Locals often leave a tissue packet on a table to mark it as taken — known as 'choping' a seat. It's an accepted local custom, not a workaround.
Discover Authentic Singapore: A Local Travel Guide by Mercure
At Mercure, we believe you shouldn't need a guidebook to feel like you belong somewhere. That's the idea behind Discover Local: since 1973, every Mercure hotel has been built around its neighbourhood, not just dropped into it — from the décor on the walls to the flavours on the menu. Step into any Mercure and our teams are on hand with the kind of tips you won't find in a guidebook: the market stall locals queue for, the bar where nobody speaks English, the walk that skips the crowds. They live here. They know. Discover Local isn't a generic city guide — it's a short, honest list of the restaurants, markets and neighbourhoods our own hotel teams actually recommend to guests, updated as the city changes around us. Below, you'll find our picks for Singapore, an interactive map to help you find your way, and answers to the questions travellers ask us most. So — where will Discover Local take you?
Our map pins local favourites such as Lau Pa Sat, Hong Lim Food Centre and Yip Yew Chong's Chinatown murals.
Top 5 Things to Do in Singapore
Chinatown Complex hawker stalls
One of the biggest hawker centres in Singapore, and home to some of its most talked-about stalls. Go mid-morning to avoid the lunchtime queue.
Telok Ayer Street
A row of restored shophouses and the Thian Hock Keng Temple, one of Singapore's oldest. Quieter than the main Chinatown strip, and right by the hotel.
Tiong Bahru Market
A wet market and hawker centre in a 1930s art deco estate, a short MRT ride away — chwee kueh and lor mee from stalls that have been at it for decades.
Amoy Street Food Centre
A lunchtime institution for the office crowd, with a dense cluster of hawker stalls just steps from Telok Ayer.
Duxton Hill
A short walk from Chinatown, this stretch of restored shophouses is now home to bars and restaurants — a good change of pace after a hawker-centre afternoon.
Explore Singapore's Best Local Spots with Our Interactive Map
What's on the map in Singapore
We've mapped local spots across Singapore, from Chinatown murals to Michelin-rated hawker stalls.
Chinatown culture
Yip Yew Chong's murals
Former accountant Yip Yew Chong paints Singapore's heritage across Chinatown, drawing on his shophouse childhood. Hunt for 'Chinatown Market' and 'The Letter Writer'.
Chinatown · Street art · Perfect for photos
Chinatown temples
Close to our Mercure ICON Singapore City Centre: the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, the intricately carved Thian Hock Keng Temple and the Sri Mariamman Temple with its towering gopuram.
Chinatown · Temples · Made for culture
Hawker food
Hong Lim Market & Food Centre
Dozens of affordable stalls, including Michelin-recognised Ah Heng Curry Chicken Bee Hoon Mee, Tai Wah Pork Noodle and Sungei Road Trishaw Laksa. Grab a table, note its number, and bring cash.
Chinatown · Hawker centre · Perfect for local food
Lau Pa Sat
A food centre in a 19th-century Victorian cast-iron market. After 7pm it becomes Satay Street, Singapore's largest open-air satay night market. Follow the smoke.
CBD · Hawker centre · Made for satay at night
Kelantan Kway Chap
At Berseh Food Centre, a Michelin Bib Gourmand stall serving silky kway chap noodles with pork cuts and offal in a rich herbal broth. Adventurous? This one's for you.
Berseh Food Centre · Hawker stall · Great for adventurous eaters
Swee Choon Tim Sum
Since 1962, affordable dim sum from family recipes at the Jalan Besar flagship – a late-night supper favourite.
Jalan Besar · Dim sum restaurant · Perfect for late suppers
Heritage & design
Indian Heritage Centre
Southeast Asia's first centre devoted to Indian heritage, with interactive exhibits in Little India.
Little India · Museum · Ideal for culture
Kampong Glam Heritage Trail
A walk through Malay history, from the Malay Heritage Centre, a former sultan's palace, to Arab Street.
Kampong Glam · Heritage trail · Great for a walk
Design Orchard
More than 60 local fashion, beauty and homeware brands under one roof on Orchard Road.
Orchard Road · Shopping · Made for local design
FAQ
It's a short MRT ride away, not walking distance — but easy to reach given the hotel's direct MRT connection.
Yes — Mercure ICON Singapore City Centre connects directly to Chinatown and Telok Ayer MRT stations via the ICON Link.
At Lau Pa Sat, which becomes Satay Street after 7pm, Singapore's largest open-air satay market.
Find a free table (a packet of tissues means it's reserved), note its number, order at any stalls you like and bring cash.
The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, Thian Hock Keng Temple and Sri Mariamman Temple, all close to Mercure ICON Singapore City Centre.
Where to Sleep in Singapore
See Mercure hotels in Singapore, all within reach of these picks.