City Plaza may be best known for its independent fashion boutiques, but shopping is only one reason to make your way to this old-school mall. Behind its dated façade is a surprisingly varied mix of beauty businesses, practical services, entertainment spots and restaurants that make it easy to spend a few hours here without necessarily planning to buy new clothes.
Whether you are looking to freshen up your appearance, get a few things sorted, meet friends or simply enjoy a meal somewhere with a little more character, here are eight reasons to visit City Plaza beyond shopping.
1. Get Your Clothes Altered or Customised
Sometimes the best way to refresh your wardrobe is to work with what you already own. City Plaza is a particularly useful stop for anyone who needs clothes altered, whether it is a quick adjustment or a more detailed job.
Townflair Fashions is especially well regarded for its meticulous workmanship, with its experienced owner able to alter all kinds of garments and, in some cases, complete adjustments on the spot within minutes. She is also known for offering practical advice and treating customers with genuine hospitality, even offering drinks to those waiting for their clothes.
For a more affordable tailoring option, 266 Tailoring is another shop worth considering. Just remember to bring cash, as both tailors prefer cash payments and do not accept PayNow.
Townflair Fashions
Location: 810 Geylang Rd, #02-74 CITY PLAZA, Singapore 409286
Opening Hours: Monday-Saturday: 9 AM – 3 PM | Closed on Sundays
266 Tailoring
Location: City Plaza #02-66, Singapore
Opening Hours: Tuesday-Friday: 3 PM – 7 PM | Closed on Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays
2. Book a Beauty Appointment and Leave Feeling Refreshed
City Plaza is also home to a surprisingly broad range of beauty services, making it possible to turn a routine mall visit into a little self-care session.
Perfect Beauty Brow House specialises in eyebrow embroidery and is helmed by certified brow specialists. First-time customers can expect the different styles to be explained based on their preferences and skin type, rather than being pressured into more expensive options. The focus is on creating natural-looking, well-defined brows while keeping the process comfortable.
For a more comprehensive treatment, QiQi Beauty Center offers facials, hair treatments, massages and eyelash services, alongside beauty consultations to help customers find treatments suited to their needs. Magenta Hair Salon, meanwhile, has earned a loyal following among locals for its skilled cuts and styling, relaxed atmosphere and refreshingly low-pressure approach.
There is also Angel Xin Beauty for hair and eyelash extensions, as well as Cantik Nails Spa, which offers manicures and nail treatments alongside hair services. In other words, City Plaza makes it easy to put together a full makeover without visiting several different parts of Singapore.
Perfect Beauty Brow House
Location: 810 Geylang Rd, #02-87 City Plaza, Singapore 409286
Opening Hours: Open Daily 11:30 AM – 8 PM
QiQi Beauty Center
Location: 810 Geylang Rd, #03-31 City Plaza, Singapore 409286
Opening Hours: Monday-Friday: 10:30 AM – 8:30 PM | Sunday: 10:30 AM – 7:30 PM | Closed on Saturdays
Angel Xin Beauty
Location: 810 Geylang Rd, Singapore 409286
Opening Hours: Open Daily 11 AM – 8 PM
Cantik Nails Spa
Location: 810 Geylang Rd, #01-104a city plaza, Singapore 409286
Opening Hours: Wednesday-Sunday: 10 AM – 8 PM | Closed on Mondays & Tuesdays
3. Meet Friends for a Game of Billiards
If the usual café catch-up feels a little predictable, head to KaiDeng Billiards instead.
The spacious and brightly lit billiard hall offers a more relaxed way to spend time with friends, with well-maintained tables, good equipment and reasonable prices. Snacks and drinks are available for when you need a break between games, while competitions are also held for those who want to take their playing a little more seriously.
It is a simple but enjoyable alternative to meeting up solely for food and conversation.
KaiDeng Billiards 開灯台球
Location: Singapore, Geylang Rd, 810号city plaza#03-131 邮政编码: 409286
Opening Hours: Sunday-Friday: 10 AM – 1 AM | Saturday: 10 AM – 2 AM
4. Discover Niche Shops You Won’t Find Everywhere
Part of City Plaza’s charm lies in the businesses that feel increasingly difficult to find elsewhere.
Everlasting Entertainment, for instance, caters to those who still enjoy owning physical media, with a selection of films and music CDs in different languages. While you will not find Blu-rays or 4K titles here, its selection of brand-new films offers a nostalgic alternative to simply streaming everything online.
For those planning a mahjong night or looking to stock up on games, Tong Cheong (Soon Kee) Trading is another interesting stop. The family-run shop offers mahjong sets, tables, playing cards and poker chips, with different options available across various price points.
These are the kinds of specialist businesses that give City Plaza a personality of its own.
Everlasting Entertainment
Location: 810 Geylang Rd, #01-36 City Plaza, Singapore 409286
Opening Hours: Monday-Saturday: 10:30 AM – 8 PM | Sunday: 10:30 AM – 7:30 PM
Tong Cheong (Soon Kee) Trading
Location: 810 Geylang Rd, #02-68 City Plaza, Singapore 409286
Opening Hours: Open Daily 12 PM – 8 PM
5. Get Practical Errands Done While You’re Out
City Plaza can also be a convenient place to handle a few everyday tasks in one trip.
Hock Heng Watch Servicing is worth knowing about if a watch needs a battery replacement or repair. The shop also sells watches, clocks, calculators and various household accessories, while its patient staff are often willing to help with problems that other shops may not be able to resolve.
This is the kind of practical service that can easily be forgotten until something needs fixing urgently. Having it alongside other shops and eateries makes City Plaza a useful stop even when shopping is not on the agenda.
Hock Heng Watch Servicing
Location: 810 Geylang Rd, #02-71 City Plaza, Singapore 409286
Opening Hours: Open Daily 1:15 PM – 7 PM
6. Find Wedding Services Under One Roof
Planning a wedding can involve an exhausting number of appointments, but City Plaza offers a few ways to simplify the process.
Sultanah Bridal & Boutique provides bridal tailoring for gowns and kebayas, alongside wedding planning, catering and décor solutions. This makes it a useful starting point for couples who want to discuss several aspects of their celebration in one place.
Those looking for jewellery can also browse options at JJ Gold Fine Jewellery and Starlight Jewellery. Together, these businesses make City Plaza worth considering for couples who are still putting together their wedding plans.
Sultanah Bridal & Boutique
Location: 810 Geylang Rd, #01-84 City Plaza, Singapore 409286
Opening Hours: Open Daily 11:30 AM – 7:30 PM
JJ Gold Fine Jewellery
Location: 810 Geylang Rd, #01-47 City Plaza, Singapore 409286
Opening Hours: Monday-Friday: 12:30 PM – 7:30 PM | Sunday: 10:30 AM – 6:30 PM | Closed on Saturdays
Starlight Jewellery
Location: 810 Geylang Rd, #01-29 City Plaza, Singapore 409286
Opening Hours: Tuesday-Sunday: 12:30 PM – 7:30 PM | Closed on Mondays
7. Make a Meal Out of Your Visit
A trip to City Plaza is also a good excuse to stay for a meal.
Arnold’s Fried Chicken remains a popular choice for old-school Singapore-style fried chicken, serving hot, juicy pieces with thin, crispy skin alongside classic sides such as fries, mashed potatoes, coleslaw and onion rings. The simple setting has done little to diminish its popularity.
For Indonesian flavours, Dapur Penyet serves generous portions of ayam penyet, bebek penyet and other dishes with authentically spicy sambal. Waroeng Bakso by Hamburguesa is another favourite, especially among Indonesian diners, with its comforting meatballs served in a rich beef broth.
If you prefer something more café-style, SK Café serves straightforward pasta, chicken chops and other Western dishes in a cosy setting. Chiderful Eating House offers something more intimate, with thoughtfully prepared Chinese dishes that feel like an elevated home-cooked meal. It is a small, informal operation where the food takes centre stage.
Arnold’s Fried Chicken
Location: 810 Geylang Rd, #02-99 City Plaza, Singapore 409286
Opening Hours: Open Daily: 11 AM – 10 PM
Chiderful Eating House
Location: 810 Geylang Rd, #02-73 City Plaza, Singapore 409286
Opening Hours: Tuesday-Sunday: 1 PM – 9 PM | Closed on Sundays
Dapur Penyet
Location: 810 Geylang Rd, #01-43/44, Singapore 409286
Opening Hours: Open Daily 11 AM – 7:30 PM
SK Café
Location: City Plaza #04-18/19, 810 Geylang Rd, Singapore 409286
Opening Hours: Monday-Saturday: 11 AM – 7:30 PM | Closed on Sundays
8. Take a Break from Singapore’s Typical Mall Experience
Perhaps the simplest reason to visit City Plaza is that it offers a different kind of mall experience.
There are no massive flagship stores or polished lifestyle concepts competing for attention at every turn. Instead, you get independent businesses, specialist services and long-running shops that often feel more personal and less predictable.
You might arrive to get a watch repaired, end up browsing physical films, stop for a game of billiards and stay for dinner. Or perhaps you will book a beauty treatment and leave with a new mahjong set you never expected to buy.
That unpredictability is part of City Plaza’s appeal. It may not be the newest mall in Singapore, but there are plenty of reasons to visit even when shopping is not on your list.
Final Thoughts
For many, City Plaza’s appeal lies in the variety of experiences packed within one old-school mall. As such, you might visit with one specific errand in mind and leave having discovered somewhere new to eat, a service worth returning for or a shop you never expected to find. And while City Plaza may not offer the polished experience of Singapore’s newest malls, its independent businesses and more personal atmosphere give it a character of its own.
So, the next time you feel like doing something different, consider giving City Plaza a visit. You might be surprised by how much there is to do when shopping is not even on your list.