Singapore’s best-known museums are those under the purview of its National Heritage Board. The country’s specialty museums, on the other hand, are completely under the radar—often, even locals are surprised to learn of their existence. Three specialty museums you should visit are DECK (an arts space repurposed from shipping containers), the Vintage Cameras Museum (housed in a camera-shaped building that will please photo hunters), and the Singapore Musical Box Museum (home to about 40 vintage music boxes, many of which are still in working condition).

To get acquainted with the local arts scene, head to The Substation (Singapore’s first independent contemporary arts centre), The Arts House (a multi-disciplinary arts venue, situated in an almost 200-year-old building that served as Singapore’s first Parliament House), and the Gillman Barracks (a visual arts cluster at a former British military camp).

“Nobody in Singapore drinks Singapore Slings. It’s one of the first things you find out there. What you do in Singapore is eat. It’s a really food-crazy culture, where all of this great food is available in a kind of hawker-stand environment,” proclaimed celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain after a visit to Singapore. “On any 24-hour trip here, you’d be foolish to not plan at least three meals at any one of the hawker centers.” (Read his other Singapore tips here.)

Begin your foray into local hawker fare with the Singapore Michelin Guide’s Bib Gourmand list for 2017, which features stalls located at ABC Brickworks, Holland Drive Market and Food Centre, Tiong Bahru Market, and Amoy Street Food Centre. Or track down Bourdain’s personal recommendations, which include Tiong Bahru Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice and Teck Seng Soya Bean Milk.

Also on the 2017 Bib Gourmand list is New Ubin Seafood, a casual mid-range eatery located in an industrial building in the suburban Hillview estate. Apart from fresh seafood and local delicacies, New Ubin Seafood lists its most popular signature dishes as the US Black Angus rib-eye beef steak and the German-style pork knuckle. View the menu here, and if you choose to visit in the day, use the opportunity to discover other hidden gems in and around the area.

For an award-worthy meal, make a reservation with any of the establishments that earned their Michelin stars in 2017. But to follow the fine-dining recommendations of a credible local food writer, refer to this 2017 list instead—do call ahead beforehand, as some restaurants on the list may no longer be in operation. Burnt Ends (a modern Australian barbecue restaurant) and Bincho (a hidden Japanese yakitori bar) are good places to start.

Planning to bar-hop? Be sure to cover the six Singapore bars featured on the 2017 edition of the World’s 50 Best Bars list: Manhattan Bar, Atlas, Native, 28 HongKong Street, Operation Dagger, and Tippling Club. Or take your pick from City Nomads’ local Bar Awards winners. If dancing is on the agenda, turn your attention to TimeOut’s selection of the city’s most prominent party spots.

If you need nightlife ideas sans alcohol, be assured that non-drinking options in Singapore are aplenty, and just as colourful. For one, Geylang Adventures is a social enterprise and walking tour provider, which helps participants to “discover Singapore’s most notorious [red-light] district through delicious food trials and meaningful social projects.” To contact tour guides to customise a tour, look for “local experience” portals such as CityUnscripted or look up the popular night tours on Tripadvisor.

For a family-friendly experience, spend time at a local pasar malam (i.e. a night market, listings here), which offers snacks, cheap (and often kitschy) goods, and pure browsing bliss—many of these pop-up marketplace events are held near the country’s public train stations and are therefore easily accessible.

To partake in late-night local comfort food (and a back-alley dining experience), head to Rochor Original Beancurd for beancurd, soybean milk, and fritters. Or make your way to other popular supper spots favoured by locals. For true-blue insomniacs, Starbucks has 24-hour outlets in the city centre, where you can sip your coffee and feel alive beyond the witching hour.