Race Course Road shophouses

History of Race Course Road: from the racecourse to a restaurant street

The name is literal. The Singapore Sporting Club, founded in October 1842, was granted land near the junction of Bukit Timah and Serangoon Roads and opened a racecourse there in 1843, with the first races held that February, according to NLB Infopedia. The course served as a hub of European social life, with meetings held twice a year. Race Course Road and Race Course Lane still mark the former course.

Racing moved to Bukit Timah in 1933, and the old site was renamed Farrer Park in 1935. In the decades that followed the neighbourhood around the former racecourse continued to develop as part of the wider Little India settlement, with the shophouses on and off Race Course Road housing shops, workshops and homes. URA's Little India material describes the area as a place where Indian community life concentrated from the mid-1800s.

1. 4 October 1842

   The Singapore Sporting Club is founded to organise regular horse racing, per NLB Infopedia.

2. February 1843

   The first races are held at the racecourse near Serangoon Road, according to NLB.

3. 1924

   The club is renamed the Singapore Turf Club.

4. 1933

   Racing moves to Bukit Timah and the old course site is released.

5. 1935

   The former racecourse is renamed Farrer Park, after Roland John Farrer.

6. 7 July 1989

   Little India Conservation Area is gazetted, covering the surrounding shophouse streets.

The street name is the one surviving trace of a racecourse that once defined this part of town.

Race Course Road shophouse stock: three storeys, rows and back lanes

Many shophouses in Little India are two or three storeys, and listings for a race course road 3 storey shophouse typically describe a ground-floor shop or restaurant, one or two upper floors and a rear yard or service area. The exact configuration varies, so rely on the approved plans and a site inspection instead of the label "3-storey". Some units include an attic or roof terrace that may or may not be lawfully used.

Facades range across the styles URA lists for Little India, from Early and First Transitional through Late and Second Transitional to Art Deco. Timber windows and doors and covered five-foot ways are typical. Race Course Road is wide enough that the frontage is easy to see, which helps restaurant signage, though conservation rules limit how signs and ducts can be attached.

Do not confuse the road with the restored block that includes the Little India Arcade. For that, see our page on the Little India Arcade area.

How Race Course Road shophouses are used

The ground floor is the commercial engine: restaurants, sweet shops, spice and provision stores, and small services. Upper floors are typically storage, staff areas, offices or residential, depending on approved use and the Master Plan zoning of the lot.

Because the road leans toward food, kitchen capacity decides which units attract which tenants. A deep ground floor with a rear service yard can hold a full kitchen, while a narrow unit with no back access suits retail or a limited food menu. Ask any owner to show you the drawings and the last approved use before you rely on a kitchen being allowed.

For landlords, a mixed building with an F&B ground floor and residential or office above can produce several income streams, but each use must be lawful. Neighbours above a kitchen are also a leasing and noise consideration.

Conservation status of Race Course Road shophouses

Little India Conservation Area was gazetted on 7 July 1989, bounded by Serangoon Road, Sungei Road and Jalan Besar, with later additions of Desker Road (25 October 1991), Syed Alwi Road (21 January 2008) and Jalan Besar (23 November 2010). URA describes Race Course Road as a showcase of Indian cuisine within this area.

For a conserved shophouse, URA says conservation permission is required before additions and alterations and before a new use begins. Facade, roof form and key elements are typically retained. If you intend to install a kitchen exhaust, signage or air-conditioning plant, ask about the Specific Restoration Guidelines for that address before you commit.

• Look up the exact address on the URA conservation portal.
• Ask the seller for approved plans, past conservation permission and any outstanding notices.
• Confirm whether works to the rear or roof were approved.

A restaurant street can look flexible, but each kitchen duct still needs permission on a conserved facade.

Getting to Race Course Road: Farrer Park and Little India MRT

Farrer Park (NE8) on the North East Line is usually the nearest station for the Race Course Road area, while Little India (NE7 and DT12) is the alternative. Both are within walking distance of parts of the road, but the exact time depends on the unit and the route you take, so verify it on foot or on a map.

Several bus services pass along the main roads around the district. Routes and frequencies change, so check current services with LTA or the operator before promoting any bus convenience to tenants or staff.

The street is popular for evening dining, which affects parking and kerbside loading. Ask landlords where delivery vehicles stop and whether back lanes are used.

Race Course Road shophouse price and rent (as of 5 November 2026)

We do not publish prices, rents or yields for Race Course Road, because any quoted average would hide the differences between units. Instead, here is how to build a reliable view.

For a race course road shophouse for sale, start with URA REALIS caveats and transactions on the street and the surrounding Little India blocks, then filter by tenure, area and property type. Ask your lawyer to confirm the price from the caveat and stamp-duty records. For rent, request the current signed lease, the rent-review clauses, the tenant's approved use and any rent-free or fit-out terms, and compare with similar floor areas.

For a race course road 3 storey shophouse rent assessment, price the ground floor on its trading use and the upper floors on their lawful use separately, then check whether the total is consistent with what the lease says. Treat asking rents as claims, not evidence.

Indian cuisine and F&B on Race Course Road

URA's description of the street as a showcase of Indian cuisine is the clearest signal of its identity, and the road is widely associated with banana-leaf curry dining. We make no claims about any individual restaurant, and nothing on this site implies affiliation with any operator on the street.

For an incoming operator, the questions are practical. Is a kitchen approved? Can an exhaust be routed within URA's guidelines? Is there grease-trap capacity and a licensed waste route? Does the lease allow the operating hours you need? Check each with the landlord and the relevant agencies before paying a deposit.

A concentrated food street means competition and recognised customer expectations. Study opening hours, price points and queues on weekdays and weekends before deciding if your concept fits.

Investing in Race Course Road shophouses

For investors, the street offers a defined F&B identity, MRT access and a conserved setting. Risks include kitchen-related wear on old buildings, a concentrated tenant type and the cost of facade works. Returns depend on the unit, so work from signed leases rather than street reputation.

Tax treatment follows zoning. Fully commercial zoning typically does not attract ABSD, while residential or mixed zoning can; check current IRAS rates and take advice, since we do not quote rates here.

Compare it with Serangoon Road, which is busier and more varied, and with Farrer Park, which is quieter. Read our conservation shophouses for sale guide before you shortlist.