Best lemon tarts in Singapore

SMITTEN MICRO BAKERY

This online bakery’s Lemon Tart passes muster with our first bite. The lemon curd bears a velvety, creamy texture, and has just the right amount of sourness to tantalise your taste buds. The golden-brown crust is quite crumbly, and, when bitten with the curd, feels like a rich biscuit spread with copious amount of lemon marmalade in our mouths. hello@smittenmicrobakery.com Tel: 9176 3850

MU PARLOUR [CLOSED]

Just like its rather hidden space on the second floor of a shophouse in Holland Village, their cakes and pastries don’t cry out for attention but sure do deserve praise. Their lemon meringue tart has a light and fluffy curd balanced against a cookie-like base. The kitchen team handcrafts the lemon tart daily in small batches and using French unsalted butter. Level 2 & 3, 16A Lorong Mambong. Tel: 6466 9336

CARPENTER & COOK

Instead of processed lemon puree, only freshly squeezed lemon juice and zest go into this tart. Chef Shenn also shares that their version of the citrusy tart flaunts a lemon cream instead of the usual lemon curd and boy are we glad she experimented with her recipe three times. The addition of butter last allows it to emulsify with the rest of the cooked ingredients, creating the smooth and extremely creamy texture of the tart’s gorgeous filling. The crunchy pâte sucrée crust also makes a wonderful contrast. 19 Lorong Kilat, #01-06. Tel: 6463 3648

MAISON KAYSER

Maison Kayser does a great rendition of the classic tarte au citron, perfecting that accentuated, tart taste of lemon that the French so love. Following closely Eric Kayser’s recipe, the sandy paste-like lemon filling melts like velvet on your palate and leaves a tingling sour sensation on your tongue. Complemented by billows of piped meringue that melts with each bite, this tangy lemon dessert is great for those who love strong, zesty flavours. #B1-09, Scotts Square. Tel: 6636 3672

JONES THE GROCER

With petite toasted peaks of meringue sitting pretty on a base of zesty curd, the lemon tart from jones the grocer scored on looks but proved it was more than just a pretty face with its quality ingredients of organic eggs, New Zealand butter and seasonal lemons. They’re made daily at both the Mandarin Gallery and Ion Orchard outlets from scratch so you know you’re getting freshly baked pastry and bright citrus tang with every bite. Block 9 #01-12 Dempsey Road, Dempsey Hill. Tel: 6476 1518. Book a table at Jones the Grocer with Chope. 

BAKER & COOK

What greets us at first sight is its sheer simplicity of appearance, adorned simply with four thin lines of chocolate. Do not be fooled by its fuss-free exterior, Baker & Cook’s lemon tart is a small but delightful treat that has achieved the perfect blend of sweet and sour. Founder-baker Dean Brettschneider, has fine-tuned the sugar to lemon ratio in the lemon curd to suit local Singaporean tastes. The dessert is made using natural ingredients and New Zealand butter, which Dean reveals as creamier in taste. What seals the deal is the light apricot glaze atop, made from their very own apricot jam. 77 Hillcrest Road. Tel: 6469 8834

THE STUDY

When Meyer and Lisbon lemons are in season, they are the star ingredient—juice, zest, pulp and all—in this custard-like version. The curd is cooked over a bain-marie until it reaches a precise 62°C then poured over a sweet pastry base and baked for 25 minutes. Upon its exit from the oven, it is just barely set, and attains a delightful pudding consistency when chilled. Eat in elegant forkfuls with smears of citrus scented crème fraiche to temper the tartness.
49 Keong Saik Road. Tel: 6221 8338. No longer serves lemon tarts.

CAKE OVER HEELS [CLOSED]

This shop may be a bit out of the way but we promise that its tart is worth the travel. The sunny slice of this homemade dessert flaunts fresh curd that is neither cloyingly sweet, nor too face-puckering tart and just the right level of creaminess as whipping cream is used instead of butter. Blooms of lightly torched meringue act as a counterpoint to the tangy citrus filling. And the curd to crust ratio is balanced in every mouthful. 26 Sin Ming Lane #01-115. Midview City. Tel: 6659 2848

KILO

Nicknamed for a chef friend that imparted his recipe to owners Sharon Lee and Javier Perez, Penguin’s Lemon Tart is a crumbly shortbread crust filled with just the right amounts of yolk-yellow curd. With every order, you get two tarts served side by side for double the lemony goodness. Each comes dolloped with freshly whipped cream infused with the faintest scent of mint. 2nd floor, 66 Kampong Bugis. Tel: 6467 3987

THE CLIFFORD PIER

Clifford’s Lemon Tart, which is handmade daily by the pastry chefs, strikes an excellent balance between sugary sweet and tartness. Made from freshly squeezed lemon juice, the filling has just that right amount of tanginess and gelatinous texture, and its baked pastry crust is reminiscent of a Danish cookie turned just a tad soft and crumbly. A crown of Italian meringue lends a slightly crisp, tantalising texture, while a sprinkle of fresh lime zest gives this tart a subtle, refreshing aftertaste. The Fullerton Bay Hotel Singapore, 80 Collyer Quay. Tel: 6333 8388. Book a table at The Clifford Pier with Chope.