In this month’s edition of Hot New Cafes: Punch, Gallery & Co. Cafe, Oh My Tian and more
From the looks of it, there seems to be a rise in cafes opened by the teams behind some of our existing favourite spots like Ronin café, Tiramisu Hero and more. But we’re not complaining; in fact, we are pretty elated ’cause that means more café-sussing for us to do! From the bustling CDB area to the Westside of Singapore, here’s our round up of hot new cafes on this sunny island.
The Populus Coffee & Food Co.
Hungry for some innovative café nosh? The Populus Coffee & Food Co. is one gastro-café at Neil Road that will cater to your culinary cravings. Its refined minimalist shopfront is extremely inviting, but it’s its stylish contemporary-industrial interior that’s truly mesmerising. Conceptualised by the folks behind Department of Caffeine, you can hardly go wrong with its standard of coffee and other beverages. Grab a bite of its signature dish, the Populus Scramble ($18) – we’re completely in love with its soft creamy eggs and delicious bacon streaks. Moving from savoury to sweet, the fruity sweet Buckwheat pancake is a must-try.
The Populus Coffee & Food Co., 146 Neil Rd, Singapore 088875, p. 6635 8420. Open Sun-Wed 9am-7pm; Thu & Fri 9am-10.30pm; Sat 9.30am-10.30pm. Closed on Tue.
Atlas Coffeehouse
An acronym for At-Land-Air-Sea, Atlas Coffeehouse truly embodies a more zen-inspired concept. High ceiling, big glass windows and spacious dining area; what’s not to like about this new café at Bukit Timah? Helmed by the splendid guys behind the renowned Assembly Coffee, it’s no wonder that Atlas Coffeehouse also delivers a great selection of food and bevvies. Here, they use coffee beans from Two Degrees North Coffee Co – a blend of Brazilian and Guatemalan beans – so you can expect flavourful tones from their coffees. As for food, its sweet and salty butterscotch banana pancake ($18) is certainly worth a try, but if you ask us, the creamy mushroom on sourdough ($12) is the bomb.
Atlas Coffeehouse, 6 Duke’s Road, Singapore 268886, p. 6314 2674. Open Tue-Sun 8am-5pm. Closed on Mon.
Butter My Buns
A big fan of the well-known Tiramisu Hero? Recently, they’ve opened yet another café called Butter My Buns situated in the West of Singapore – lucky Westies! Here, they’ll definitely butter you up with heavenly brewed coffee, Belgian waffles, French crepes, wholesome American style mix & match breakfast, ice cream, snacks and more goodies galore. And although it’s a pretty simple dish, its mac and cheese ($3) is a top hit. Otherwise, you can also try its delicious honey truffle waffles ($12). Wary of its kinky name? Fret not, the people running the café are super friendly and the vibe you’ll get there is very laid-back and welcoming – so nope, no butt action here.
Butter My Buns, #01-07, NUS UTown Stephen Riady Centre, 2 College Avenue West, Singapore 138607, p. 6123 4567. Open daily 10.30am-10.30pm.
Gallery & Co. Café
Gallery & Co. is a painfully hip, retail-art-F&B space occupying the entire frontage of the City Hall Wing of the National Gallery Singapore. Here, you can find Gallery & Co. Café – a casual all-day dining spot. Helmed by Chef Sufian Zain of Restaurant Ember, the cafeteria’s menu aims to showcase the unique flavours of Southeast Asia. After rummaging through drool-worthy, well-designed products including books, design collectibles, and prints at the store, you can enjoy savoury bites, cakes, coffee and sweet treats from carefully selected vendors and artisans – perfecto!
Gallery & Co., #01-05 National Gallery Singapore, Singapore 178957. Open Sun-Thu 10am-7pm; Fri-Sat 10am-10pm.
Oh My Tian
A colloquial way of saying ‘Oh My God!’, Oh My Tian (opened by the team behind Hatter Street) is a carnival-inspired café in Whampoa. Just like its outlandish Victorian-meets-steampunk interior concept, the food offered here is also curated to assault your taste buds. If you dig savoury grubs, try its classic OMT Big Breakfast ($14). Looking for out-of-the-ordinary fare? The Donut Burger ($13) and The FaGuo Toast might do the trick. But if you wanna play it safe, the best bet would be its ice cream and waffles – a big hit with its regular customers.
Oh My Tian, #01-79, 34 Whampoa West, Singapore 330034. Open Tue-Sun 12pm – 10pm. Closed on Mon.
Punch
Brought to you by the fellas from Ronin café, here’s one restaurant and coffee bar at North Canal Road that packs a punch with its down-to-earth and laid-back vibe, allowing you to thoroughly enjoy its creamy, divine cuppa Joe while admiring its high walls of concrete decked with greenery at the courtyard. Must-tries here include bite-sized doughnuts in three different flavours: jam, nutella, custard that’s available only during breakfast ($1.20 each, $10 for 10pcs); and the incredible fried chicken with tomato & roasted capsicum relish, blue cheese dip, served with pickles ($24) that’ll knock you off your feet.
Punch, 32 North Canal Road, Singapore 059288, p. Open Tue-Fri 8am-6pm (Brew Bar), 12pm-3pm (lunch) & 6pm-11pm (dinner); Sat & Sun 8am-6pm (brunch). Closed on Mondays.
Elements & Co.
CBD white-collars need some chill-time too, so it’s great that Elements & Co. has popped up on Cecil Street. Definitely the go-to café for the health-conscious in town, it offers a healthier (but still tasty and nutritious) selection of food and drinks. Try its Mediterranean quinoa salad ($11), perfect for fellow vegetarians. The Frenchie’s Summer Salad ($13) is a great alternative if you must have some chicken on top of your salad. But if you’re going for something heavy, Mama’s Cod Fish Risotto ($13) and Moroccan souk kebabs ($14.00) will do the trick. Elements & Co. also caters to all with its all-day menu, brekky-on-the-go menu, as well as snacks and bites for a mid-work munch break.
Elements & Co., 137 Cecil Street, #01-02, Singapore 069537, p. 6221 6437. Open Mon & Tue 8am-6pm; Wed-Fri 8am-8pm. Closed on weekends.