When it comes to Telok Ayer food, this vibrant area around Telok Ayer Street, Boon Tat Street, Stanley Street, Pekin Street and the Tanjong Pagar fringe is one of the CBD’s most useful clusters for Japanese dining. But with so many options, choosing the right spot can be overwhelming. Some restaurants specialise narrowly in yakitori or ramen, while others work better for sake-led group dinners, private rooms or casual after-work meals.
Over the past months, we’ve explored restaurants across Telok Ayer and the surrounding CBD streets, from compact yakitori counters to private-room izakayas and casual Japanese dining rooms. This guide focuses on the food style, price, atmosphere and occasion each place suits best.
Whether you want a casual lunch with colleagues, a seafood-heavy dinner with sake, or a more energetic evening built around drinks and entertainment, here is our selection of Japanese restaurants and izakaya-style spots around Telok Ayer.
These Telok Ayer restaurants show how broad Japanese cuisine in Singapore’s CBD can be, ranging from yakitori specialists and seafood-led izakayas to casual dining spots built around ramen, rice dishes and after-work drinks.
The wider Telok Ayer area also overlaps with streets such as Stanley Street, Boon Tat Street and Amoy Street, where conserved heritage shophouses sit alongside newer restaurants and bars. That mix of old streets and modern dining is part of what gives this CBD pocket its distinctive food scene.
For a broader citywide comparison beyond the CBD, our authentic Japanese izakaya guide ranks standout venues by food, atmosphere, price and the kind of night each one suits best.
1. Yakitori Gosso (Telok Ayer Street)
Address: 147 Telok Ayer Street, Singapore 068606
Nearest MRT: Telok Ayer, a short walk away
Price: Skewer prices vary by item; expect roughly S$25–45+ per person depending on how many skewers and drinks you order.
Signature order: Negima / Chicken Thigh with Leek
Best time to visit: Weekday dinner for a skewer-and-sake meal
Yakitori Gosso is a Japanese yakitori specialist at 147 Telok Ayer Street. Current booking listings describe it as a yakitori and kamameshi restaurant, with lunch on weekdays and dinner from Monday to Saturday.
The focus is grilled chicken and Japanese drinking food rather than a broad sashimi-heavy menu. Negima remains one of the commonly recommended skewers, while other yakitori choices and sake make it easy to build a meal gradually.
The restaurant has a casual, lively atmosphere, and recent diners note that skewers may arrive in batches rather than all at once, which suits the way yakitori is best eaten fresh from the grill.
Recent verified diners also mention good food, friendly or attentive service, and a comfortable setting for catching up over drinks. For some repeat customers, Gosso has become a favourite precisely because the meal stays focused on grilled chicken, sake and the flavour of each individual stick rather than a sprawling menu.
Come here when: Yakitori is the main reason for dinner, or you want casual drinks with grilled skewers.
Skip this if: You want a large sashimi selection or a broad multi-course Japanese menu.
How to order smarter: Start with a few skewers and add more as you go rather than filling the table immediately.
2. Izakaya Matsumoto (Tanjong Pagar / Telok Ayer Fringe)
Address: 1 Tras Link, #01-16, Orchid Hotel, Singapore 078867
Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar; Telok Ayer is farther but still within the wider CBD dining area
Price: Around S$40–80+ per person, depending on sashimi, seafood, sake and whether you order one of the larger courses.
Signature order: Kankan Yaki / steamed shellfish or oyster preparation
Best time to visit: Group dinners or business meals where privacy matters
Izakaya Matsumoto is a Japanese izakaya at Orchid Hotel with a strong emphasis on fresh seafood, sashimi, sake and private dining. Current booking information says fresh seafood is imported from Japan weekly and describes the restaurant’s seats as fully or semi-private.
Its better-documented specialities include Kankan Yaki, sashimi platters, oysters and other seasonal Japanese seafood. The restaurant also promotes sushi omakase courses and has previously highlighted fresh fish and seasonal produce arriving from Japan.
For diners who prioritise fresh seafood options, Matsumoto is one of the stronger choices on this list. Its focus on sashimi, oysters, shellfish and other seasonal ingredients gives the menu a more seafood-led identity than the casual yakitori and ramen spots nearby. Depending on seasonal availability, seafood such as scallops may also appear among the restaurant’s offerings.
The private and semi-private format makes Matsumoto particularly well suited to business dinners, family gatherings and small group celebrations where a quieter setting matters more than a lively counter atmosphere.
The private-room space also gives Matsumoto a more intimate feel than the open dining rooms elsewhere on this list. Current menu listings include Hokkaido uni and other premium seafood, while older lunch coverage documented a minced wagyu beef cutlet set. Because individual dishes can change, treat these as examples of the restaurant’s broader menu rather than permanent signature orders.
Most suited for: Seafood, sake, business dinners and private-room meals.
Not the right fit if: You want an open, noisy yakitori-counter atmosphere.
Booking move: Confirm room availability and party size when reserving.
3. Raku Raku Japanese Dining Stanley (Stanley Street)
Address: 4 Stanley Street, Singapore 068723
Nearest MRT: Telok Ayer, a short walk away
Price: Around S$20–40+ per person depending on sashimi, sushi, meat dishes and drinks.
Signature order: Beef Cube Steak (S$18)
Best time to visit: Casual group dinner when everyone wants something different
Raku Raku Japanese Dining Stanley offers one of the broader Japanese menus on this list. Its current menu includes sashimi, sushi, chirashi don, chicken karaage, grilled eel, beef cube steak, yakitori, tempura and grilled fish.
The Beef Cube Steak is currently listed at S$18, while the crispy Chicken Karaage is listed at S$11, Grilled Eel S$16 and a five-kind yakitori selection S$18. That range makes Raku Raku useful for groups who do not all want to order from the same category.
The appeal here is straightforward casual dining: sashimi, sushi, grilled meat, karaage and other appetisers can all share the same table. For groups of friends, that variety makes it easier to build a meal around different preferences without committing to one specialist format.
Salmon is another recurring part of the menu, with current listings including Salmon Don and Salmon Sashimi, while recent booking coverage also highlights aburi salmon roll sushi. Verified diners regularly praise the restaurant’s quality, lively atmosphere and attentive service, with some describing Raku Raku as a personal favourite for straightforward, flavourful Japanese food.
This is less of a narrow specialist and more of an all-round Japanese dining room, so it works when one person wants sashimi, another wants grilled meat and someone else wants sushi or fried food.
Works well for: Groups, casual dinners and diners who value menu variety.
May not suit you if: You specifically want a dedicated yakitori counter or a sake-led drinking den.
Ordering strategy: Mix a few shared starters with one or two grilled dishes and sushi or sashimi.
4. Yoasobi by Kanpai (Far East Square)
Address: 33 Pekin Street, #01-01, Far East Square, Singapore 048763
Nearest MRT: Telok Ayer, within walking distance
Price: Set lunches currently start from S$9.90, while drinks are advertised from S$4; evening spend varies considerably by food and alcohol.
Signature order: 16-Hour Slow-Smoked Brisket
Best time to visit: Evening drinks, group celebrations and entertainment-led nights out
Yoasobi by Kanpai is the least traditional izakaya on this list. Kanpai Group positions it as a Japanese and zi-char fusion restaurant and bar with 16-hour slow-smoked brisket, yakitori, sushi maki, affordable drinks and entertainment facilities.
Its weekday lunch sets give the restaurant a different personality earlier in the day, while evenings lean more heavily into drinks, group dining and entertainment. For groups of friends who prefer a livelier vibe, that shift from daytime meal spot to late-night social venue is part of the appeal.
The venue also has private rooms with projector screens and KTV equipment, along with convertible pool tables and other event features. That makes it particularly suitable for larger social groups rather than diners looking for a hushed, traditional izakaya experience.
Current Kanpai Group information lists weekday lunch service, late-night opening through Friday and Saturday, and the Pekin Street address above.
Go with: Group celebrations, after-work drinks and people who want food plus entertainment.
Not your scene if: You want a quiet, traditional drinking-led izakaya.
Make the night better: Reserve ahead if you specifically want a private room or KTV setup.
5. Tori San 雞湯桑 (Telok Ayer)
Address: 116 Telok Ayer Street, Singapore 068585
Nearest MRT: Telok Ayer, very close to the station
Price: Signature ramen is currently around S$12.90, with yakitori, karaage and rice dishes available separately. Expect roughly S$15–25+ per person for a typical meal.
Signature order: Signature Toripaitan Chicken Broth Ramen (S$12.90)
Best time to visit: Quick CBD lunch or casual solo meal
Tori San is better described as a Taiwanese-style chicken ramen and yakitori restaurant than a traditional izakaya. Its signature dish is the Toripaitan Chicken Broth Ramen, currently listed at S$12.90, with chicken breast, grilled chicken and meatball components served with springy noodles and chicken broth.
The chicken broth is intentionally rich, while the grilled chicken and yakitori add a more seasoned, savoury element to the meal. For diners who prefer something casual and filling over a long sake-led dinner, Tori San is one of the easiest options on Telok Ayer Street.
The menu also includes yakitori, karaage, gyoza and newer rice-bowl options. Current coverage lists yakitori such as thigh, breast and meatball, while Tori San’s delivery menu also confirms Japanese fried chicken, gyoza, beer and extra noodles or broth.
Because the restaurant is casual and ramen-led, it fits this guide best as an affordable Japanese drinking-food and grilled-chicken option rather than as a full izakaya experience.
Ideal for: Quick lunches, solo diners and people who want chicken ramen with grilled bites.
Choose another spot if: You want a dark, sake-heavy izakaya for a long evening.
Best way to eat here: Start with the ramen and add yakitori or karaage if you want a fuller meal.
Choosing Your Telok Ayer Food Experience
The wider Telok Ayer CBD area offers several different styles of Japanese dining within a relatively compact radius. Yakitori Gosso is the clearest grill specialist, Izakaya Matsumoto is strongest for seafood and private dining, Raku Raku works well for menu variety, Yoasobi is the entertainment-led option, and Tori San is primarily a casual ramen-and-yakitori stop.
Cuppage-style old-school izakaya dining is not really the defining character here. Telok Ayer’s strength is the mixture of CBD lunch spots, Japanese bars, yakitori specialists, seafood-focused izakayas and group-friendly restaurants spread across Telok Ayer Street, Stanley Street, Pekin Street, Boon Tat Street and the Tanjong Pagar fringe.
What ties these restaurants together is not one fixed idea of Japanese culture, but the way different formats of Japanese dining have adapted to the CBD. Some focus on seafood and sake, others on grilled skewers, ramen or casual dining, but all give diners different ways to savour Japanese food around the Telok Ayer area.
Check current menus and opening hours before visiting, particularly for smaller venues and restaurants whose concepts or operating details have changed over time. Reservations are worth considering for private rooms, larger groups and popular evening slots.
