6 captivating spots to visit in Tanglin, Singapore

Long established as one of Singapore’s most desirable enclaves, this leafy haven is a magnet for affluent home-hunters

Tanglin or tang leng refers to the hilly geography surrounding the area bookended by two world-renowned Singapore attractions: the Orchard Road shopping strip and gorgeous Botanic Gardens. Historically a place of low-rise villas amid pepper and nutmeg plantations patrolled by tigers, Tanglin is now a key catchment area for the city-state’s well-to-do expatriates and locals. Its allure hinges on high-end malls, antique stores, and Dempsey Hill, one-time military barracks reborn as a gastro-enclave replete with delis, galleries, and restaurants. Meanwhile Tanglin’s plethora of retail options, convenient central location, and cosmopolitan complexion—it houses numerous embassies—makes it a highly sought-after hotspot for affluent home-seeking families.

Park Nova by Shun Tak Holdings

Major players in Hong Kong and Macau, Shun Tak recently signalled their ultra-prime credentials in Singapore with the exclusive Les Maisons Nassim condo. And the nearby 54-unit, 46,000 sq ft Park Nova has already scooped many accolades. The penthouse-topped vertical garden’s biophilic design incorporates greenery-filled, butterfly-shaped balconies throughout its 21 storeys, with stellar views and numerous pools. A sky garden, gym, and sky bridge further enhance the structure. Interiors are no less swanky, with high-end European fittings and designer kitchens. PLP Architecture’s building is complemented by landscaping specialists ICN Design and interior architects Brewin Design Office. The expected date of completion is mid-2023, and freehold prices start at SGD6 million.

Juniper Hill by Allgreen Properties Limited

On elevated ground within the hyper-affluent Bukit Timah district—close to the Botanic Gardens, a slew of well-regarded schools, and country clubs—the 115-unit condominium building Juniper Hill expands the portfolio of prolific developer Allgreen, whose properties are dotted around Singapore. The latest addition to its prestigious Bukit Timah Collection emphasises co-existing with nature and socialising, with pockets of living space threaded throughout the 12-floor building. A 50-metre pool, tennis court, barbecue pavilion, sky lounge, rooftop garden, spa sanctuary, and playground treehouse adorn the verdant exterior, while inside, the apartments’ wood, marble, and metallic accents are complemented by a smart living system and full concierge service.

Manhattan Bar

This dark-hued den of sophistication opened in 2014 in the Regent Hotel and is inspired by New York’s Golden Age of cocktails. Manhattan’s outstanding drinks, best-in-class bar bites, and attentive hospitality have clinched awards since its inception—including two consecutive Asia’s Best Bar wins in 2017 and 2018. Key to its success is the melding of old-world atmosphere with contemporary furnishings, realised via velvet armchairs, opulent drapery, and mahogany tables. Manhattan’s calling card is its collection of barrel-aged cocktails. Private rooms allow partygoers to celebrate in style, with help from Slovakian bar manager Rusty Cerven’s team, who serve up select items from the New York Personified menu, based on Big Apple luminaries.

Candlenut

Taking an innovative approach to the rarefied nuances of Nyonya cuisine, Candlenut’s gorgeous, light-filled Dempsey Road space has scored major success as the world’s first Michelin-starred restaurant specialising in Straits Chinese food. Named after a flowering tree whose fruit is found in Southeast Asian dishes, the venue brings idiosyncratic touches to recipes that remain niche fare – perhaps due to the cuisine’s punchy tastes and aromas. Typical mains include buah keluakXO sauce (chicken, pangium fruit, and nuts), and yong tau foo soup (tofu, shitake, spinach-like sayur manis, soybean, and ikan bilis chicken broth). Desserts are rich and include pisang agar-agar (banana custard, banana, and coconut milk).

Tanglin Mall/Tudor Court Shopping Gallery

Tanglin Road marks the unofficial start point of Orchard Road, one of Asia’s most preeminent shopping thoroughfares. It offers plenty to attract the upscale retail fiend, despite its oldest multi-store address Tanglin Shopping Centre being recently sold to developers. Tanglin Mall’s chi-chi Euro-centric fashion boutiques (Hanna Lee, Santorini, and White Ginger) and homeware stores (House of AnLi) are a magnet for expat style mavens, as well as kids who are drawn to its premium toy stores. Next door is Tudor Court, a delightful 1920s colonial heritage terrace contrasting with the neighbourhood’s shophouses and where vintage furniture retailer Antiquity Hands of the Hills rules the roost.

Singapore Botanic Gardens

Tanglin’s spectacular horticultural park, unanimously endorsed by the Unesco World Heritage Committee in 2015, has attracted visitors since 1859. Now luring 4.5 million devotees annually and containing 10,000-plus species, the site was modelled on London’s Kew Gardens and uniquely posits a tropical garden within a city. Its immaculate landscaping is matched by scientific significance, earned for its early cultivation of rubber seeds (which helped British Malaya, then including Singapore, become the world’s top latex producer) and its multi-variety Orchid Garden, the largest globally. Botanic Gardens – the ultimate realisation of Lee Kuan Yew’s “Garden City” vision – remains a leading education and conservation hub, with the Learning Forest, an 18-hectare extension, completed in 2018.

The original version of this article appeared in Issue No. 173 of PropertyGuru Property Report Magazine. Write to our editors at [email protected].