National Gallery Singapore’s refresh: Only F&B tenants Odette, National Kitchen by Violet Oon stay on
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Smoke & Mirrors bar, located at National Gallery Singapore, will shut on March 15.
PHOTO: SMOKE & MIRRORS
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SINGAPORE – Amid the flurry of restaurant closures so far in 2025, several of them are from National Gallery Singapore, as part of the museum’s “holistic refresh” of its food offerings.
Last week, Smoke & Mirrors bar and Cantonese restaurant Yan announced their upcoming closures on March 15. They follow the shuttering of Italian restaurants Gemma and one-Michelin-starred Art di Daniele Sperindio, which ended their nine-year leases on Nov 30, 2024.
While Smoke & Mirrors and Yan are exploring potential opportunities to reopen, chef Daniele Sperindio has plans to relocate Art, as well as set up an Italian pastry and bread shop called Mazzini di Daniele Sperindio – slated for the third quarter of 2025.
Cantonese restaurant Yan, known for its suckling pig, announced its upcoming closure on March 15.
PHOTO: YAN
More changes are afoot for other tenants. Courtyard Cafe is likely to stay till mid-April, says owner Michelle Teng, 37.
After being at the gallery for almost eight years and weathering the Covid-19 pandemic there, she tells The Straits Times that the direction to close “really caught us off guard”.
According to a statement from National Gallery Singapore, existing tenants were informed of the planned tenancy mix refresh in April 2024.
The eateries, along with prospective new tenants, were invited to submit proposals for new concepts. Lease extensions ranging from six months to a year were accommodated, except for those who chose to exit earlier.
Courtyard Cafe’s food will live on in an 800 sq ft space called Food Principle at the Alexandra Central mall. Its staff will also be transferred there. Slated to open on March 7, Food Principle will continue to dish out local delights with the same “grandma’s recipe”, adds Ms Teng.
Another branch of Food Principle is located at The Arcade in Collyer Quay.
Courtyard Cafe at the National Gallery Singapore will shut by mid-April.
PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
Similarly, Hachi Restaurant will make its exit on April 12, with plans to move to the new Keppel South Central business centre in Tanjong Pagar in July, according to an article in The Business Times.
Three-Michelin-starred fine-dining establishment Odette and National Kitchen by Violet Oon are the only two existing tenants that will remain at the location, as they “complement the gallery’s goal of offering meaningful experiences that connect visitors to art and culture through dining”.
Odette (left) and National Kitchen by Violet Oon are the only two existing tenants that will remain at the National Gallery Singapore.
PHOTOS: ODETTE, ST FILE
The gallery’s statement added that, with external industry experts and advisers, there was a “thorough study and review” of its tenancy mix, visitor trends and developments in the F&B sector over the past few months.
It will announce new tenants in the second quarter of 2025, with some refreshed F&B and retail experiences set to open in the second half of 2025.
These closures add to the ongoing spate of eateries that have shut across Singapore, including The Manhattan Fish Market chain and British restaurant The English House. The latter closed on Feb 17 and hopes to return as a “franchise canteen concept”.
Popular Japanese restaurant and bar Tanuki Raw will also shut its Jewel Changi Airport branch in early April. Its other outlets at Orchard Central and Cross Street Exchange remain open.
Mr Chris Lee, assistant chief executive (operations) at the gallery, says: “We deeply appreciate the contributions of our existing tenants, who have played an integral role in shaping the gallery’s museum experience thus far.
“This refresh will further position the gallery as a more accessible and welcoming space for a wider audience, including families, young professionals, tourists and the next generation of museumgoers.”
