Need to load up on caffeine? Here are 20 new spots for a good cup of joe.
Tian Kee & Co.
What used to be a 54-year old provision shop has been converted into a quaint café by husband and wife duo, Chee Kow and Jessie. They have chosen to preserve the shop’s rustic storefront and signage while opting for a clean, minimalistic interior. Drop by for their all day, local-inspired breakfast like their signature crisp prata served with sausage, eggs, and bacon.
Tian Kee & Co., 12 Dakota Crescent, #01-48, Singapore 390012, p. 6344 8527. Open daily 8am-9pm.
Sin Lee Foods
Popular coffee shop Sin Lee Hup Kee was about to throw in the towel – due to old age and a lack of inheritor – when current owners of Sin Lee Foods, Sean and Jerraldine, stepped in to take over the space and transformed it into the neighbourhood’s hip new café. Be sure to try their iron grill buttermilk waffles, topped with tropical fruit and ice cream, along with a cup of freshly brewed Papa Palheta blend.
Sin Lee Foods, Blk 4 Jalan Bukit Ho Swee #01-164, Singapore 162004, p. 6377 3170. Open Tue-Sun 10am-9pm
Whale and Cloud
Open only on Saturdays, this hole-in-the-wall joint, hidden in back alleys of Niven Road with nothing but a bold blue door at the front, is one of Singapore’s best kept secrets. Coffee served here is brewed with beans brought back from the owner’s travels, and we were stoked to discover she was once preparing cuppas with beans from Tokyo’s famed Omotesando Koffee. There’s no menu or prices – but be sure to drop any amount you deem fit into the trust box before you leave!
Whale and Cloud, 48 Niven Road, Singapore 22839. Open Sat 9am-4pm.
The Assembly Ground
The Assembly Ground
The new café arm of The Assembly Store stocks two kinds of coffee beans – Common Man Coffee Roaster’s 22 Martin Blend and Nylon Coffee Roaster’s 4 Chairs Blend. Choose your preferred blend or leave it to the server to select what would complement the grub you ordered.
The Assembly Ground, 2 Handy Road, #01-22/23, Singapore 229223, p. 6733 3143. Open Mon-Thu 12-10pm, Fri-Sat 12-11pm, Sun 12-10pm.
Noir Art Specialty Coffee
It may be small, but coffee in this teeny café along Mackenzie Road is big business. Beans, from Colombia, Ethiopia, and Sumatra, are roasted and blended in-house. Have your cup of joe as an espresso, flavoured, or prepared as a cold brew, and order the light bites, like the delicate rose cheesecake, cranberry scones, and cherry brownies, to go along with.
Noir Art Specialty Coffee, 23 Mackenzie Road, Singapore 228680. Open Mon-Fri 8am-6pm, Sat 9am-6pm, Sun 930am-430pm.
Bread & Hearth
Keong Saik’s new artisanal bakery café offers a lip-smacking spread of handcrafted European-style bread, tarts, and sweet rolls. Tip: enjoy the pastries with a generous slather of the café’s homemade jam.
Bread & Hearth, 18 Keong Saik Road, Singapore 089125, p. 6534 7800. Open Mon – Sun 8am-930pm.
Envy Coffee
Bright and cheery with radiant green walls and colourful mismatched furniture, this café is a breath of fresh air amongst the dozens of industrial-style coffee houses. The menu offers a mix of pasta and sarnies, with their signature smoked duck miso spaghetti shaping up to be a crowd favourite. Save some stomach space to try their daily selection of soft moist cakes.
Envy Coffee, One North, Nexus@One-North #01-04, 1 Fusionopolis Link, Singapore 138542, p. 6710 4005. Open Mon-Fri 730am-6pm.
The Lokal
The Lokal
Sarnie’s sister café is all about good food and awesome coffee. Chef Daz tries to make as much as he can from scratch, such as preparing his version of homemade butter to pickling watermelons in-house. Popular brunch items include the customizable pimp my breakfast platter served with sourdough and the veal schnitzel sandwich and chips.
The Lokal, 136 Neil Road, Singapore 088865, p. 6423 9918. Open Mon-Fri 8am-6pm, Sat-Sun 9am-4pm.
Hoopla Coffee & Kitchen
The latest café to join Revolution Coffee at the suburban bohemian town of Portsdown, this , welcoming (check out our interview with owners Nat and Tom) spot is great for weekend brunches. Order one of their freshly baked cakes, and browse their excellent selection of magazines and graphic books.
Hoopla Coffee & Kitchen, 21 Media Circle, #01-05 Infinite Studios, Singapore 138562, p. 6778 0051. Open Mon 9am-6pm, Tue 9am-4pm, Wed-Sun 9am-6pm.
Coast & Company
If you’re riding in the East, drop by this bicycle store and café by specialty coffee roaster Papa Palheta’s and Coast Cycles for their “Pamper Your Ride” deal, a $28 maintenance package that includes a free coffee. Hungry? Grab a bite from the menu, designed by Wild Rocket’s Willin Low, while you’re at it.
Coast & Company, 54 Siglap Drive, Singapore 456176, p. 6448 7608/6681 6681. Open Tue-Fri 10am-7pm, Sat-Sun 9am-10pm.
Carvers & Co.
Specialty coffee, hearty sarnies, and meats fresh off the grill – what’s not to love? Dig into mouth-watering roasts, like herb encrusted lamb shoulder and high grade wagyu striploin, alongside brunch options like farmhouse frittata, peanut butter and banana French toast and homemade gammon sandwiches.
Carvers & Co, 43 East Coast Road, Singapore 428764, p. 6348 0448. Open Tue-Sun 10am-10pm.
Percolate
Percolate
One thing that keeps us coming back for more: Percolate’s warm brownie. Topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and drenched in a freshly-pulled espresso shot, it’s divinely bittersweet and has just the right amount of richness. Other treats include chocolate espresso tarts, homemade toasted muesli with yogurt, and the tantalizing tom yum grilled chicken sandwich.
Percolate, 136 Bedok North Avenue 3, #01-152B, Singapore 460136, p. 82589 0316. Open Mon 1030am-930pm, Wed-Fri 1030am-930pm, Sat-Sun 9am-930pm.
Craftsmen Specialty Coffee
Whether you’re looking for a classic latte or more delicate brews like V-60, Chemex, Siphon, or a cold brew, they’ve got it all. Budding baristas can get their shopping done here; the cafe stocks a decent range of coffee brewing equipment and accessories, along with beans from one of our favourite local roasters – Dutch Colony Coffee Co.
Craftsmen Specialty Coffee, 2 First Street, Siglap V, #01-01, Singapore 458278. Open Mon-Thu 830am-8pm, Fri-Sat 830am-930pm, Sun 830am-8pm.
On The Table
Lucky Westies: Lola’s Café’s superb brews, serious booze, and hearty western-style fare, like honey paprika wings, bangers and mash, and egg atlantic, is now available at their new outlet at Pasir Panjang. Dutch Colony Coffee Co. supplies the blend that’s brewed here.
On The Table, 118 Pasir Panjang Road, Singapore 118541. Open Tue-Fri 8am-10pm, Sat-Sun 10am-10pm.
Tiong Hoe Specialty Coffee
Tiong Hoe Specialty Coffee
Established in 1960s by Mr Tan Tiong Ho, this heritage coffee establishment is practically an institution in this part of town. Mr Tan made his mark roasting and packaging gourmet coffee, supplying tea, and retailing coffee equipment to traditional coffee shops. When his son, Mr Jacob Tan, succeeded the business, Tiong Hoe was tastefully revamped into a tasting room for coffee aficionados. Seating is limited but here’s where you can get up close and personal with Jacob and his baristas, observe their art, and taste some of the most superb brews on the island.
Tiong Hoe Specialty Coffee, Block 170, Stirling Road, #01-1133, Singapore 140170. Open Mon-Fri 830am-530pm, Sat 9am-4pm.
Tolido’s Espresso Nook
Let’s not beat about the bush here: the sea salt caramel latte at Tolido’s is to-die-for. Plus, the café’s head barista, Douglas Tan, who bagged third place at Singapore’s Latte Art Championships, crafts these impeccable latte art on every cuppa. A selection of all-day breakfast dishes, pastas, rosti, and everyone’s favourite truffle fries, are served here.
Tolido’s Espresso Nook, Block 462, Crawford Lane, #01-63, Singapore 190462, p. 6648 0178. Open Tue-Thu 930am-7pm, Fri-Sat 930am-10pm, Sun 9am-630pm.
Rouse
Temporium’s gone, but Dunlop Street’s new hipster café will make up for it. What caught our attention was the menu, which offered unusual options like a quinoa quake (poached egg atop a quinoa patty with smoked salmon and lemon dill yogurt), crabby patty (tender crab patty with mango salsa and a side of wild rocket), and shroom shroom (ricotta and egg-filled mushrooms).
Rouse, 36 Dunlop Street, Singapore 209364, p. 6292 2642. Open Mon 11am-9pm, Wed-Thu 11am-9pm, Fri-Sat 11am-11pm, Sun 10am-7pm.
The Tastemaker Store
The Tastemaker Store
Singapore’s perennial breakfast set is gussied up at this joint, which serves toasted buns, topped with lemon curd and clotted cream, with soft boiled eggs and a warm drink of your choice. Their homemade yam cake and glutinous rice are also worth ordering.
The Tastemaker Store, Block 22, Havelock Road, #01-705, Singapore 160022. Open Mon-Sun 9am-9pm.
Old Hen Coffee Bar
Beat the heat with one of Old Hen’s ingenious bottled cold brews – just pop it open like you would a bottle of beer and savour the chilled creamy goodness of Oriole’s smooth Raven blend. If you’re feeling peckish, buttermilk waffles served with blueberry compote, strawberries, and honey-infused Greek yogurt should do the trick.
Old Hen Coffee Bar, 88 Rangoon Road, #01-03, Singapore 218374, p. 6341 5458. Open Tue-Thu 730am-530pm, Fri-Sun 10am-10pm.
Sunday Market
Taking over the now-defunct The Factory, Sunday Market dishes Asian-inspired grub like sirloin rendang with crispy buttered brioche and roasted duck pancakes drizzled with garlic hoisin, and the sweet Bangkok Toast paired with green tea puree and Thai tea ice cream. They even make their own ice cream, with intriguing flavours like Kyoho grape, honey and fig, and Thai milk tea.
Sunday Market, 22 Lim Tua Tow Road, Singapore 547772, p. 6287 8880. Open Mon-Fri 1-10pm, Sat-Sun 11am-11pm.
Top Image: Hoopla Coffee & Kitchen