Middle Eastern restaurant and lounge Aniba is set to make its mark on Singapore’s nightlife and food scene with its fusion Levantine flavours.
Step into Aniba, and you might think you’ve just been transported to some hip Tel Aviv nightspot. Assuming you can find the main entrance in the first place.
The Middle Eastern restaurant and lounge isn’t exactly positioned as a speakeasy or a supper club. It’s just very well hidden. To find your way you’ll first need to locate an inconspicuous entrance on one side of the Bank of China building, where you’ll find a private lift to take you directly to Aniba on the fifth storey.
A glitzy entryway worthy of the most popular upscale Rothschild Boulevard clubs greets you first, and then beckons you beyond where you’ll find a classy contemporary dining space rocking with progressive music. On one side is an open kitchen, fronted by a long counter with a row of attentive diners observing the bustling kitchen. An island bar takes a pride of place on another side, its resident bartenders shaking up some boozy tipple for a beautifully-clad bevy of thirsty revellers. In one corner, a semi-private room – separated from the main dining hall by what looks like the wooden skeleton keel of a sunken boat – holds a raucous party of five who are similarly dressed for a fun night out.
Aniba features the cuisine of internationally-acclaimed Israeli chef and restaurateur Meir Adoni, the food nuanced by his Moroccan culinary heritage, traditional Middle Eastern flavours and ingredients, but also his time in some of the world’s most progressive award-winning kitchens including Arzak, Alinea and Noma. This is Chef Adoni’s first concept in Asia, created in partnership with The Foragers, the hospitality group behind wildly successful Middle Eastern concepts Miznon and North Miznon here in Singapore.
You’ll quickly notice that there’s no meat on the menu at Aniba. Instead it’s a pescatarian’s dream, heavy on fish with many options for vegetarians as well. Aniba doesn’t outwardly say it but it’s also a fully-licensed kosher restaurant, one of the very few in Singapore. Every ingredient used in the kitchen – and the bar – has been inspected and approved by a kosher inspector.
From the kitchen – helmed by Aniba head chef Ido Zarmi – issues an endless line of beautifully-plated dishes, made tapas-style and built for sharing. You can start off, for example, with house-baked Kubaneh, a traditional Jewish Yemeni brioche-style bread that’s beginning to get rather popular here in Singapore. It comes with various dips, such as the herb-laced zhoug, za’atar infused creme fraiche, crushed tomatoes and pickled vegetables, all offering a taste of the Levant.
Aniba’s elevated Eggplant Carpaccio pays homage to the region too. This sees tender fire-roasted eggplant smothered in tahini, date molasses, pistachios, thyme, feta, and even dried roses for an authentic taste of familiar Middle Eastern flavours. Then there’s Tonnato Tonnato, which draws on Italian inspiration and gives it a Middle Eastern twist. Caper berries, pickled shallots, and roasted kohlrabi provide plenty of contrasting flavours and textures to very thinly-sliced Japanese bluefin tuna.
There’s plenty of Asian influence in Chef Adoni’s food. Hamachi & Watermelon Tartare pairs Japanese amberjack with pressed watermelon, but comes dressed in an Asian aioli along with Thai basil, green curry oil, as well as soy and sesame oil. The TLV Tostada may be named for a Mexican street food favourite, but is anything but. Instead it’s a mishmash of culinary influences, putting together salmon ceviche, Thai mango, avocado and shallots on crispy Belgian waffle.
For groups that come hungry? There are large entree-sharing options such as Jaffa Shore-line, a burgeoning fish stew of oven-roasted grouper along a medley of Levantine condiments such as creamed hummus, confit peppers, and an artichoke and fennel salsa, set within a most moreish bouillabaisse. The accompanying couscous, topped with tangy Turkish-style tershi, is likewise divine.
As for its drinks programme? You may not think of a Middle Eastern restaurant being home to a fabulous alcoholic drinks list, but the cocktails at Aniba will surprise you. You have the likes of Sirocco, a stunning take on the classic Negroni or Boulevardier that uses sweet vermouth infused with dates as well as lavender for enchanting Middle Eastern accents. Otherwise Basilikos, a rum-based tipple bursting with berry and citrus, make for a fruity alcoholic option. And if cocktails are not your thing, there’s an eclectic but well-curated kosher-friendly wine list – including options from Israel, Lebanon, and other parts of the Middle East – to choose your bottle from.
Kosher cred aside, Aniba remains a stunning restaurant and lounge that’s set to be an iconic venue in Singapore’s nightlife scene. And one that just happens to serve some of the most elevated Middle Eastern fare you’re going to find this part of the world.
Just remember not to stare at the stern-looking mashgichim – the Jewish inspector making sure everything is kosher – on your way out.
Aniba
Address 6 Battery Road, #05-03, Singapore 049909 (Google Maps link)
Opening Hours 12pm to 12am Sundays to Thursdays; 12pm to 5pm on Fridays; 8pm till late on Saturdays
Tel (65) 9668 8036
Web aniba.com.sg
Facebook anibasingapore
Instagram @aniba.sg
Reservations book here
