Hungry for the best cakes, sandwiches, waffles, pasta, burgers and macarons? We round up the year’s best eats in Orchard, Telok Ayer, City Hall and more
By now, it’s common knowledge that there are a gazillion cafés scattered all over Singapore. While some are good, there are some that totally knock our socks off. On top of serving lip-smacking grub and whipping up heavenly brewed coffee, these cafés have also managed to impress us with their cute baristas, beautiful latte art, cosy ambience and more. Since the café revolution is clearly here to stay, here’s a toast to the best cafés in Singapore for 2015. And the nominees are…
Café&Meal Muji
The highly anticipated Café&Meal Muji finally made its way to Singapore this year. The cosy 122 square metres eatery is adjacent to the retail space, conveniently catering to our post-meal shopping urges. Unsurprisingly, the food here is uncomplicated and straightforward like the brand, and you can expect healthy, delicious fare that’s crafted to accentuate the natural goodness of fresh, seasonal ingredients. Try the refreshing Hijiki salad and the hearty butter curry chicken, though the menu also includes locally inspired dishes like the baked bak kut teh ribs slathered in honey-glazed sauce. Read more about this café here!
Café&Meal MUJI Paragon, #04-36 to 38 The Paragon, 290 Orchard Road, Singapore 238859. p. 6735 0123. Open daily 11am-9.30pm.
In Good Company Café
In Good Company’s newest standalone boutique at ION Orchard has been one of our favourite haunts whenever we need to unwind from a hectic day of fashion loans [pats on back]. This picturesque space within the boutique offers sweet treats and coffee from Plain Vanilla, so you know you’re gonna get some good grub. Any must-tries, you ask? For something sweet, have a go at the Lemon Ginger Tea Cake ($7.50). For something savoury and hearty, try the Prosciutto & Truffle ($18).
In Good Company Café, #B1-06, ION Orchard, 2 Orchard Turn, Singapore 238801, p. 6475 0298. Open daily 10.30am-9.30pm.
Park Bench Deli
Lunch in the CBD got a lot more interesting with the arrival of cool café and sandwich joint, Park Bench Deli (AKA PBD). This space consists of an open kitchen and a counter, with a small standing bar on the side. Helmed by chef Ming Tan of Lolla, chef Andrei Soen of The Cajun Kings, and management guru Aamir Ghani, this Telok Ayer outlet offers elevated renditions of the humble sandwich. Try the cheese steak sandwich ($16), the fried chicken sandwich ($14) and the kong bak banh mi ($14). Read our full review here!
Park Bench Deli, 179 Telok Ayer Street, Singapore 068627. Open Mon-Fri 9am-3pm.Closed on Sat & Sun.
The Lab
With a slew of halal cafes hitting Singapore, The Lab at Jalan Pisang deserves a shout-out. Replacing the now-defunct 7th Cylinder, this halal eatery takes its name rather literally. The interiors of this quaint café sees multiple copper pipes lining every inch of the walls, drinks served in beakers and test tubes filled with sugar and salt. Décor aside, this experimental (get it?) joint also serves vegetarian dishes like Black eyed pea burger ($9.90) and Hungarian goulash ($16.90).
The Lab, 1 Jalan Pisang, Singapore 199069, p. 62995681, Open Mon-Thu 11am-930pm; Fri & Sat 11am-10pm; Sun 12pm-8pm.
Monochrome Fusion Bistro
To set itself apart from the other cafés in Singapore, this casual eatery incorporates eye-popping themes in its design. Its minimalist black-and-white scheme is classy and simple, yet powerful – a refreshing sight in today’s industrial chic world. Food prices range from $7 to $33; you can easily choose a main course for less than $20. And we recommend trying the Threesome Wings ($16), the sweet-savoury chilli crab linguini ($22) or the squid ink risotto ($23) for a midday perk-up. For dessert, what really caught our attention were the Churroffles ($12), churros iron-pressed into waffles and topped with biscuit crumbs, banana slices, cinnamon sugar, and a dollop of ice cream. Our full lowdown can be found here!
Monochrome Fusion Bistro, 291 South Bridge Road, Singapore 058836, p. 62211798. Open daily 12pm-10pm.
W.E.+ Café
On top of bringing together an impressive selection of local and foreign labels, W.E.+ shop at Suntec City also allows shoppers to kick back and relax after a long day of shopping at its new cafe concept. Offering dessert, sandwich, mains and coffee, do look out for its kick-ass waffles ($6.90!). You can also get stuffed with its set lunch ($10.90) comprising soup and main, or have a teatime set ($18.80) consisting of two drinks, waffle and gelato.
W.E.+ Café, #02-441, Suntec City, 3 Temasek Boulevard, Singapore 039593, p. 6837 0287. Open daily 9am-8pm.
Dazzling Cafe
Dazzling Cafe has already taken Taiwan by storm, so we’re thankful that Singapore was next on its list! Awashed with baby blue hues, the cosy yet whimsical dessert cafe serves up sugary, picture-perfect treats such as its signature Shibuya-style honey toast and mochi “QQ” Waffle – complete with scoops of Haagen Dazs ice cream. Take note: the spot draws crowds on the weekends, so be prepared to wait.
Dazzling Cafe, #01-85 Capitol Piazza, 15 Stamford Road, Singapore 178906, p. 6384 3310. Open daily 12pm-10pm.
Angelina Café
Hailing from Paris since the 1900s, the prestige of Angelina is certainly legendary. The tearoom and patisserie in Singapore offers two of its most iconic items: the Le Mont-Blanc pastry, and the Old-Fashioned Hot Chocolate “L’Africain”. Apart from these main stars, there’re also chocolate ganache (pralines, too), macarons, and even savoury goodies like truffle ravioli and onion soup.
Angelina Café, #01-82 Capitol Piazza, 15 Stamford Road, Singapore 178906, p. 6384 0481. Open Mon-Fri 11am-10pm; Sat & Sun 10am-10pm.
The Monocle Shop and Café
Niche lifestyle and magazine brand Monocle has recently set up a café, office and retail store at the hip enclave, Chip Bee Gardens in Holland Village. And why all the fuss? Probably because this is the third outlet in the world! Housed in a two-storey shophouse apartment, the café screams hipster but in a good way. At this café, there’s even an outdoor garden where you can enjoy your caffeine kick while people watching. Try their Latte ($6); it’s the bomb!
The Monocle Shop and Cafe, 74 Jalan Kelabu Asap, Singapore 278267, p. 6475 17. Open daily 11am-10pm.
Curious Palette
The enigmatic Curious Palette may be hard to locate (due to the lack of signage and info on them!), but once you’ve found them, you’d definitely want to stick around. This clean sleek café is definitely a heaven for food Instagrammers, so hashtag away! Established by the folks behind Strangers’ Reunion, this mysterious café is where you can find the Insta-famous berries ricotta hotcake ($18.90). You also can’t go wrong with its buttermilk waffles ($11.90-$14.90). If you’re planning to get a cuppa Joe, order the Magic Coffee – a perfect portion of double shot of ristretto to milk.
Curious Palette, 64 Prinsep Street, Singapore 188667. Open Sun-Thu 9am-10pm; Fri & Sat 9am-12am. Closed on Tue.
