10 European restaurants that will transport you to Europe

HaPiHa means eat-drink-eat in Albanian and the restaurant is the brainchild of Albanian-born Klevis Shima. The Singaporean PR had escaped the country as a refugee during the civil war and later worked his way up the kitchen in Italy before moving to Singapore to be with his wife, Ali Wong, and son. HaPiHa serves up Albanian and Mediterranean food so you will find familiar dishes from Greece and Turkey as well, ranging from Beef Cevapi (grilled minced meat) and Borek pie (above) to various Souvlaki skewers and grilled seafood). Kebabs, pizza and pita breads with a variety of dips are available too. Ingredients are sourced from Italy or Turkey and the brand promises not to use MSG.

HaPiHa Mediterranean Taverna is at Ridgewood Cl, G1 Ridgewood Condominium, Singapore 276696. Visit its Instagram for more information.

If the name hasn’t clued you in, Leopold serves up Austrian, Swiss and German food as they share similarities owing to their German-speaking heritage. As such, you can expect the hearty fare of the central European nations that includes Bratwurst and Currywurst, Wiener Schnitzel (made with veal instead of pork), Rindergulasch (beef goulash stew), Rösti, Apfelstrudel (apple strudel) and many more. The menu also has vegetarian options for those who don’t eat meat.

Leopold is at 96 Tg Pagar Rd, Singapore 088517. Visit its website for more information.

Molly Malone’s touts itself to be the first Irish pub to open in Singapore back in 1995. To date, they continue to serve up Irish favourites alongside live music and sports viewings. Because Irish and English food are almost identical, you can find familiar dishes such as Bangers & Mash, Fish & Chips, Pork Scotch Egg and Beef & Guinness Pie. Besides the Irish beer Guinness, Molly Malone’s has a range of Irish whiskey too.

Molly Malone’s Irish Pub is at 56 Circular Rd, Singapore 049411. Visit its Instagram for more information.

Tuga wants to celebrate the flavours and wines of Portugal. And because the country borders the Mediterranean and has an extensive coastline, expect copious amounts of seafood paired with fresh produce. Start with Pimentos Padrão (moderately spicy Padrón peppers) and Arroz Malandrinho de Tomate (“Malandrinho Style” Spinach Rice) and complement it with seafood such as Roasted Atlantic Octopus and Grilled Sardines. Of course, you also have to try Portugal’s famous salted cod, Bacalhau, which is prepared in several methods here.

Tuga Singapore is at 01-15 Dempsey Rd, Block 8 Dempsey Hill, Singapore 247696. Visit its Instagram for more information.

Shashlik Restaurant doesn’t serve up purely Russian food. Instead, it prides itself on “Russian favourites” made with “Hainanese flair” as the brand offers Russian and continental cuisines made by Hainanese chefs that can trace their origins back to the Troika Restaurant. But if you’re here for Russian flair, start with the Blinis Caviar (pancakes with caviar) and Borshch Soup then tuck into the Shashlik grilled skewers and Russian Salad. There is also a menu for children here, with offerings such as Baby Stroganoff, Mac and Cheese and Hawaiian Blinis.

Shashlik Restaurant is at 545 Orchard Road, #06-19 Far East Shopping Centre, Singapore 238882. Visit its website for more information.

Swedish furniture giant Ikea isn’t the only place to get Scandinavian food in Singapore. Instead, cross the road from its Redhill location for Overbrød. The cafe and deli were opened by Singaporeans who had spent time in Sweden and Denmark with the aim of introducing foods from the region to us. Smørrebrød, or an open-faced sandwich made with rye bread, is one option here, with toppings such as Gravadlax (or cured salmon) and Toast Skagen (or shrimp). Meatballs, no surprise, are also on the menu as well as Potatoes with Hay Smoked Butter and Kanelbullar (cinnamon bun).

Overbrød is at 370 Alexandra Rd, #01-14A Anchorpoint, Singapore 159953. Visit its website for more information.

Missing the food that he grew up eating, Russian-born, Ukraine-raised Vadim Zubovskyy and his wife Alena Zubovska decided to take a leap of faith to offer Slavic food at their restaurant Kapitan.sg. The specialities here are the Russian pelmeni and Ukrainian vareniki. The former usually comes stuffed with meat ranging from beef and pork to salmon and mutton while the latter is filled with mushrooms, sauerkraut and curd cheese. There are also Polish Bigos (Hunter’s Stew), Ukrainian Borscht, Blinis and more.

Kapitan.sg is at 32 Maxwell Rd, #01-05 Maxwell Chambers, Singapore 069115. Visit its Instagram for more information.

Fika has been a longtime purveyor of Swedish food located in Kampong Glam. It is a halal-certified eatery too. The restaurant was founded by Tasneem Noor and her husband Joakim Smidhagen. They first met when the former was backpacking in Sweden in 2006. Three years and a marriage certificate later, Fika was born after he pined for the food of his homeland. the menu here changes seasonally but you can expect dishes such as Kroppkakor (potato dumplings stuffed with turkey bacon), Pickled Herring Plate, Meatball Sandwich, Swedish Meatballs and more.

Fika Swedish Cafe and Bistro is at 257 Beach Rd, Singapore 199539. Visit its website for more information.

When you think of Switzerland, potato rösti comes to mind. And that is exactly the star dish at Wursthans. The rösti comes supersized with various topping options from melted gruyère cheese and fried egg to veal bratwurst and caramelised onions. Each iteration is named after a mountain found in the Swiss Alps. Otherwise, pick from a selection of mains such as Grilled Pork Chop, Smoked Pork Cervelat, Meatloaf and more.

Wursthans Switzerland is at 10 Paya Lebar Road, #01-39 PLQ Mall, Singapore 409057. Visit its website for more information.

Situated within Kampong Glam, Alaturka has been serving Mediterranean and Turkish fare since 2005. The brand was also awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2016. Kebabs and boat-shaped Pide flatbread made in-house are must-tries, which you can pair with your choice of dips, salads and appetisers like Falafel and Börek. Traditional fare such as Tas Kebab (beef stew) and Musakka are other quintessential picks too.

Alaturka Mediterranean & Turkish Restaurant is at 15 Bussorah St, Singapore 199436. Visit its website for more information.

This article was originally published in Singapore Women's Weekly