Dempsey Hill

Dempsey Road was the Tanglin Barracks from the 1860s and later the Ministry of Defence, and when the army left the low blocks under rain trees were let out: restaurants, antique and rug dealers, art galleries, a bookshop and a garden centre now occupy them. The buildings are plain and the trees are the point, so the whole quarter feels like a wooded campus rather than a development, a few minutes from Orchard Road.

What you actually see

• The barracks blocks - plain colonial military buildings under mature rain trees.
• The restaurants - a substantial cluster occupying the old blocks.
• The antique and rug dealers - long-established traders in several buildings.
• The setting - a wooded hill quarter minutes from Orchard Road.

When to go

Year round; evenings and weekend brunch are the busiest. Weekday afternoons are quiet. The area is spread out and shaded.

Honest expectations

It is expensive across the board and squarely aimed at a wealthy market. Public transport is limited and buses are the only option without a car. There is nothing historic to visit, only to eat and shop in.

Nearby

The Botanic Gardens are north, and Holland Village is west.