Araya

Araya is a landmark in Singapore’s fine dining scene, holding the distinction of being the world’s first and only Michelin-starred Chilean restaurant. Located within the Mondrian Singapore Duxton on Neil Road, the restaurant opened in late 2023 and earned its first Michelin star in 2024, less than a year after its launch. The restaurant is helmed by chef-partners Francisco Araya and Fernanda Guerrero, a Chilean couple who met while working at a restaurant in China and went on to build their careers at some of the world’s most celebrated kitchens, including Mugaritz and elBulli. Chef Araya’s cuisine is a sophisticated exploration of his Chilean homeland, fusing South American produce and culinary traditions with the Japanese ingredients and techniques that have long influenced Latin American coastal cooking. The 30-seat restaurant, accessed through copper-accented doors, centres around a stunning rose quartz counter that invites guests to observe the chefs at work. The tasting menu, available in multiple formats including a seafood-focused Costa menu and a meat-centric Andes menu, features ingredients such as aji amarillo, merkén, Andean tubers, kinki, and fermented cacao sourced from Ecuador. Pastry Chef Fernanda Guerrero’s desserts draw on South American staples including dulce de leche, lucuma, and native berries, executed with delicate precision. A private Patagonia dining room accommodates groups larger than six. Araya’s sommelier Tomas Tapia was honoured with the 2024 Michelin Guide Sommelier Award.