missed.
Gelato Messina
A new dessert pilgrimage site has landed: Australia’s beloved Gelato Messina has officially opened its first Singapore outpost at 1 Club Street. Known for their obsessive dedication to quality (we’re talking their own hazelnut and dairy farms), the brand offers 40 outrageously creative flavours, from bacon brittle to crushed cheesecake, churned fresh in-house daily (main image).
Singapore gets a sweet bonus in the form of five local exclusives, including “Singapore, How You Durian?” (durian cake swirls in coconut gelato), a kaya toast homage and a surprisingly elegant salted egg yolk creation. With no shortcuts taken (even the dulce de leche is made in-house using a traditional Argentinian ‘Paila’), Messina is here to shake up the dessert game, one joyful scoop at a time.
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Broth & Beyond
Late-night cravings find a new sanctuary at Broth & Beyond, CHIJMES’ newest culinary tenant reimagining Yunnan ecological hotpot for modern palates. Individual-style hotpots are the norm here, perfect for solo slurps or group soirees, with operations running till 2.30am daily.
Broths are the heart of the experience: Signature Black Truffle & Eight-Mushroom, Golden Fungus Chicken and Coconut Chicken, all lovingly brewed with premium ingredients flown in from Yunnan. The attention to detail is impeccable. Think: jasmine flower shrimp paté, Yunnan-style jerky and blueberry whiskey char siu. Add to that a buffet market table ($4.99 top-up) with 50 sauces, appetisers and soft serve, and this place elevates the hotpot game, without the steep price tag.
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Casa Vostra
Over at Raffles City, Chef Antonio Miscellaneo of Casa Vostra is giving his beloved Italian menu a summer refresh — with 10 new dishes across antipasti, pizza, pasta and dessert. As the city queues up for his Newpolitan pies, this update keeps things exciting for both loyal fans and curious newcomers.
Among the must-tries: the indulgent Prosciutto e Figura pizza topped with Parma ham, fig purée and candied walnuts on Casa Vostra’s trademark 36-hour fermented dough; and the comforting Mamma’s Aglio e Olio, a humble dish of garlic, chilli and parsley uplifted by his mother’s twist — sun-dried tomatoes.
Other standouts include Gricia, Spaghetti (a rich carbonara ancestor with guanciale and Pecorino), the Sausage Parpadelle with hearty ragu, and the delicate Ravioli alla Zucca filled with pumpkin and sage butter. For dessert, the Coppa al Cioccolato offers a decadent finish with layers of dark chocolate gelato, rum and hazelnut crumble.
Café Quenino
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At Artyzen Singapore, Café Quenino continues to impress with "The Heart of SG60", a six-month culinary campaign that brings together local chefs and heritage brands in celebration of Singapore’s 60th birthday. With each month showcasing a fresh collaboration, the series goes beyond nostalgia and it’s as if it’s a masterclass in thoughtful reinvention.
This June, the spotlight is on Chin Mee Chin, the iconic confectionery celebrating its own 100-year milestone. For the collaboration, guests can look forward to a modern Hainanese beef brisket with mash, as well as a kaya mille-feuille that reinvents the classic with layers of coconut ice cream and buttery pastry. The partnership will be a year-long one and is already drawing buzz for its meaningful connection to Singapore’s heritage.
It follows a stellar May debut featuring MasterChef Singapore 2023 winner Inderpal Singh of Meh’r, whose bold reinterpretation of Indian-Malay street food set the tone for the months ahead. With July bringing zi char royalty KEK Seafood and August ushering in playful cheese pão from Goobybakes, Café Quenino is keeping the momentum strong, proving that celebration and creativity go hand-in-hand.
Putien
PUTIEN’s much-loved Duotou Clam Festival is back and this year’s edition brings three new dishes to the table, available from now until Aug 15, 2025. The prized clams are flown in live from Duotou village in Putian, Fujian, where they thrive in nutrient-rich black mud for over six months before harvest.
New this season: Stir-fried Spicy Duotou Clam and Pork (a surf-and-turf hit with green peppers); a cooling Wintermelon Clam Soup; and Clam Scrambled Eggs with Choysum in savoury broth. These join returning favourites like the eight-year best-seller Salt-Baked Duotou Clam and the Aged Wine version, all celebrating the sweetness and succulence of these hand-harvested molluscs.
