Hawker Centres, Gin Distilleries and World-Class DJs: A Guide to Holidaying in Singapore

Visit Singapore any time of the year and you’ll find an abundance of cuisines, colourful shophouses, tropical sunshine, a heaving club culture and tech-tailored art and entertainment. But it’s at its busiest – and best – when the F1 races into town.

If you’re planning on catching the race (or not, but still want to get in on the action), there’s plenty happening around the city-state to suit any itinerary. We’ve rounded up some top options.

Join the queues at Singapore’s hawker centres

Singapore’s a city of Michelin-starred restaurants, fancy fine diners and world-recognised chefs – but a visit isn’t complete without a trip to at least one of its famed hawker centres. On the edge of Chinatown, Maxwell Food Centre is a street-food haven. Start with a piping hot bowl of fragrant laksa from Old Nyonya, where the team adds crayfish and scallops to the classic spicy soup. Or try the namesake dish at Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice, a local favourite serving some of the most succulent chicken and fragrant rice in town.

A bit further out, but well worth the trip, is Old Airport Road Food Centre, home to the slow-cooked, caramelized char siu (barbequed pork) by Roast Paradise. Or cool down and end on a sweet note at Haig Road Market & Food Centre’s Chin Heng Dessert, which serves a Thai dessert called red ruby that sees crunchy water chestnuts tipped over coconut milk-laden shaved ice.

Visit a “gin jungle” by Singapore’s first gin distillery

Tanglin Gin, the city’s first gin distillery, launched in 2018 - weaving in botanicals designed to capture the essence of Singapore’s Tanglin district, with its historic spice plantations. Sitting alongside the distillery in the lush Dempsey Hill neighbourhood is the Tanglin Gin Jungle, a cosy cocktail bar and cellar door. The team has hosted a pop-up bar along the tracks in previous Grand Prixes, but this time round it’s serving cocktails inspired by the top five teams on the Constructor Standings.

Catch high-profile DJs at Marquee Singapore
There are megaclubs, and then there’s Marquee Singapore. Inside the city’s largest nightclub is a neon playground, sporting a three-storey spiralling slide and an indoor ferris wheel – really. For Grand Prix 2022 it hosted electro-house legends like Steve Aoki and Afrojack, and while the line-up hasn’t been announced yet, expect acts of the same calibre for 2023.

Take a virtual spin through the streets of Singapore with Hyperdrive Cities
Racing doesn’t get any more immersive than Hyperdrive Cities. It transforms Singapore’s iconic buildings and winding streets into a simulated race circuit, bringing together teams of simulated racers from across the world to compete virtually.

The grand finale of the tournament, the Hyperdrive Festival, coincides with the Grand Prix race week. You can watch professional sim-racers go head to head (and maybe take a spin yourself), plus there’ll be live music and DJ sets to get your hearts racing.

Explore the city’s vibrant nightlife after the races
High-octane entertainment doesn’t just come in the form of motorsports – Singapore’s clubs deliver it in spades. Zouk’s reputation precedes it – it was one of the first nightclubs to pioneer house music in Singapore – and it’s turning the dial up for its G-Force party over race weekend. The adrenaline from three nights of music, on-site activations and pumping energy will make you feel like you’re behind the wheel of an F1 car.

For something a bit more exclusive, swing by the Amber Lounge for a trackside afterparty. Last year saw F1 drivers like Alex Albon, Nicholas Latifi and Antonio Giovinazzi in attendance. Expect champagne, private alcoves, kaluga caviar – a fitting way to cap off race weekend in paradise.

This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Singapore Tourism.