Lolla restaurant, which made Asia’s 50 Best list, to close on Feb 14 after 14 years
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Lolla in Ann Siang Road will be closing on Feb 14.
PHOTO: THE BUSINESS TIMES
- Singapore's upscale restaurant Lolla, known for its small plates and tasting menus, will close on Feb 14 after 14 years due to declining business.
- Co-owner Thaddeus Yeo cites a downturn affecting restaurants charging around $100 a person, with 3,148 closures in 2025.
- Despite Lolla's success, including chef Johanne Siy's accolades, her departure in 2025 and rising closures signal challenges in the restaurant sector.
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SINGAPORE – Lolla, the upscale 45-seat restaurant in Ann Siang Road, is closing after 14 years. Its last service is expected to be on Feb 14.
It offers both tasting menus and a la carte options, and it was the place to be when it opened. Models would stride in, ordering salads and glasses of champagne, then hog their counter seats for hours.
But business started declining in mid-2025, says co-owner Thaddeus Yeo, 50.
He tells The Straits Times: “Business has not been good for a while, and that’s been clear from the other closures. We are in that segment that’s been most affected – restaurants where diners pay about $100 a person.
“We had a choice to tough it out or end on as high a note as we can. We were projecting that it won’t get better in the near future.”
He says that reservations have been pouring in since the closure announcement, and the end date might be extended, depending on discussions with the landlord.
Lolla, which opened in 2012, was known for its squid ink pudding topped with sea urchin. It served the sort of seasonal, carefully sourced small plates diners in smart cities like New York, Barcelona and London take for granted.
It started offering tasting menu meals after Philippines-born chef Johanne Siy joined in 2020. She graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in New York and has worked with the likes of chefs Daniel Boulud, Eric Ripert and Andre Chiang.
During her tenure, the restaurant climbed to No. 63 in 2023 from No. 75 in 2022 on the list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants. She was also named Asia’s Best Female Chef in 2023.
In 2024, Lolla placed No. 43 on the list
Restaurant closures have been in the spotlight
Recent casualties have included Loulou, a casual French restaurant and wine bar in Keong Saik Road, casual bar-restaurant Chef’s Tavern, Spanish restaurants Sabio and Sugarra, contemporary Asian restaurant Asu, casual brunch spot Open Farm Community, Tiong Bahru Bakery Safari in Dempsey, Korean restaurant Onmi, Ruth’s Chris Steak House and Hooters in Clarke Quay. The Halia at the Singapore Botanic Gardens will also be closing
Despite the spate of closures, new restaurants keep opening. In 2025, 4,100 new food businesses were registered.
