Just opened May 2022: New restaurants and bars in Singapore this month

May is breathing a refreshing new life in Singapore's hospitality industry. Along with peeps of a pre-pandemic life, the month brings with it new and notable openings sprucing up our gastronomic scene.

Coming up thick and fast, look forward to fresh-faced dining concepts, renowned Japanese restaurants and farm to table multiverse cocktail bars. Here's our pick of some of the best openings this month!

Restaurants

Forma

Doors opening May 3, 2022, Forma is latest venture by The Cicheti Group, in collaboration with homegrown pasta artisan, Ben Fatto. Expect the same flair that Cicheti is known for in its quaint Joo Chiat shophouse location, beautifully restored by integrated design agency Takenouchi Webb, with for in the trattoria-style restaurant with a regional menu that honours tradition and flavour.

Keep a lookout for Ben Fatto's selection of seven traditional pasta shapes that rotate each season - freshly handmade daily with time-honoured techniques. Pair them with natural wines from Campania or the amber Piedmontese lager from Sicilian coast.

Forma is located at 128 Tembeling Road, Singapore 423638.

Native Restaurant

Native, one of Singapore's most innovative bars, has expanded to feature a full-service restaurant, a cocktail bar and a fermentation lab, stacked atop each other within the same three-story shophouse on Amy Street.

At the newly opened restaurant, Head Chef MJ uses local and regional ingredients in familiar, nostalgic dishes - albeit with a twist. For instance, the Thai betel leaf snack Miang Kham ($18) features homemade pineapple shoyu and tempeh crisps, while the Nose to Tail Chicken Pao Fan ($32) sees chicken hearts and gizzard. Don't miss on cocktails ($25 each) created specially for the restaurant, to be enjoyed with food too.

Native is located at 52 Amoy Street, Singapore 069878, p. +65 88696520. Open Mon-Thurs 5pm-10.30pm, Fri-Sun 4pm-10.30pm.

L'Arte Pizza & Focaccia

Deemed Bulgaria's God of Italian Pizza, Chef Radostin Kiryazovbring brings authentic Roman Pizza to Singapore at L'Arte Pizza & Focaccia. The gourmet handcrafted pizzas are made with flour imported exclusively from Italy for a crispy but light and airy base.

The Burrata Cheese is easily the most popular pick with generous tangy tomato sauce, fresh burrata cheese, and pesto basil. Whilst the Mortazza is for cheese lovers with salty mortadella paired with creamy mozzarella, artichoke cream with ricotta and earthy pistachio nuts. Sweet-tooths will love the award-winning Nutella too, with Nutella, banana, strawberry and mint leaves.

L'Arte Pizza & Focaccia is located at 5 Wallich St, #01-14, Singapore 078883. Open Mon-Sat 11am-8pm. The takeaway concept serves pizzas in limited quantity daily, priced from $6 per slice and from $20 per whole pizza. The official opening on May 9, 2022. First reservations will be taken online on May 5, 2022, on https://lartepizza.oddle.me/en_SG for orders from May 9 to 14, 2022.

Gigi Gourmet Deli

For a taste of Italian and Belgium food in Singapore's CBD, that's easy on the pocket, Gigi Gourmet Deli serves up European street eats.

Located at Marina Bay Link Mall, look forward to textural treats like the Polpo Salad ($13.90). featuring octopus with celery and potatoes, and a selection of arancini. Fuel up with the Ragu ($6.50), where breaded and fried risotto encase minced beef and pork while truffle lovers can look to the Nero ($7.50), a ball of black rice with truffle cream and mixed mushrooms.

Gigi Gourmet Deli is located at Marina Bay Link Mall, 8A Marina Blvd, B2-60/61, Singapore 018984, p. +65 88077394. Open Mon-Fri 10.30am-7.30pm, Sat 9am-6pm, Sun 9am-3pm.

AT feast

You don't have to sacrifice on flavour when it comes to being sustainable. Already a popular spot in London's St John's Wood district, AT feast offers all-day dining, with a menu focused on being as close to zero waste as possible. Trained under the Gordan Ramsay Group, Chef Steven Wood serves up an array of nutritious dishes from a seasonally changing menu that's perfect for sharing.

Think Green Tea Cured Salmon ($18) with pickled jalapeno, shallots and a side of toasted sourdough, or The Feast Burger ($25) topped with house chilli jam. Wash it all down with a youth-boosting Oaty Collagen Cappuccino ($10) or their signature cocktails.

AT feast is located at 16 A Dempsey Road Singapore 247695, p. +65 81215763. Open Tues - Fri 9am-6pm, Sat-Sun 8.30am-6pm. Closed on Mon.

Tanglin Cookhouse

Tanglin Cookhouse is bringing the unbeatable dynamism of British cuisine coupled with diverse local influences to the buzzing streets of Orchard. The spot casting an anchor at Tanglin Mall, inviting foodies with a contemporary rendition of colonial cuisines. As you take in the colonial-style setting, sip on coffees, a unique blend of teas, and boozy gin cocktails.

Must-tries on the menu include crispy Tanglin Scotch Egg ($16.90) served with tangy purple cabbage and pickled mustard seeds, and Salmon Wellington ($25.90) with lemon dill beurre blanc and green salad. For desserts, Gula Melaka Sago Pudding ($12) is our recommendation, served with coconut ice cream, smoky poppadom pieces and caramelised bananas.

Tanglin Cookhouse is located at Tanglin Mall, 163 Tanglin Road, #01-106 Singapore 247933, p. +65 62359382. Open daily 9am - 10.30pm.

Ohayo Mama San

Modern Japanese Resto-Bar, Ohayo Mama San has now opened at [email protected] Serving Japanese fusion offerings with a Singaporean twist, the concept charms with sushi platters, all-day brunch, Japanese tapas, classic rice bowls, ramen, and more.

Think light bites like the Empowered Pappadams ($20) with a generous drizzle of ikura and tobiko, or the Nishoku Tamago Total Satisfaction Brunch ($34), paired elegantly with buttery mini croissants, sauteed mushrooms, and chowder. There are fun geisha inspired cocktails ($18 each) to sip on too.

Ohayo Mama San is located at [email protected], 313 Orchard Rd, #01-29, Singapore 238895, p. +65 88752777. Open daily 11am-10.30pm.

Restaurant Born

Set within the historic Jinrikisha Station, Born is a fine-dining restaurant by Chef Zor Tan in partnership with hospitality group 1855 F&B. Serving contemporary cuisine, Chef Tan elegantly marries French gastronomy with Chinese flavours and ingredients through a nine-course meal, based on a 'Circle of Life' philosophy.

Harvesting childhood memories, professional journey, and personal ideals expect dishes like Buri/Galangal/Daikon inspired by chef's early stint at a Japanese restaurant, Fish Maw/Chinese Cabbage/Smoked Eel a loving tribute to his wife and first child, as well as, Alaskan King Crab/Glutinous Rice/Crab Bisque reminiscent of his childhoods memories.

Restaurant Born is located at 1 Neil Road, Singapore 088804, +65 9270871. Restaurant Born is slated to open to guests on May 23, 2022.

Nobu

Slated to open this month, the Nobu group is adding a new star in Singapore's booming list of restaurants. Brining its internationally recognised chain and the range of signature dishes by chef Nobu Matsuhisa to the city-state, the renowned restaurant will set up base at the Four Seasons Hotel Singapore.

In addition to its acclaimed Japanese-Peruvian cuisine, the restaurant will also feature dishes inspired by Singaporean ingredients and flavours.

Full details about Nobu's opening and menu coming soon.

Bars

Patina Bar

A watering hole along the quiet shophouses in East Coast Road, Patina Bar is the epitome of homegrown. As you enter the vintage bar, expect jazzy tunes to set the tone for a transcendental cocktail line-up and homey Southeast Asian bar bites. Amongst the artfully crafted cocktails are Kebaya Seksi Pedas, a bold combination of peppery cayenne heat with a touch of sweet and sour flavours of pineapple, garlic honey and citrus.

The cosy bar also serves up some mean bar bites, showcasing heart-warming family recipes like the sinfully delicious Annie's Epok Epok, filled with a fluffy filling and served alongside spicy sambal tumis.

Patina Bar is located at 378 East Coast Road, Singapore 428985, p.+65 82426304. Open Tue-Thur, Sun 4pm-11pm, Fri-Sat 5pm-1am. Closed Mon.

ALSO READ: A dining guide to Singapore's Club Street: Best restaurants, bars and cafes

This article was first published in City Nomads.