Tanjong Pagar's dining scene is evolving beyond just Korean BBQ. Two new openings, a Seoul-style cafe and a Japanese-Italian pasta bar, are adding variety to one of Singapore's most food-dense neighbourhoods. Together, Visitors and Saikyo Pasta represent a broader shift in Tanjong Pagar, the area is moving from a single-purpose Korean BBQ belt into a more layered dining destination where you can grab coffee in the morning, pasta at lunch and Korean BBQ at dinner without leaving the same street.
Visitors: Seoul's Seongsu-dong Vibes in Tanjong Pagar
Korean BBQ restaurants may litter Tanjong Pagar Road, but Korean-style cafes have been scarce, until now. Visitors brings the effortless, laid-back aesthetic of Seoul's trendy Seongsu-dong neighbourhood to Tanjong Pagar Plaza, serving coffee, brunch, pastries and wine all day. Run by Gold Moon Restaurant Group, the team behind Noci Pasta Bar, Noci Bakehouse, Tonshou and Seoul Noodle Shop, Visitors has quickly proven popular with the CBD lunch crowd and the after-work coffee crowd alike.
The space is aesthetically pleasing with croissants and coffee that hit the mark, plus a central location steps from Tanjong Pagar MRT. The interior borrows the concrete-and-pastel palette of Seongsu-dong's converted warehouse cafes, with bentwood chairs, a long marble counter and a pastry case near the entrance that draws walk-ins from the street. The all-day format means you can order a flat white and a croissant at 8am, come back for a brunch plate at noon, and end the day with a glass of natural wine after work.
- Location: 7 Tanjong Pagar Plaza, #01-106, Singapore 081007
- Hours: Daily 8am to 10pm
- Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar MRT (East-West Line, 3-minute walk)
- Format: All-day cafe with coffee, brunch, pastries and wine
- Operator: Gold Moon Restaurant Group (Noci, Tonshou, Seoul Noodle Shop)
Saikyo Pasta: A 12-Seat Japanese-Italian Hideaway
In just over a year, Saikyo Pasta has grown from a home-based takeaway setup at Shenton Way into a dine-in concept at Icon Village, near Tanjong Pagar MRT. Echoing the snug charm of Japan's mom-and-pop shops, Saikyo Pasta packs just 12 counter seats with warm lighting and a layout that encourages interaction with the chefs. The counter faces the open kitchen, so you watch the chefs roll and cut pasta by hand while you eat, which is part of the appeal.
Pastas are handmade fresh using premium ingredients, priced below SGD 23 per plate, rare value in the CBD. The menu leans Japanese-Italian, with dishes like mentaiko cream linguine, truffle shoyu spaghetti and a signature wagyu beef bolognese that has built a loyal following among the lunch crowd. The restaurant is in its soft-opening phase, moving to full public opening in July 2026, with reservations handled via Instagram DM during the soft launch.
- Location: Icon Village, #01-86/87, 12 Gopeng Street, Singapore 078877
- Hours: Mon to Sat, 11:30am to 2:30pm for lunch and 6pm to 8:30pm for dinner
- Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar MRT (East-West Line, 5-minute walk via Icon Village link)
- Seating: 12 counter seats only, no reservations during soft opening
- Price range: Below SGD 23 per pasta plate
- Soft opening: Full public opening in July 2026
How to Plan a Tanjong Pagar Cafe and Pasta Crawl
The two spots sit about 5 minutes apart on foot, which makes a paired visit easy. Start at Visitors at 8am for a flat white and a butter croissant (the pastry case is restocked each morning and the best items go first). Walk down Tanjong Pagar Road towards Icon Village for an 11:30am lunch at Saikyo Pasta, which is when the counter seats fill up fastest because there is no reservation system during soft launch. If you want a quieter slot, the 6pm dinner seating at Saikyo Pasta is calmer than the lunch rush, and Visitors transitions into a wine bar format after 5pm with the same pastry menu still available.
Why These Openings Matter for Tanjong Pagar
Tanjong Pagar has been dominated by Korean BBQ operators for over a decade, and the street's identity as a single-cuisine destination has started to feel limiting. The Visitors opening is the first serious attempt at a Korean-style all-day cafe in the neighbourhood, and the Gold Moon Restaurant Group backing gives it the operational depth to survive the first year. Saikyo Pasta, with its 12-seat format, is a smaller bet but a meaningful one, it brings handmade pasta into a CBD corridor where Italian options have historically been mid-priced chain restaurants rather than chef-led concepts.
If you are planning a visit, the morning slot at Visitors is the easiest to walk into, while Saikyo Pasta's counter fills up within 15 minutes of opening at both lunch and dinner. Bring cash for Saikyo Pasta during the soft opening phase, as the card payment system is being rolled out gradually. For Visitors, card and PayNow are both accepted, and the wine list is available from 5pm onwards.
