Food

10 Best Dim Sum Restaurants in Singapore (2026) — From Tim Ho Wan to Cherry Garden

From Tim Ho Wan's Michelin baked BBQ pork buns to Wah Lok's Cantonese fine dining and Swee Choon's late-night supper sets — we ranked Singapore's 10 best dim sum restaurants for 2026.

Jamie Tan28 April 20269 min read

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Dim sum in Singapore spans a huge range — from S$5 baskets at hawker-style spots, to Michelin-starred Cantonese fine dining at hotel restaurants where one piece of crystal dumpling can hit double digits. Knowing where each lands is the difference between a great Sunday brunch and an over-budget disappointment.

We've ranked Singapore's 10 best dim sum spots for 2026 across three tiers — affordable, mid-range, and Michelin-starred fine dining — so you can pick by occasion. Each entry includes the signature dish to actually order, and rough pricing.

Tim Ho Wan — Plaza Singapura & Toa Payoh

The Hong Kong export famous for being the world's cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant in its original Mong Kok hole-in-the-wall. The Singapore branches don't carry a star but the recipes are the same. Order: the legendary Baked BBQ Pork Buns (often regarded as their best item in town), Steamed Spinach Dumplings with Shrimp, and the Pan-Fried Carrot Cake. Mall-friendly, kid-friendly, around S$30 a head. Plaza Singapura at 68 Orchard Road #01-29A/52.

Swee Choon Tim Sum — Jalan Besar

The 1962 institution that put late-night dim sum on the map. Six shophouse fronts on Jalan Besar (Nos 183–193), 100+ items, and a steady stream of supper-time crowds. Their handmade Mee Sua Kueh (a savoury vermicelli pancake) is the signature you can't get elsewhere. Also order the Salted Egg Custard Bun (Liu Sha Bao), Crystal Skin Har Gow, and Char Siew Bao. Casual coffee-shop atmosphere, S$25–35 a head.

Yum Cha Restaurant — Chinatown

A traditional Hong Kong tea-house concept revived in a Chinatown shophouse since 2000. Marble tables, wooden chairs, and 60+ items including hot dim sum and a buffet option. Best for tourists wanting the 'old-school dim sum tea house' experience. Located at 20 Trengganu Street, #02-01 Jinshan Hotel — five minutes from Chinatown MRT. Hours 10:30am–10:30pm weekdays, from 9am weekends. Around S$32.80++ for dim sum buffet.

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Wah Lok Cantonese Restaurant — Carlton Hotel

Open since 1988 — a 'bastion of Cantonese fine dining' with white tablecloths, chandeliers and Michelin Plate recognition. Wah Lok is where you go when the dim sum order needs to impress. Their Baked Barbecue Pork Buns and Steamed Seafood Egg White Dumplings are the items on every regular's order. Located at Carlton Hotel Level 2, 76 Bras Basah Road. Reservations strongly recommended for weekend yum cha. Around S$60–80 a head.

Crystal Jade Golden Palace — Paragon

Crystal Jade's flagship and crown jewel — held a Michelin star from 2016–2018, still consistently ranked among Singapore's top Cantonese-Teochew restaurants. À la carte dim sum at S$5–6 a basket is genuinely good value given the kitchen pedigree. The roast suckling pig and Peking Duck are the showpiece orders. Located at 290 Orchard Road #05-22 Paragon. Set menus from S$48 per person. Best for a stylish weekend yum cha that's premium without going hotel-restaurant prices.

Imperial Treasure Fine Teochew Cuisine — ION Orchard

Michelin-starred Teochew specialist with a comprehensive dim sum menu daily at lunch. Beyond the standard har gao and siew mai, look for the Teochew-style steamed pork dumplings and pan-fried yam with dried prawn — regional touches that the Cantonese-led competition can't replicate. Located at 2 Orchard Turn, #03-05 ION Orchard. Around S$70–90 a head. Reservations essential on weekends.

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Lei Garden — CHIJMES

Hong Kong's Lei Garden chain has earned 93 Michelin stars across its branches in Asian guides. The Singapore CHIJMES outlet specialises in classical Cantonese dim sum done with care — the Flaky Pastry with Shredded Turnip and the Steamed Pork Dumpling are the standouts. Don't skip the Roasted Pork Belly with crispy crackling skin. Around S$50–70 a head. Located at 30 Victoria Street #01-24 CHIJMES.

Cherry Garden — Mandarin Oriental

The hotel-restaurant pick. Cherry Garden at Mandarin Oriental Marina Bay is synonymous with luxury Cantonese-Teochew dim sum, including signatures like crystal dumplings with truffle fillings. The weekend dim sum buffet is the famous indulgence — quality over quantity, with each piece treated like a course. Around S$98–138 per person for the weekend buffet. Hotel-grade service, Marina Bay views, dress smart-casual.

Jade — The Fullerton Hotel

Inside the Fullerton Hotel's heritage building, Jade serves refined Cantonese dim sum in a duck-egg-blue dining room with elegant forest-bird wallpaper. Weekday à la carte includes Bak Kut Teh Xiao Long Bao and Black Truffle Wild Mushroom Dumpling — creative riffs you don't see elsewhere. The weekend Yum Cha Set bundles signature dim sum, an appetiser, soup, main course and dessert into a meal-format Sunday brunch. Around S$80–120 a head.

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Wan Hao Chinese Restaurant — Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza

Marriott Tang Plaza's Chinese fine-dining restaurant serves a meticulously handcrafted dim sum menu using premium ingredients. Signature items: Steamed Hokkaido Scallop and Sturgeon Caviar Dumpling, and the Steamed Lobster with Bamboo Pith Beetroot Dumpling, Tobiko and Gold Leaf — the dim sum equivalent of haute couture. Best for special-occasion brunch. Around S$80–120 a head. Located at Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel, 320 Orchard Road, Level 5.

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