Arab Street is the go-to location for anyone sightseeing in Singapore. Both tourists and locals flock to this vibrant beacon of culture in Bugis, which offers a huge range of activities to partake in. This area is lined with stores selling the most beautiful fabrics, textiles, carpets and lamps, as well as irresistible fragrance shops where you can sniff on various scents and even customise your own.
Of course, the food options in the Arab Street area are aplenty, including traditional Middle-Eastern restaurants, Muslim-owned bakeries and trendy new cafes. Here are 11 things to do the next time you take a trip down to Arab Street.
—Activities—
1. Shop for textiles and new fabrics
Arab Street is lined with all sorts of textile shops for you to get your hands on the most beautiful fabrics, including those that are patterned and embroidered with intricate details and designs. Some of these textile shops have been operating for generations, and carry various kinds of fabric, including silk and even batik!
This street truly is the dressmaker’s heaven. Some textile shops you may consider perusing include Royal Fabrics (84 Arab Street), which sells high quality laces and royal fabrics from all over the world, and Mahaco Impex (107 Arab Street), which will spoil you with its variety of patterned designs.
2. Craft your own perfume
Fragheads, get ready to convene at Arab Street. Here, you’ll find multiple quaint fragrance shops that take perfume shopping to the next level. One of the most popular perfume stores here is Sifr Aromatics (42 Arab Street), which specialises in custom fragrances, small-batch artisan perfumes, essential oil blends and more.
You can select from their range of aromatic specialty perfumes, or you could partake in a more unique activity— the Bespoke Perfume Consultation (S$275) allows you to craft your own custom perfume based on a one-on-one consultation with a third-generation perfumer.
Other perfumeries to check out in the area include Royal Fragrances (26 Bussorah Street) and Jamal Kazura Aromatics (728 North Bridge Road).
3. Visit Sultan Mosque
Who could visit Arab Street without paying a visit to the iconic Sultan Mosque? Built in 1824 by Sultan Hussein Shah, this mosque is an integral location for Singapore’s Muslim community, full of rich heritage and culture. Visitors are welcome to enter the mosque for free, though appropriate clothing must be worn, and footwear must be removed before entering.
Even if you choose not to enter the mosque, as with every other tourist (and local) that visits, you could just stand along the street outside and take a few pictures with it— after all, it is an iconic photo spot when in Bugis.
4. Purchase new trinkets, lamps and pottery
Need a new trinket for your home or office? The beautiful lamps and ceramics at Arab Street will be sure to blow you away. Many shops here boast the most gorgeous Turkish mosaic lamps in various colours and sizes, intricately crafted with hand-cut glass. Turkish Lamp by Shayan Gallery (113 Arab Street) and Lights Shop (49 Arab Street) are some places you can purchase a gorgeous lamp.
Various shops also sell pretty ceramics along the side of the road, with an assortment of handmade bowls, plates and other kinds of pottery. You’ll easily spot these vibrant ceramics just by taking a walk around— why not grab a few to spice up your dishware collection?
5. Buy a new carpet
Looking to furnish your home with some new floor decor? Arab Street is the go-to spot for all your carpeting needs. Shops like Aria Carpets (100 Arab Street) and Haji Tawakal Carpets (52 Arab Street) sell all sorts of beautiful carpets with both handmade and machine-made oriental carpets donning traditional and modern contemporary designs.
These carpets come in all sorts of colours and designs, ranging from simple patterns to intricate details. You’ll definitely find a carpet that calls out to you when you peruse the shops here.
6. Create pendulum and spin paintings at Motion Art Space
Unleash your inner artist at Motion Art Space— this experience allows you to combine art with scientific concepts like physics and gravity in order to create a modern art piece. Even if you have no art or painting experience, you don’t need to worry about that as the sessions are designed for everyone.
Admission prices start from S$69 for one adult, including a premium quality canvas, 4 basic colour paints and 1 premium pearl colour paint. All tools are provided, and you can go crazy during your 1 hour session. Using pendulums, spinners, bottles, trays and brushes, you’ll be free to create a a masterpiece that’ll give Jackson Pollock a run for his money.
36A Arab Street, Level 2, Singapore 199735
Daily: 10am – 7pm
Facebook | Instagram | Website
10 best wallet-friendly restaurants in Bugis+ for a lovely family dinner
—Dining—
7. Anatolia Turkish & Lebanese Cuisine
The dining options at Arab Street are aplenty. One of the most popular spots is Anatolia Turkish & Lebanese Cuisine, which serves up all the classic Middle-Eastern dishes like hummus, kebabs and pide.
Grab a Mezza Platter (S$46.90++) to enjoy a variety of dips, including hummus, moutable, babaganoush, dolma, taziki, Muhammara and a side of lavash fresh bread.
As I was dining alone, I went for the Hummus Chicken (S$27.90++), served with tender grilled chicken and pita bread. The dish was surprisingly very filling, with the creamy hummus nicely pairing with the smokey chicken and the pita.
Other popular dishes to try include the Iskender Lamb Kebab (S$34.90), made with layers of bread topped with grilled minced meat and covered in homemade sauce and yoghurt, and Pide Cheese (S$28.90), a classic bread dish topped with fresh mozzarella cheese.
58 Arab Street, Singapore 199755
+65 9649 8099
Daily: 10am – 10.30pm
Facebook | Instagram
8. Ayasofya Turkish Restaurant
Ayasofya Turkish Restaurant is one of the more well-known restaurants in the area, serving up authentic Turkish cuisine like mandi rice, kebabs, kunafe and more. Dishes are made using traditional cooking techniques in order to stay true to the flavours of Turkey.
The Mixed Mezze Platter (S$36.90++) comes with hummus, sakuska, babaganoush, patlican, salata and dolma, served with hot turkish lavash bread. Meanwhile, must-try mains include the Doner (Shawarma) Rice, priced at S$22.90++ for chicken and S$24.90++ for lamb, and Musakka, an eggplant, potato and cheese dish available in varieties like Chicken (S$25.90++), Lamb (S$28++) and Vege (S$25++).
51 Bussorah Street, Singapore 199467
+65 9134 0468
Daily: 11am – 11pm
Facebook | Instagram | Website
9. Wonders Bakery
Drop by the Muslim-owned Wonders Bakery to indulge in a few scrumptious sweet treats. This bakery offers delicious cupcakes, croissants, cookies and other delectable baked goods to get you through your day with a smile.
Ever tried the viral Dubai pistachio kunafa chocolate in croissant form? For S$10.90, you can get the Chocolate Pistachio Kunafa Croissant, stuffed with pistachio kunafa and drizzled with milk chocolate to make every bite extra-indulgent.
The Strawberry Pistachio Tart (S$6.90) is another treat to savour— bite into a juicy strawberry on top of a dense pistachio-filled tart. Nutty and buttery all in one, this was an absolute delight.
111 Arab Street, Singapore 199807
+65 8808 6813
Sun to Thu: 12pm – 7pm
Fri & Sat: 12pm – 9pm
Facebook | Instagram | Website
10. Wooly’s Bagels
Wooly’s Bagels has made quite the name for itself with its thick stuffed bagels. This Muslim-owned establishment is a must-try for bagelwich lovers, as each bagel is filled generously with ingredients. GTFBagel 2.0 (S$15.50) is a classic creation, stuffed with chicken meat loaf, sunny side eggs, hash brown and truffle mayo.
Alternatively, opt for Thicc Chick Dripp (S$15.90), which sandwiches a piece of crispy fried chicken, pickles, a sunny-side up egg and in-house spicy tangy sauce.
Salmon fans can opt for Bagel & Lox (S$16.80), filled with house-cured lox with red onions, capers, dill and herb cream cheese. They even have a sweet version, Bagel S’mores (S$10), containing roasted marshmallows on Nutella. Can’t go wrong with that.
27 Arab Street, Singapore 199726
Daily: 10.30am – 8.30pm
Facebook | Instagram | Website
11. Fika Swedish Cafe & Bistro
IKEA is not the only place you’ll get your Swedish food fix. At the corner of Arab Street and Beach Road is Fika Swedish Cafe & Bistro, where you can find affordable and home-cooked Swedish food that is more than just meatballs.
Go for dishes like Kalops (S$26), which are beef cubes slow-cooked for 3 hours, Plankstek (S$42), featuring 250g of juicy Black Angus, or the Swedish Lamb Stew (S$28). I would suggest the Smörgåsbord (S$80) for particularly ravenous eaters that promise to be a feast in every sense of the word.
But, if you want to get their meatballs, Fika’s Swedish Meatballs (S$24) come with the classic selection of lingonberry jam, potato, cream sauce, and pickled cucumbers. It might just give the Swedish giant a run for its money.
257 Beach Road, Singapore 199539
+65 6396 9096
Sun to Thu: 11am – 9pm
Fri & Sat: 11am – 10pm
Facebook | Instagram | Website
11 best food spots in Bugis Junction for a yummilicious meal [Nov 2024 update]
