What to do in Orchard

• 3 mins read

As Singapore’s prime shopping and entertainment district, there is no shortage of things that can be done in the Orchard Road area. It would fill a book if we were to list all the available options here, but these are some key highlights that one should not miss, and perhaps, more importantly for the property buyer or investor, that will continue to support the growth of property prices in the area in time to come. 

Food scene in Orchard Road

Foodies will have a field day scoping out dining locations in the Orchard area. Some of the most celebrated Orchard food options include Bedrock Bar & Grill and the Orchard branch of Chinese hotpot chain Hai Di Lao. Popular Bah Kut Teh chain Song Fa can also be found in Centrepoint, while upmarket malls Ion Orchard, Paragon and Ngee Ann City are replete with restaurants and eateries that can meet the cravings of any foodie. 

Most of the shopping malls on Orchard Road also have their own food courts. Notable food courts include Food Republic on Level 4 of Wisma Atria, Asian Food Mall on Level B1 of Lucky Plaza and Food Opera on Level B4 of ION Orchard.

Shopping in Orchard Road

ION Orchard is a strong candidate for visitors who have time for only one shopping mall on Orchard Road. The building’s avant-garde facade includes a multi-sensory media wall, and the mall itself contains not just a plethora of retail and F&B outlets from the high-end to mass-market, but also an observation deck, ION Sky, which is situated on the 55th and 56th floor and offers panoramic views of the surrounding area.

Orchard Central is another noteworthy shopping mall on Orchard Road. It is architecturally interesting due to the fact that, with 12 above-ground two basement floors, it was conceived as a vertical mall. The mall also consists of six super escalators and 12 glass elevators. And even those who aren’t fans of shopping will want to visit the rooftop garden on the 11th and 12th floors of the mall, designed by Japanese interior designer Takashi Sugimato and adorned with sculptures by artist Yayoi Kusama. Queues have been known to form around the Japanese dining and retail options in the basement of the complex, which include department store Tokyu Hands, Japanese supermarket Don Don Donki and food marketplace Hokkaido Marche. 

\Yet another shopping mall to pay attention to is Orchard Gateway, which houses the National Library Board’s Library@Orchard, as well as Hotel Jen Orchardgateway. The building was designed for sustainability, and can produce electricity using gases from composting organic waste.

Southeast Asia’s very first official Apple Store was opened on Orchard Road in Singapore in 2017. The Apple Store, located at the Knightsbridge Mall, is architecturally stunning and also features an event space called The Forum where frequent workshops are run. 

Search for properties for sale near Orchard Road. 

Hotels in the Orchard Road area

There are numerous high end hotels in the Orchard area catering to tourists eager to get their shopping fill.

Hotel Jen Orchardgateway, which is housed in the same building as Orchard Gateway shopping mall, has a gorgeous rooftop bar and infinity pool, while Mandarin Orchard Singapore is houses stylish shopping mall Mandarin Gallery on its lower floors.

Other hotels in the area include Orchard Parade Hotel, Hilton Hotel Singapore and the Mariott Hotel Singapore.

Entertainment

Moviegoers are spoilt for choice and can choose from several cinemas at Orchard, including Shaw Theatres Lido at Shaw House, Cathay Cineplexes at Orchard Cineleisure, Golden Village at Plaza Singapura and The Cathay Cineplex at The Cathay.

More than a mall, Cineleisure Orchard is an entertainment complex containing a cinema, a trampoline park, karaoke rooms and a plethora of dining and retail options, mostly targeted at youths.

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