Lavender MRT (East-West Line) sits right under Kallang Road, wrapped by the old-school food belt of Jalan Besar, Kitchener Complex, Foch Road, Tyrwhitt Road and Crawford Lane — one of the densest pockets of cheap, characterful eating in central Singapore. Most of the picks below are a 3–12 minute walk from the station, with mains realistically in the S$2–11 range, from late-night dim sum and roast-meat rice to curry rice, Hakka beef noodles and traditional bakes. Hours and prices change, so treat this as a confirm-before-you-go shortlist rather than a guarantee.
Last verified: September 2026. Hours and prices can change — we re-check our guides regularly, but do confirm before a special trip.
The list
Swee Choon Tim Sum Restaurant Dim Sum / Cantonese · $$
Iconic budget-friendly dim sum institution with per-basket pricing that runs into the small hours, ideal for supper near Lavender.
- Cuisine: Dim Sum / Cantonese
- Price: $$ · ~$2–6 per basket; shared meal can reach ~$12–18
- Must-try: Mee Suah Kueh, Har Gow, Liu Sha Bao (custard bun)
- Where: 183–193 Jalan Besar, Singapore 208882
- Area: Jalan Besar
- Nearest MRT: Lavender (East-West Line); also Jalan Besar (Downtown Line)
- Hours: Sun–Thu 7am–2am (last order 1:30am); Fri, Sat & eve of PH 7am–4am (last order 3:30am)
- Halal: No
Beach Road Scissor-Cut Curry Rice Hainanese-style Curry Rice · $
Long-running curry-rice specialist known for its scissor-cut pork chop and thick curry-plus-braising gravy over rice at hawker-style prices.
- Cuisine: Hainanese-style Curry Rice
- Price: $ · ~$5.80–11 per set
- Must-try: Pork chop curry rice set, Braised pork belly, Cabbage with curry gravy
- Where: 229 Jalan Besar Road, Singapore 208905
- Area: Jalan Besar
- Nearest MRT: Lavender (East-West Line); also Jalan Besar (Downtown Line)
- Halal: No
88 Hong Kong Roast Meat Specialist Cantonese Roast Meats · $
Popular hole-in-the-wall for well-priced char siew and roast pork rice a short walk from the station.
- Cuisine: Cantonese Roast Meats
- Price: $ · ~$6.50 per rice plate
- Must-try: Char siew rice, Roast pork (sio bak) rice, Combination roast meat rice
- Where: 308 Lavender Street, Singapore 338814 (also at 153 Tyrwhitt Road, S207566)
- Area: Lavender Street
- Nearest MRT: Lavender (East-West Line)
- Hours: Daily 10am–8pm
- Halal: No
The Beef House Hakka Beef Noodles · $
No-frills Hakka shop doing springy beef balls and beef bee hoon soup at old-school prices, about an 11-minute walk from the station.
- Cuisine: Hakka Beef Noodles
- Price: $ · ~$5–6 a bowl
- Must-try: Beef ball bee hoon soup, Sliced beef noodles
- Where: 217 Syed Alwi Road, Gar Lok Eating House, Singapore 207776
- Area: Jalan Besar / Syed Alwi Road
- Nearest MRT: Lavender (East-West Line); also Jalan Besar (Downtown Line)
- Hours: Sat–Thu 8am–5pm (closed Fri)
- Halal: No
Yan Chuan Roasters Chinese Roast Meats / Peking Duck · $
Kitchener Complex stall serving affordable Peking duck and roast meats about an 8-minute walk from Lavender MRT.
- Cuisine: Chinese Roast Meats / Peking Duck
- Price: $ · Peking duck ~$8.90; roast meat rice from ~$5
- Must-try: Peking duck, Roast meat rice
- Where: 809 French Road, #01-43/45, Kitchener Complex, Singapore 200809
- Area: Kitchener Complex
- Nearest MRT: Lavender (East-West Line)
- Hours: Daily 10:30am–8:30pm
- Halal: No
The Pantree Min Jiang Kueh (Traditional Pancakes) · $
Weekday snack stop for cheap traditional folded pancakes right on Lavender Street.
- Cuisine: Min Jiang Kueh (Traditional Pancakes)
- Price: $ · ~$1.80–3.70 per pancake
- Must-try: Chicken floss & egg pancake, Peanut min jiang kueh
- Where: 114 Lavender Street, #01-19, CT Hub 2, Singapore 338729
- Area: Lavender Street
- Nearest MRT: Lavender (East-West Line)
- Hours: Mon–Fri 8:30am–5pm; last Sat of month 9:30am–4pm
La Levain Bakery / Cafe · $
Neighbourhood bakery where a single pastry makes an affordable, filling stop near Jalan Besar.
- Cuisine: Bakery / Cafe
- Price: $ · ~$6.80–7.20 per pastry
- Must-try: Onigiri croissant, Kouign-amann
- Where: 23 Hamilton Road, Singapore 209182
- Area: Jalan Besar / Hamilton Road
- Nearest MRT: Lavender (East-West Line); also Jalan Besar (Downtown Line)
- Hours: Tue, Thu–Sun 8am–6pm; Wed 8am–4:30pm (closed Mon)
Cafe Lilac Cafe / Desserts · $$
Compact dessert cafe on Crawford Lane, about a 10-minute walk and one of the closest sit-down sweet spots to Lavender MRT.
- Cuisine: Cafe / Desserts
- Price: $$ · Signature desserts ~$8 (menu ~$5.50–15)
- Must-try: Taro choux, Seasonal choux pastries
- Where: 466 Crawford Lane, #01-08, Singapore 190465
- Area: Crawford Lane
- Nearest MRT: Lavender (East-West Line)
- Hours: Mon–Thu 11:30am–7pm; Fri 11:30am–9pm; Sat 10am–9pm; Sun 10am–5pm
Tian Yi Desserts Traditional Chinese Desserts · $
Old-school ~$2 dessert stall for cheng tng and bean soups, about a 6-minute walk from the station.
- Cuisine: Traditional Chinese Desserts
- Price: $ · ~$2 per bowl (most under $2; Bo Bo Cha ~$2.30)
- Must-try: Mixed red & green bean soup, Cheng tng
- Where: 10 North Bridge Road, #01-112, North Bridge Road Market & Food Centre, Singapore 190010
- Area: North Bridge Road
- Nearest MRT: Lavender (East-West Line)
- Hours: Tue–Sat 9:10am–3pm
Blanco Court Beef Noodles Beef Noodles · $$
Well-known beef noodle brand at Aperia Mall; a bowl sits at the top edge of cheap-eats pricing.
- Cuisine: Beef Noodles
- Price: $$ · ~$11.90 (upper edge of cheap-eats range)
- Must-try: Superior beef noodles (dry/soup)
- Where: 12 Kallang Avenue, #01-36, Aperia Mall, Singapore 339509
- Area: Aperia Mall / Kallang Avenue
- Nearest MRT: Lavender (East-West Line)
- Hours: Daily 10am–9pm
- Halal: No
At a glance: compare every spot
| Spot | Cuisine | Price | Area | Halal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swee Choon Tim Sum Restaurant | Dim Sum / Cantonese | $$ | Jalan Besar | No |
| Beach Road Scissor-Cut Curry Rice | Hainanese-style Curry Rice | $ | Jalan Besar | No |
| 88 Hong Kong Roast Meat Specialist | Cantonese Roast Meats | $ | Lavender Street | No |
| The Beef House | Hakka Beef Noodles | $ | Jalan Besar / Syed Alwi Road | No |
| Yan Chuan Roasters | Chinese Roast Meats / Peking Duck | $ | Kitchener Complex | No |
| The Pantree | Min Jiang Kueh (Traditional Pancakes) | $ | Lavender Street | — |
| La Levain | Bakery / Cafe | $ | Jalan Besar / Hamilton Road | — |
| Cafe Lilac | Cafe / Desserts | $$ | Crawford Lane | — |
| Tian Yi Desserts | Traditional Chinese Desserts | $ | North Bridge Road | — |
| Blanco Court Beef Noodles | Beef Noodles | $$ | Aperia Mall / Kallang Avenue | No |
Your questions answered
How far are these places from Lavender MRT, and which exit should I use?
Most picks are a 3–12 minute walk. Kitchener Complex (Yan Chuan Roasters) and the Lavender Street / Crawford Lane spots are the closest via the exit onto Kallang Road; the Jalan Besar, Foch Road and Tyrwhitt Road stretch is a slightly longer stroll and can also be reached from Jalan Besar MRT (Downtown Line).
How cheap is 'cheap' around Lavender MRT?
Expect roughly S$2–11 for most single plates and bowls listed here — think ~$6.50 roast-meat rice, ~$5–6 beef noodles and ~$2 desserts. Dim sum and zi char are priced per item, so a shared meal can climb higher; a couple of picks (like beef noodles at ~$11.90) sit at the top of the range.
Which spots are good for a late-night or supper meal?
Swee Choon is the standout for late eating, running to 2am on weeknights and 4am on Fri/Sat and eves of public holidays. Many others close by early evening (roast-meat and bakery stalls often shut around 8–9pm), so check hours before heading out for supper.
Are there halal options near Lavender MRT?
This is a general cheap-eats list, and several venues here serve pork (roast meats, curry rice, dim sum) and are not halal. For halal meals, verify each place independently via a MUIS certificate on display or the official MUIS directory, and don't assume Muslim-friendly status without confirmation.
Are the prices and opening hours here guaranteed?
No. Prices, menus and hours change often, and some stalls take irregular rest days. Where we couldn't confirm a detail we've left it blank — always call ahead or check the venue's own page or Google listing before you go.