CHIJMES Singapore, located on Victoria Street, is a historic dining and lifestyle complex originally the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus. This beautiful space, rich in history with stunning interiors, offers a relaxed atmosphere where you can enjoy heritage alongside a complete meal. Walking past the old chapel and courtyard leads you to a quiet centre that softens the city’s hustle. It’s the kind of place you enter without a plan and leave hours later, usually after a good meal with friends.
We keep returning for the Japanese food served here. Around 30 Victoria Street, five restaurants cover everything from skewers and drinks to teppanyaki, yakiniku, rolls, donburi, and ramen. Only one is a true modern izakaya, but together they reflect how a typical evening here moves across different styles rather than sticking to one.
If you want more Japanese dining options, discover Singapore’s best izakayas nearby by clicking here.
CHIJMES Singapore
This historic complex has become a house of culinary delights where each restaurant offers its own take on Japanese cuisine. Whether you’re after a spicy snack or a sweet treat to finish with dessert, CHIJMES Singapore delivers a memorable experience. The location’s unique charm means you might drop by for a quick bite and end up lingering over several courses.
1. Modern Izakaya
Nearest MRT: City Hall or Bras Basah, approximately 4–7 minutes on foot
Price: Around S$35–S$60 per person, or approximately S$50–S$80 with several drinks
Signature dishes: Yakitori and kushiyaki skewers, oysters, grilled squid, pork belly, and speciality maki
If you typed “CHIJMES izakaya” into a search bar, this is the door you were probably looking for.
The Modern Izakaya, at #01-18, comes closest to the casual drinking-room format associated with an izakaya. The menu is built around sake, craft beer, grilled skewers, and Japanese sharing plates rather than formal courses or polished counter dining.
Lunch Menu
Lunch leans more heavily towards rice bowls and noodles, with a lunch menu that offers quick lunch sets ideal for students and workers nearby. These lunch sets often come with miso soup and salad, providing a balanced and satisfying meal. You might even find dishes featuring avocado, adding a fresh twist to the usual offerings. Those dishes may be practical, but they are not the main reason we would choose this restaurant over the other Japanese options at CHIJMES.
The rhythm of the place is what works for us. You settle in, order a round of drinks, and let the skewers arrive gradually. Yakitori and kushiyaki generally fall around the S$3–S$8 range per stick, depending on the ingredient, making it easy to build the meal in stages. The pork belly skewer is a must-try for its silky texture and deep flavours, perfectly complemented by a cold beer.
Beyond skewers, the menu moves through oysters, grilled squid, chicken dishes, maki, donburi, and udon. It is broad enough to feed a mixed table, although the restaurant makes the most sense when drinks and small plates remain at the centre of the order.
The place becomes more convincing in the evening, when the drinks start moving and the grilled dishes suit the pace of the room.
This is still a modern, casual interpretation of an izakaya. It is not a smoke-heavy yakitori counter or a narrow backstreet drinking den transported directly from Japan. Judged on its own terms, however, it is the clearest izakaya-style choice within CHIJMES.
The night it suits: After-work drinks, casual Japanese plates, and an unhurried sake-and-skewers evening.
Probably not your table if: You are looking for a traditional smoke-heavy yakitori room, omakase-level precision, or a particularly quiet dinner.
How we would order: Start with a round of skewers and craft beer, then add oysters or a warm sharing plate once the table settles into its appetite. Don’t miss their speciality maki rolls for a satisfying finish.
2. Tatsu
Nearest MRT: City Hall or Bras Basah, approximately 4–7 minutes on foot
Price: S$68++ to S$178++ per person for teppanyaki sets
Signature dishes: Wagyu steak teppanyaki, lobster teppanyaki, king prawn, seafood fried rice and sashimi
Tatsu is where we would go at CHIJMES when the evening calls for something quieter, more structured and more deliberate.
Located at #01-08, the restaurant is known for sushi during the day and teppanyaki in the evening. The teppanyaki counter is the main reason to book. Prime cuts, seafood and vegetables are cooked directly in front of diners, turning the meal into a slower and more closely observed experience.
The current teppanyaki sets begin at S$68++ and rise to S$178++ per person. The lower-priced options combine items such as king prawn and beef, while the more expensive sets move into lobster, slipper lobster and Wagyu steak.
The C Set, which pairs slipper lobster with Wagyu steak, offers one of the clearest introductions to what Tatsu does. It covers both the seafood and meat sides of the teppanyaki menu without reaching the highest price tier.
À la carte ordering is also possible, with individual seafood and meat dishes available for diners who do not want a full set. However, the cost can rise quickly once premium beef, lobster and additional courses are added.
The room is more polished than the other restaurants in this guide. Service follows a more formal rhythm, and the meal works best when nobody at the table is in a rush.
One practical point shapes the experience: teppanyaki dining operates around structured seatings, traditionally at 6pm and 8.30pm, and reservations are strongly recommended. This is not the restaurant we would rely on for a spontaneous walk-in dinner.
Plan the booking, ask for the counter and allow the chef to set the pace.
The occasion it fits: Date nights, client dinners and evenings when watching the chef is part of the meal.
Think twice if: You want inexpensive casual food, a quick bowl of noodles or the freedom to arrive without planning.
The seat to ask for: Reserve the teppanyaki counter. A standard table removes much of what makes Tatsu distinct.
3. Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ Restaurant
Nearest MRT: City Hall or Bras Basah, approximately 4–7 minutes on foot
Price: Around S$35–S$60 per person, rising to S$60–S$90 or more with premium Wagyu and drinks
Signature dishes: Japanese Wagyu, assorted beef platters, beef tongue, harami-style cuts and the CHIJMES-exclusive sharing set
Some meals work because the kitchen handles everything. Others are enjoyable precisely because the table has to participate.
Gyu-Kaku, at #01-01/02, falls firmly into the second category. Each table has its own grill, and the meal develops through a sequence of beef, pork, chicken, seafood and vegetables cooked over the heat in front of you.
We find that it works best with a group. Plates are passed around, people take turns at the grill and someone almost always leaves one piece of meat over the fire for slightly too long.
That interaction is part of the appeal. A plated dinner can feel passive by comparison.
The menu spans everyday yakiniku cuts and more premium Japanese Wagyu. A moderate à la carte meal generally lands around S$35–S$60 per person, but the bill can climb quickly once the table begins adding higher-grade beef, alcohol and extra rounds.
The CHIJMES outlet has also introduced an exclusive set priced at S$138.80++, covering a wider combination of grilled items and accompaniments. It offers a simpler route for groups that do not want to build the entire meal one plate at a time.
Our main caution is that à la carte yakiniku often looks cheaper at the start than it feels at the end. Small plates accumulate quickly, especially when several diners want to try different cuts.
There is also the unavoidable smoke. The ventilation helps, but yakiniku is still a meal cooked over an open grill at the table. We would not wear anything particularly delicate or difficult to wash.
Reservations are sensible for evenings and weekends. Tables may only be held briefly for late arrivals, so this is one booking where arriving on time matters.
Bring this crowd: Groups, meat-focused dinners and casual celebrations where cooking together is part of the fun.
Less suitable when: Anyone at the table dislikes smoke, eats very little meat or would rather have the kitchen finish every dish.
The easier way to order: Begin with a sharing set or mixed platter, then add one or two premium cuts instead of building the entire meal à la carte.
4. Kome Bar
Nearest MRT: City Hall or Bras Basah, approximately 4–7 minutes on foot
Price: Around S$30–S$55 per person
Signature dishes: Hotate Miso Roll, Salmon Ikura Don and Bara Chirashi
Kome Bar, at #01-10, is the easiest all-rounder in this group.
It is the sort of restaurant we choose when the table cannot agree on teppanyaki, ramen or yakiniku but still wants Japanese food in one place. The menu covers rolls, donburi, sashimi, grilled dishes and casual sharing plates without leaning too heavily into a single format.
The Hotate Miso Roll is one of the more recognisable dishes, combining scallop with the richer savoury character of miso. The Salmon Ikura Don offers the more straightforward comfort of salmon, salmon roe and rice, while the Bara Chirashi is a useful choice for diners who want a fuller mix of seafood in one bowl.
A typical meal falls around S$30–S$55 per person, depending on how many rolls, grilled dishes and drinks are shared. It is possible to spend more with sashimi and alcohol, but the restaurant sits comfortably below the price level of a full teppanyaki dinner at Tatsu.
We would not describe Kome Bar as a specialist sushi destination or a traditional izakaya. It works better as a flexible Japanese restaurant with enough variety for mixed groups.
That versatility is the point.
It is also worth correcting one common assumption about the restaurant: Kome Bar is not limited to dinner service. It currently opens for both lunch and dinner, making it useful for a midday rice bowl as well as a more relaxed evening meal.
The restaurant’s lunch menu features a variety of rice bowls and light dishes served quickly, perfect for those who want a satisfying midday slice without spending too much money.
The restaurant also offers some light desserts, so if you miss a sweet finish elsewhere, Kome Bar can be a good spot to satisfy that craving.
Sometimes the most practical choice is the place that can feed everyone at the table without turning the meal into a negotiation.
Where it works best: Casual dinners, mixed cravings and tables that want rolls, rice bowls and grilled food without committing to one specialist format.
Look elsewhere when: The priority is traditional izakaya atmosphere, serious sushi-counter service or a dedicated yakiniku or ramen meal.
A balanced first order: Share the Hotate Miso Roll, add either the Salmon Ikura Don or Bara Chirashi, then round out the table with one grilled dish.
5. Hakata Ikkousha Ramen
Nearest MRT: Bras Basah or City Hall, approximately 4–7 minutes on foot
Price: S$14–S$21 for most ramen bowls, or around S$18–S$30 per person with an egg, side dish or drink
Signature dishes: Tonkotsu Standard, Tonkotsu Special, Tonkotsu Black, God Fire Ramen and Tonkotsu Shio
Opening hours: Monday to Saturday, 11:30 am–10:00 pm, last order 9:30 pm; Sunday, 11:30 am–9:00 pm, last order 8:30 pm
Reservations: Not available
Every Japanese dining area benefits from having one place where the decision is simple.
At Ikkousha Ramen, located at #F1-07, the answer is usually a bowl of Hakata-style tonkotsu. The noodles are thin, the broth is pork-based and creamy, and the toppings are kept focused enough that the soup remains the centre of the meal.
The Tonkotsu Standard currently costs S$14.50, while Tonkotsu Shio starts at S$14. Tonkotsu Black and God Fire start at S$16, with larger or special versions reaching S$21.
A flavoured egg costs S$3, while a five-piece portion of hitokuchi gyoza is S$6.50. A ramen meal with one add-on, side dish or drink will therefore usually land around S$18–S$30 per person.
For a first visit, we would begin with the Tonkotsu Standard. It gives the clearest impression of Ikkousha’s pork-bone broth without the garlic-heavy character of Tonkotsu Black or the heat of God Fire.
The broth is rich and can taste salty to diners who prefer lighter ramen. That intensity is part of the Hakata tonkotsu style, but it will not suit everyone.
This is also the restaurant in the guide that makes the most sense for solo dining. Ramen does not require a group, a booking or a table full of sharing plates. You sit down, choose the noodle firmness, finish the bowl and leave.
Reservations are not generally part of the experience, and Ikkousha states that reservations are not available for this outlet. Queues can form during busy lunch and dinner periods, so coming slightly before or after the main rush remains the simplest way to shorten the wait.
The meal it answers: Solo lunches, quick dinners and days when one concentrated bowl is all you need.
Not the right stop for: Shared izakaya plates, sushi, grilled meat or a long evening built around drinks.
Make the bowl yours: Choose the noodle firmness deliberately and add the flavoured egg before reaching for several side dishes.
So, Where Should Your CHIJMES Night Go?
Five restaurants, one courtyard, and no single correct answer.
The choice depends less on ranking and more on the kind of meal and mood you want that day.
For drinks and Japanese sharing plates with craft beer, we would begin at the Modern Izakaya with beer and a run of skewers.
For a slower and more structured dinner, we would reserve the teppanyaki counter at Tatsu and let the chef control the pace.
For groups that want meat, conversation, and a meal everyone takes part in, Gyu-Kaku remains the most social option.
When nobody can agree on a specialist format, Kome Bar offers the broadest middle ground through rolls, rice bowls, and grilled dishes.
And when the day calls for one bowl and very little discussion, Hakata Ikkousha Ramen is the simplest answer.
We have spent enough evenings around CHIJMES Singapore to know that the most enjoyable meals here do not always follow a careful itinerary.
Choose by mood, appetite, and company. The courtyard can handle the rest.
