Gathering the entire family for a meal on the weekends is one of many ways for family bonding. If you have an elderly loved one who requires a wheelchair, you can still enjoy family outings and meals. You just need to know where to go.
This is why we asked our readers about their favourite restaurants to take their older parents and the whole family out for a good meal in this Facebook post.
The warm and spacious dining area of the W39 Bistro and Bakery
Image credit: W39 Bistro & Bakery Instagram
Address: 39 Jalan Mas Puteh, Singapore 128637 Telephone: 9646-5372 Opening hours: 11am to 10pm (Tuesday to Friday), 9am to 10pm (Sat, Sun and Public Holidays), Closed on Monday (except for Public Holidays) Price range per person: $20 to $35
Recommended by: Jane Fabulosity Hoo "If you are staying in the west, W39 Bistro and Bakery is a cosy cafe you might want to visit. The spacious café not only welcomes wheelchair users but is pet-friendly as well. "
W39 Bistro and Bakery serves a variety of European cuisine with a local twist, such as the Chef’s Assam Seabass served with fragrant rice and Chinese-style marinated pork loin (Pork Pau Pau). Seniors might prefer dishes such as pan-fried salmon, or pan-fried haddock, which are easier to chew.
Apart from the main dishes, this quiet and charming café also serves up a wide selection of cakes and drinks. If you stay around West Coast, it’s an excellent place for an afternoon tea with your elders and catch up over some cakes.
Additional info: vegetarian-friendly, non-halal
Accessibility:
Located on Level 1, has outdoor seating. Wheelchair-friendly parking nearby
No wheelchair accessible toilet
2. Food Capital (Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel Singapore)
The dining area of Food Capital has wide pathways for wheelchair users to move around.
Image Source: http://celebrateatgcw.com/foodcapital
Recommended by: Roland Kang “It is a win for those who require disabled access. Not only are the restaurants wheelchair friendly, but so are the hotel rooms and pathways from taxi stand to lifts and rooms.”
If you have a birthday or special occasion to celebrate, consider Food Capital at Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel. The restaurant has wide pathways that make it easy for wheelchair users to move around; especially helpful since the restaurant also offers buffets.
Seniors on wheelchairs can move around the buffet areas to survey their choices and pick their food. Not a buffet fan? Food Capital has an a la carte menu that offers recipes from both East and West, including wok-fried dishes that may better suit the seniors’ palates.
Seniors can opt for the restaurant’s Daily Special Double Boiled Soup or, if they are looking for a treat, go for the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Laksa (available on weekends).
Recommended by: Vivien Kang “Great ambience and there are lifts on every floor; and the toilet is wide enough for wheelchair users to navigate around.”
Unlike many dining places, Food for Thought at the National Museum of Singapore has no lack of space. There is plenty of natural light and ample room for wheelchair users to navigate.
The food here is a fusion of East and West - you can find satay rice bowl and crispy curry chicken cutlet. Dishes suitable for seniors include Pan-grilled Salmon with Basil Pesto, or Spicy Pulled Pork Linguine, both are relatively soft and easy to chew.
The Crossings Cafe is centrally located and aims to connect with the community
Image credit: Crossings Café Instagram
Address: #01-01, 55 Waterloo Street, Singapore 187954 Telephone: 6338 2669 Opening hours: 8am to 10pm (Monday to Friday), 10am to 10pm (Saturday, Sunday and Public Holiday) Price range per person: $16 to $25
Recommended by: Esther Li Fj “It is a great place to chill and eat. The food is affordable and nice. It is also wheelchair friendly.”
Centrally located, Crossings Cafe leaves sizeable spaces between tables so that it doesn’t look claustrophobic, and wheelchair users can move comfortably between tables.
As a Social Enterprise, the café works with Assumption Pathway School, employing their students and graduates as servers, cooks and baristas.
Main dishes here include pasta, pizzas, fish and chips, and ribs. On top of that, there are also local favourites such as laksa and curry. Seniors can choose from the pasta dishes here, such as chilli crab, button mushrooms (T.M.A.) and seafood (Vongole Pasta). There are also cakes and pastries if your loved ones prefer some afternoon tea.
Recommended by: Joyce Toh “Professor Brawn Cafe is a social enterprise that provides good, affordable food by an inclusive workforce, and is wheelchair friendly”
The cosy atmosphere of Professor Brawn Cafe hits you immediately, especially with the warm greetings from the staff, most of whom have special needs or physical disability.
Much like Crossings Café, Professor Brawn Cafe is also a Social Enterprise that employs people with special needs, and the disadvantaged. The cafe may not be huge, but wheelchairs can be easily manoeuvered here.
The cafe offers mostly Western fare, with sandwiches, spaghetti, burgers and more. Seniors might go for the Chicken or vegetarian spaghetti.
Oasis Steak and Grill is a family restaurant that offers Western food in a comfortable environment
Image credit: Oasis Steak and Grill Instagram
Address:Blk 681 Punggol Drive, Oasis Terraces, #01-04, Singapore 820681 Telephone: 6244 8730 Opening hours: 11am to 11pm (Tuesday to Friday and Eve of Public Holiday), 9am to 11pm (Sunday and Public Holiday), closed on Monday Price Range per person: $15 to $25
Recommended by: Charmaine Tay “It was easy to bring my dad for a nice meal there due to its wide spaces in between the tables. The outdoor al fresco dining was spacious as well!”
Oasis Steak and Grill offers a welcoming environment for both the young and old. There are ample spaces between tables, making it easy for wheelchair users to move around. Tucked in the green and quiet side of Oasis Terraces, the family restaurant also offers a spacious al fresco dining area.
If you and your family lean towards grilled dishes, pasta, burgers and seafood, this place is for you. Seniors can pick softer dishes such as fish and chips, grilled salmon, smoked salmon pasta and pan-seared barramundi.
Additional info: non-halal
Accessibility:
Located on Level 1, has outdoor seating. Wheelchair-friendly parking nearby
Wheelchair accessible toilets can be found in the main Oasis Terraces building
Recommended by: Eric Kwek “It is a social enterprise and the chef is also wheelchair bound, hence the cafe has been built to be wheelchair friendly. A must try.”
Easterners take note! My NoNNa’s is a brightly coloured cafe with a spacious dining area and offers home-style Italian food such as pizza and pasta.
The cafe is the third social enterprise on this list; staff working here have intellectual or physical disabilities, including wheelchair users.
The Italian roast chicken or the slow braised lamb shank might appeal to seniors. The best part of dining here is interacting with the friendly servers, who take customer service seriously.
Recommended by: L. Ang “Ding Tai Fung restaurants are generally wheelchair friendly. And their staff are pretty helpful too.”
With 24 branches all over Singapore, Din Tai Fung is accessible to almost everyone. Most of them are located in heartland malls near MRT train stations or downtown. Depending on the branch, some might be more spacious than others. The staff here are helpful; as soon as they know there’s a wheelchair user in your party, they can get a suitable table for you, including politely requesting for diners to shift their seats to make way for the wheelchair.
Seniors will like the food here. Din Tai Fung’s famous xiao long bao (steamed dumplings) is a hit. There are also a variety of noodle and rice dishes for every palate. For seniors who wish to avoid overly flavourful food, the vegetable wonton noodle soup or egg fried rice might be ideal. You can also request for less oil for your dishes.
Additional info: vegetarian-friendly, non-halal
Accessibility:
Wheelchair accessible drop-off points at the various malls
Wheelchair accessible toilets are available at the various malls
Note: Information on the restaurants is sourced from the restaurants’ official websites, Tripadvisor Singapore and Hungry Go Where.
