Blog

THREE-MICHELIN-STARRED Odette and heritage eatery National Kitchen by Violet Oon are the only restaurants that survived a major shake-up of F&B tenants at the National Gallery Singapore, in which seven out of the nine restaurants and bars were told to leave after their leases expired last September.

After negotiating for extensions, the first to close were the one-Michelin-starred Art di Daniele Sperindio and Gemma Steakhouse. Both were operated by Italian chef Daniele Sperindio and shuttered in November.

In the last week, Chinese restaurant Yan and rooftop bar Smoke & Mirrors announced that they would close on Mar 15. The remaining eateries that are set to shut are Hachi Restaurant, Courtyard Cafe and The Great Mischief.

Several restaurant owners who spoke to The Business Times felt that they should have been consulted earlier about the National Gallery’s plans, and said they were blindsided when they were informed in April 2024 that their tenancies would not be renewed.

With their leases expiring in September, they were left with little time to plan their next move, especially since most of them were longstanding tenants. Some had been at the museum since its opening in 2015.