The spate of restaurant closures in Singapore continues as a slew of eateries at the National Gallery Singapore exit following a refresh of its F&B offerings. In November last year, one-Michelin-starred Italian restaurant Art di Daniele Sperindio and Italian steakhouse Gemma closed after their leases ended, while Smoke & Mirrors, a bar on the Gallery’s sixth floor, and Cantonese restaurant Yan, announced they would close on Mar 15.

Only three-Michelin-starred French restaurant Odette and National Kitchen by Violet Oon will remain in the building as they reinforce “the Gallery’s commitment to showcasing our cultural heritage through our F&B offerings”.

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In response to an email from CNA Lifestyle, the museum said: “National Gallery Singapore is embarking on a holistic refresh of our F&B offerings to enhance visitor experience and strengthen alignment with the museum’s mission after almost a decade of operations with the existing tenancy mix.”

It added: “A key priority is to further enhance the museum experience, enabling more visitors to spend more time at the Gallery by connecting their art experience and complementary refreshment and dining options, including affordable all-day dining and distinctive Singaporean and Asian heritage concepts.”

While plans are underway to relocate Art, chef Daniele Sperindio is setting up Italian bakery Mazzini di Daniele Sperindio, which is expected to open in the third quarter of 2025. “The Gemma brand will be shelved for now as I want to focus on the reopening of Art dDS 2.0 and the release of the bakery brand,” said Sperindio.

Yan’s general manager Shek Chi Yuen said: “Yan is exploring potential locations to reopen and is open to getting in touch with landlords who’d be keen to partner with the restaurant.”

Smoke & Mirrors said on Instagram: “This isn’t goodbye – we can’t wait to share what’s next. Stay tuned”. Japanese restaurant Hachi reportedly has plans to move to the new Keppel South Central business centre in July, while Courtyard Cafe will close.

National Gallery’s Assistant Chief Executive (Operations), Chris Lee, said: “We deeply appreciate the contributions of our existing tenants who have played an integral role in shaping the Gallery’s museum experience thus far.

“As a progressive, inclusive museum, we are committed to providing accessible and meaningful experiences that reinforce our role as a node for Singapore and Southeast Asian art history. The new tenancy mix will reflect this vision,” the statement continued.

The museum will announce its new slate of tenants in the second quarter of 2025, with some refreshed F&B and retail experiences scheduled to open in the second half of the year.