When dining at a 3-starred restaurant, we (rightfully) expect the food to be outstanding, full of sensory surprises. Zen does not disappoint in this regard with one dish after another that is visually stunning on top of being a taste sensation. Our favorites were the Kanpachi crudo, Chawanmushi with caviar, and the signature Onion, almond & liquorice soup. These dishes cause you to pause after each bite to decipher the variety of flavors, textures and aromas. My favorite desserts were the salted milk ice cream with banana that was topped with a generous shaving of frozen foie gras, followed by some of the most exquisite fruits I’ve experienced. In all honesty, we ate here after having already experienced Singapore’s two other 3-starred restaurants and weren’t expecting to be impressed. We weren’t even that excited to be going, but felt that, in all fairness, we ought to come to Zen in order to have experienced all three. Our conclusion, to our great surprise and delight, is that Zen topped the other two! The foods were inventive, delicious and beautifully prepared and presented at each table. Topping it off was the tremendous hospitality. Manager Zu was extraordinarily welcoming, attentive, and genuinely engaging. There was no stuffiness or pretentiousness from him or any of his team. Amber took impeccable care of us, firstly noticing that I was left handed and thus laying out my place settings accordingly (having seen me eat the amuse bouche bites with my left hand). For three hours, just about all of the staff at different points will interact with you because each plate is finalized, tweezers and all, on a workspace attached to your table. The Zen experience is enhanced by these warm personal encounters and by being able to witness the finesse that accompanies each item that passes your lips. When your schedule and budget allows, I would highly recommend Zen. This was not simply a meal, but an experience to remember.

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QUICKIE REVIEW One of the best food EXPERIENCES can be had here. Recommend the lunch as it is a bit easier on the pockets. There is levels to this place--both figuratively and literally. FOOD This is what I tried: -Lunch special Hard to explain the food as each bite has a mix of all these flavors (some familiar some new). What's nice is you don't choose what you get, the course is the course. Thing are tweaked and what you get on one visit may not be what you get the next time if you visit again. PARKING No. SERVICE Stellar. It's all part of the experience. PRICE Depends on if you do lunch or dinner. Either way, couple hundred per person. Lunch is cheaper, I recommend that if you are looking to be a bit gentler on the pockets. TIP/OTHER THOUGHTS Eating her is just an experience from beginning to end. Not only in the food but how they take you through everything. Everything felt over the top and polished. I see how they got their 3 Michelin stars.

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We first came here when they first opened 5 years ago and now is our repeat visit. Overall our sense is that they have grown and got better with time On the first floor, there’s a bevy of amuse bouche, all very good. They also show you all the ingredients for dinner Most of the courses are on the second floor. The onion soup with liquorice, and banana/shaved foie gras dessert are out of this world. The rest very good to excellent Then we finished with petit fours on the third floor. Amazing waffles Excellent service throughout

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In town for my 40th, sans kids, and had to go back to Zen. Waxed lyrical about it last time (“best restaurant we’ve ever been to, blah blah blah”) so were a little trepidatious it wouldn’t live up to the memory. To be completely honest, it didn’t quite. But it was still fantastic! Restaurant itself and food were as brilliant as last time (March 2023), with plenty of change, but some old favourites remaining. I said it last time, but this is one of the very few restaurants that actually make truffle work. Usually it’s just grated or sliced onto a standard dish and you get charged $30-40 for the “upgrade”. Zero thought given. Zen actually work with it so that it truly compliments, and is complimented by, the dish. I am of course talking about the “French Toast”, which is one of the group’s flagship courses. So I suppose it has to be good. But every course splendid, from the snacks on the ground floor to the waffles in the attic. We love the atmosphere and music, but being children of the 90s and students of the 00s I think the tunes are exactly to our tastes. Very much indie pop in the main dining room. Which is still trendsetting for Michelin starred restaurants. The only thing that was probably a little better on our last visit was the service. Lisa was phenomenal that time, but has been prompted to restaurant manager I think since (richly deserved, it seems to us) so was spread a little more thinly. Great for the restaurant, she still seems phenomenal, selfishly bad for us seeing less of her! There was also some sort of VIP couple who had a gravity all of their own. But overall service still excellent. It’s like synchronised swimming, plates and cutlery and glasses coming and going in unison. It really is a sight to behold. And Jarred continues to be an absolute joy to see, such a lovely man and brilliant at what he does. Didn’t realise at the time that it was head chef Tristin Farmer’s last service, so will be fascinating when next we return to see if much changes with a new kitchen lead. And we’ll definitely be returning. Can’t wait to try his next venue too. Zen, in our opinion, is the best restaurant in Singapore and up there with the best we’ve ever visited. Highly recommended.

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Wow! This was such a good experience. The food was amazing and the service was the best! Friendly staff with a lot of humor. The setting was fantastic!

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I have been to a few and Michelin restaurants, but this Michelin restaurant was nothing short of perfection! The overall experience feels very exclusive, yet warm, welcoming and engaging at the same time. You get this authenticity from the staff, that is quite unique from other restaurants I have been to. Everyone excelled at connecting with their guests in a way that feels authentic and effortless, like a well orchestrated group, who's purpose was to ensure that you enjoyed every second of the experience, as it is to be expected at a 3 Michelin restaurant. I cannot express the overwhelming sensation of each and every bite. Anything I write, will certainly fall short. Everything that we had was an explosion of flavor, delicate enough to not disrupt the next bite, but with the sensuality to make you desire for more. Each and every detail accentuated the comfort and the enjoyment of simply being there. From the lively music playing just loud enough to still hear your conversation, to the Scandinavian esthetics, and the detail in which our servers tried to inform us of the source of the food, the flavors that we would experience, and the upscale and delicate plating of each dish. And as impressive as it was... they still incorporated an element of surprise to cap off the experience for us. I will let you find out for yourselves.

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Top grade ingredients (in generous portions), inventive cooking techniques and presentation and an innovative "dining journey" format where you are taken through different floors of the restaurant as the course progress. Lots of reviews in the press describing the dining experience so I wont repeat here save to say its reputation is well deserved. It is pricy but you fully get your money's worth.

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I've read several detailed reviews of this wonderful establishment and need not repeat. My experience was that this was the most expensive lunch I have eaten, I probably liked the French Les Amis the day prior a bit more but this experience was far more creative in presentation and varied in flavors. I may not prefer Scandinavian twists, but it was still great and I am happy to have had the experience. I was traveling alone and the 3 hour event was substantially elevated by my clever server, Pollyana. Thank you for the enjoyable conversation!

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Great, consistent experiences from 2x visits to Zen. Loving the experiential side of this place, the service and great knowledge of the staff, delicious delicious food, unpretentious ambience, great non alcohol/ wine/ mix non alcohol & wine pairing.

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I write my review of Zén in Singapore as a three-time visitor to Frantzén, the original operation in Stockholm and the Mother Ship of the Frantzén empire. I am a well traveled foodie, and I can confidently say that my meals at Frantzén in Stockholm are among the best I have ever had. Expensive, yes, but the food and experience were worth it. Zén in Singapore fell short of the standards of Frantzén in Stockholm in several respects. On the surface, Zén is meant to emulate the Frantzén experience. Both restaurants are multi-story, with each level of the restaurant playing a role. You start with champagne to accompany many delectable snacks, before moving to the display of today’s ingredients and the explanation that accompanies them. You then move to the main dining level to have your savory courses, followed by desserts and digestifs at the final level. The food was absolutely delicious. No doubt about it. But I would say the quality of the food was the only attribute where Zén met the Frantzén standards. The experience is meant to be fun and informal, balancing out the seriousness of the food and drink. At Frantzén the staff was gregarious and lots of fun. They really enjoyed showing you the amazing space and talking to you about all the ingredients and all the experimental things going on. The experience of moving around the amazing building on different levels really makes the meal. The Singapore experience paled by comparison. The tour I received was very perfunctory and low energy. For example, as we walked by the dozens of jars of pickled vegetables in Stockholm my guide gave me a fun and detailed rundown on some of the coolest new ingredients and concepts being tried out. In Singapore, my guide walked right by and just said that Swedes really like to pickle food. No one at any point told me anything about the historic building the restaurant was located in. I found out about its significance after the fact. There was also no comparison between the personnel I interacted with at each location. Except for a Swedish staff member, who was very engaging, I found the Zen staffers to be basically going through the motions with far less engagement than their Stockholm colleagues. Most importantly, the value of the experience in Singapore was very poor. My check came to almost twice what I paid in Frantzén. And for that, I actually got less food and wine instead of more. At Frantzén when you get the champagne during the initial snack introduction they will refill your glass. At Zén, for US$50 you get one small glass of champagne and that’s it. Expecting the Stockholm experience, I made the mistake of drinking the champagne with the first three snacks, leaving none for the last two. In Stockholm, the snacks continue as you’re getting an explanation of the ingredients you’re about to try. While I did not count the number of courses, it seems I had at least two fewer than I had in Stockholm. One of the signature courses, the truffle toast, was smaller in size and the truffles were pre-sliced instead of prepared table-side. Much less fun than it could have been, and much less generous. I found the wines to be unremarkable and much less memorable. Finally, the dessert chef seemed much less imaginative. Instead of the amazing creations I was used to in Stockholm. I had a couple of basic dishes, including Japanese fruit. I understand how remarkable this fruit can be. I also understand the best way to pay tribute to it is to serve it by itself with no enhancements. But I could have done this myself at home. I understand that prices at high-end restaurants in Singapore are much higher than elsewhere as this is an extremely rich place and people can afford to pay almost anything. However, if you are going to charge prices like these then, at a minimum, should you not strive to provide the same experience as you do at your mother ship?

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It’s up there. The experience was phenomenal. Ticked every box…venue, service, and food. I hate name checking restaurants, and usually only see it on negative reviews (“I’ve been to this, this, and this restaurant so trust me when I say this one is rubbish…”), but I figure if you’re checking out this place you are as into your food as are. The only place we’ve been to that rivals is Extebarri, in Spain. They’re very different. It’s actually hard to put a finger on why we rate Extebarri so high. We prefer the more informal and contemporary, and Extebarri is certainly more what you think of when you think of a Michelin fine diner. White tablecloths, low volume, inoffensive music, more formal service. Stunning food. Zen, though, is different and just stunning. Objectively I think it’s the best for our tastes. The venue is spread across three floors. Ground floor is the kitchen and a few tables for “snacks”. You get to meet the kitchen team and one of the chefs runs through all the ingredients you’ll be eating. Then it’s up to the first floor for dinner proper. We loved the space. Fun, comfortable, and informal. Looked beautiful and we took a few pictures of furniture and decorations we’d like to have in our home. Music is right up our street, “indie”. It was like they’d put my Spotify playlist on. Food was incredible. They even made the sea urchin taste fabulous! I’ve only had sea urchin once or twice (once ant Noma) and, had thought, I don’t like it, but miracles were worked. There was also a truffle dish that was wonderful. A pet hate of ours is when restaurants do truffle degustation or plates and it seems the limit of the thought is to just slice truffle onto the same dish as is usually served…not here though. It was woven very cleverly into the course and really, really worked. I honestly can’t speak highly enough of the food. It was clever and a huge amount of work clearly went into each course, but also delicious. The only thing maybe better than the food was the service. I don’t think I’ve ever had better. It was like synchronised swimming. And very personable and informal too. Had a few laughs with several different members of staff. You finish the night in the second/top floor in a dark bar type area. Very comfortable. Coffee and dessert. This is definitely a restaurant we will return to, which isn’t often the case. Quite simply stunning.

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Zen is fantastic, in every sense. The food, the staff, the concept, the wine. Extremely delicious, there were absolutely nothing not to like ( except for this terrible music, but it seems to be everywhere in Singapore, absolutely not understandable). So, the restaurant is without doubt 3 star Michelin, in fact one of the best three star I have ever visited, and I have visited many. We also liked the menu presentation at the end of the meal, so nice, with all the signatures. The only negative issue we can mention, is the price. But well, we are in Singapore, and Zen can afford to be so expensive. We didn't regret to pay so much, it was once in a lifetime experience.

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When you need a perfect place to splurge, Zén did not disappoint. A one of a kind experience in Singapore that’s worth the name of Frantzén (and the hype) The experience starts from the moment you step foot in the building. It’s housed in the place where restaurant Andre used to be. The dining take place in three different level of the house (similar to Albert Adria’s Enigma in Barcelona). Small bites and uniques canapés on the first floor living room. A quick review on all the fresh ingredients used also in this room before we were escorted to the main dining room in the 2nd floor. A lot of the dishes are finished table side for show and finally you have the 3rd floor for chocolates and waffles. The concept of japan Scandinavian in cooking is quite unique (similar to japandi in interior that’s gaining hype lately) fresh ingredients with scandinavian sharp acidity. All the dishes are well prepared, well presented and well thought of. But if we have to pick one highlight, is has to be the onion almond and licorice (soup?) - simplicity at is best. What a burst of flavor that comes from such a humble looking dish. The staff were all so helpful and friendly. They’re all so knowledgeable about the food they’re serving and take pride in it. Kudos to chef Tristin and team! All being said the downside of the experience are: 1. the price that’s probably right now is the most expensive dining in Singapore (but this is justified by the quality and experience). 2. The wait time between the dishes in the main dining room is too long. It’s usual for a fine dining michellin experience to span 3-4 hours but, somehow Zén’s felt too long

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Absolutely one of the best restaurants in Singapore. The food, service and ambience at this place were top notch. Truly deserving of its 3 Michelin star rating.

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Zén was the highlight of our honeymoon food tour in Singapore. In the nights prior, we had visited Les Amis, Labyrinth (highly recommend!), and Shoukouwa. Zén blew them all out of the water for us. Easily the best dining experience of our lives and much worthy of the 3 Michelin stars ⭐️. Every dish we tasted was better than the last, starting from the first floor all the way to the top floor. Service was perfection as well. If you are in Singapore, I highly highly recommend you splurge for a special occasion and visit this restaurant!

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