Tanglin has a reputation of being made up of sedate, quiet neighbourhoods, where there is little to do besides enjoy a stroll along the leafy avenues. Though that is true to a certain extent, that is the secret to its charm. However, you don’t have to look too hard to realise there is actually a lot going on. Looking hard is something you do not have to do when it comes to the area’s number one attraction, with the Tanglin entrance to the Singapore Botanic Gardens in the heart of the region. There are often afternoon or evening concerts in the gardens, on either the Shaw Symphony stage or the bandstand, and the National Orchid Garden is a delight. One thing to note is that the ever-popular Tanglin Arts Studio has moved out of Tanglin a little way north to the Hollandse Club.
Eating and drinking in Tanglin
What Tanglin lacks in quantity, it more than makes up with in variety. The Singapore Botanic Gardens boasts a handful of different food and drink options catering for all tastes and pockets. Tanglin Mall food options are also good, and Nassim Hill Bakery in the Tanglin Post Office attracts people from miles around. Hotel Jen Tanglin has four restaurants, from café style through to al fresco and fine dining. It is also home to two bars, one of which, Rumpoles is a hidden gem offering cocktails and jazz with a decadent 1920’s vibe.
Regent Singapore on Cuscaden Road has no fewer than eight differently themed bars and restaurants. The area’s biggest star when it comes to bars and restaurants has to be Dempsey Hill (as it will always be referred to by many). Spread over a deceivably wide area, the former barracks now is home to a huge range of bars and restaurants offering food from all over the globe.
Photo: Tanglin Shopping Centre
Shopping in Tanglin
Tanglin Mall with its boutiques is the most upmarket of the two malls and is also where you will find Tanglin Marketplace. Tanglin Shopping Centre still has a lot to offer too, and has seven stores purely dedicated to arts and antiques. Between those two malls you will find Tudor Court, with its classically styled shop fronts that are home to several high-end independent stores which is a feature of the whole area. Nearby Orchard Road has its famous labels and high street brands, but it is Tanglin where you will find something a bit more original, quirky even.
Places of Worship
The pretty St George’s Church is set in very pleasant surroundings on Minden Road in Dempsey Hill. On a much larger scale, the Grace Assembly of God (Tanglin) is on Tanglin Road, just north of the Alexandra Canal.
Search for properties for sale near Tanglin Mall and Dempsey Hill.
