While the year 2020 was a drag, 2021 certainly kicked-off with a bang. Ushering in a rejuvenated wave of new food and beverage businesses, foodies across Singapore were treated with a slew of unique dining experiences, back-to-back! Of the innumerable grand openings we’ve witnessed this year, these are SHOUT’s top 10 must-visit cafes!
La Fez
Transporting us as far away as Marrakesh, Morocco, La Fez is an all-new café, situated along East Coast Road. Showcasing a specially curated menu of destination-inspired dishes, all-day brunches, cold pressed juices, and Arabic coffees which include the spellbinding half-espresso and half-milk beverage, known as Nous Nous, La Fez is easily distinguished by an array of horseshoe arches symbolizing good luck, alongside uniform rose and salmon pink interiors, that are further accentuated by luxurious gold shelving.
Complete with a cosy environment of plush furnishing, rattan seating, a plethora of indoor flora and fauna, and pockets of culturally-inspired wall décor, La Fez offers well-crafted dishes in the form of Turkish Poached Eggs for $19.90, Medina Lentil Soup for $17.90, Moroccan Harissa Chicken Legs for $17.90, and Oven-baked Barramundi for $32.90, amongst a multitude of others.
La Fez Café And Bakery
Address: 907 East Coast Road, #01-04 Springvale, S459107
Opening hours: 8am–8pm (Tue-Thu), 8am–10.30pm (Fri-Sun), closed on Mondays
La Vie
Set along the bustling street of 240 Jalan Besar, this all-new artisan café specializes in gourmet French pastry. Founded by a group of passionate kitchen and service staff, La Vie was established with an aim to create a conducive and comfortable environment for all who visit.
Named after two of the chef’s pets, the $8.50 ‘Chloe’ and $9 ‘Kaiser’ are regarded as the café’s best-selling and signature pastries, alongside the $9.50 Watermelon Strawberry cake, and $8.50 Bailey Tiramisu. Made from espresso and baileys, soaked ladyfingers, and mascarpone zabaione, the Baileys Tiramisu is undoubtedly the most eye-catching of the entire selection.
La Vie
Address: 204 Jln Besar, Singapore 208890
Operating Hours: (Mon-Sun): 12pm-10pm
Gentle Roast
Lined by a predominantly white and gold interior, this 35-seater space along Upper Thomson is now home to an all-new minimalist brunch and coffee house. Situated just a mere stone’s throw away from the area’s revered Habitat Coffee, this new addition exudes an unparalleled elegance, with the incorporation of vibrant gold elements. Ever-present in the café’s neon installations, furniture frames, and bespoke lighting, Gentle Roast is a literal gold-mine of picturesque set-ups.
Complete with a variety of delectable brunch items, in the form of a classic $18 egg benedict, and the unconventional $18 Brioche burnt French toast with burnt caramelized banana, avocado, toasted walnut, cream cheese, and cornflakes, Gentle Roast also serves a diversified range of hand mold beef burgers for $18, classic seafood aglio olio for $17, the chef’s special chilli crabby for $16, and the distinctive ducky indon for $18.
Gentle Roast
Address: 227 Upper Thomson Road, Singapore 574359
Opening Hours: 10:30am – 10:30pm (Mon – Sun)
Glass Roasters
Tucked away in the leafy suburbs of Faber Drive, this minimalist hole-in-the-wall style coffee shop, lies perfectly in between Clementi and Jurong East. Showcasing the whitest of tiles, and an unfurnished concrete ceiling, Glass Roasters is oddly reminiscent of innumerable cafes across Seoul, Tokyo, and Melbourne, despite its unique home-kitchen aesthetic.
Limited to a mere handful of seating options, the café features two tables inside and a row of chairs outside, which ultimately help to further manage store traffic, and maintain a peaceful environment. Through collaborating with small-time farmers, Glass Roasters utilize Colombian beans to create a simple coffee selection of black or white for $4.50 and $5.50, respectively. Guests may also top up an additional $1 for an upsize, iced, oat milk, or extra strong beverage.
Glass Roasters
Address: 108 Faber Drive, Singapore 129418
Operating Hours: (Mon,Tues-Sun): 8am-5pm, Closed on Tuesdays
Equate Coffee
Tucked away on the second floor of Tanjong Pagar Plaza, directly opposite 100AM Mall, Equate Coffee represents the materialized passion of two friends. Easily distinguished by the earliest symbols learnt in childhood, Equate Coffee’s signature monogram, ‘+ ÷ x –‘, aims to provide a sense of familiarity and exude serenity, whilst the store’s cave-like installation marks a physical departure from the outside world. Ultimately, the duo’s goal is to create a space of relaxation and escape from the inherent stress of everyday life.
Stationed at a futuristic gold counter with a marble tabletop, Ryan and Jacob invite guests to review their meticulously curated menu of signature pastries and customizable beverages. Brewed and baked from scratch in-house, each treat pairs seamlessly with the store’s selection of drinks.
Their menu features, an Earl Grey Loaf ($4), which the duo describe as ‘light, fluffy, and straight forward’, the Mount Ondeh ($7) which pairs perfectly with black coffee, and most notably, the Canelé ($4) which is not only dense and chewy, but specially crafted to be dipped into each drink’s foam.
Equate Coffee
Address: 1 Tanjong Pagar Plaza, #02-25, Singapore 082001
Opening Hours: 8:30am – 5:30pm (Mon – Fri), 8am – 3pm (Sat), Closed Sun
Seng Coffee Bar
Situated along Changi Road, this minimalist and industrial café, brands itself as the go-to destination for casual gatherings among friends. Showcasing a mix of both in-and-outdoor dining areas, the Seng Coffee Bar is characterized by its incorporation of vintage furniture in the form of rattan chairs and wood-framed floor-to-ceiling windows, alongside their incorporation of fresh produce with great flavours to create a delectable dinner and dessert menu.
Complete with a meticulously curated selection of quality wine and thirst-quenching, non-alcoholic beverages, Seng Coffee Bar is best known for their signature Mentaiko Mac and Cheese worth $18, Fried Nan Lu Chicken for $12, the $8 Cempedak Crème Brulee, $6 Ice Flat White, and $6.50 Hojicha Latte.
Seng Coffee Bar
Address: 389 Changi Road Singapore, Singapore 419838
Operating Hours: (Mon-Fri): 11am – 10:30pm, (Sat-Sun): 9am – 10:30pm
Zall Bookstore
Spanning two storeys, the Zall Bookstore aims to embrace and portray traditional Chinese culture in its most authentic form. Hailing from Hubei, Wuhan, this bookstore comprises of an art gallery, café, and library with open concept play areas and an array of homely in-and-outdoor lounge spaces. Despite its collection of predominantly historic and philosophical Chinese literature, the store also showcases a vast variety of children and young adult storybooks in English.
Unsuspectingly concealed behind one of the establishment’s innumerable bookshelves, lies a miniature art gallery. Showcasing a new exhibition every month, Zall Bookstore displays and sells the work of prominent local artists. Free for all to visit, the art gallery space is also available for rent, at a flat rate of $1,000/hour, by companies and artists that wish to host private conferences.
Situated on level one, the store’s café serves authentic Roasted Oolong, Honey Ruby, Champagne Oolong, and Ruby Amber Taiwanese tea, for an average price of $12.90, alongside an array of caffeinated beverages such as, the Vanilla or Matcha Espresso worth $7.50 and $8, respectively. Other offerings include, bite sized pastries in the form of a creamy rainbow cakes for $7.50, miniature emoji-inspired mochi for $1.90, and a delicious Butter Chicken Pie worth $7.50.
Zall Bookstore
Address: 501 Orchard Road, Wheelock Place
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm daily
Geylang Drip City
Caffeine and hip-hop collide in perfect harmony at this all-new coffee-centric cafe. Representing the epitome of style, and sophisticated coffee-making, Geylang Drip City is a 25-seater Muslim-owned, specialty coffee bar situated just opposite Shell petrol station along Geylang Road.
Set in an all-black, futuristic space, the cafe showcases sleek and captivating details, from its coffee machines, right down to the black marble tables and coffee bar counter, walls, sofa couch and brewing equipment.
Offering a diverse selection of drip coffee with their own added flair, Geylang Drip City utilizes El Salvador Santa Rosa beans to create all signature espresso-based drinks, and Bali Lakshana or Rwanda Izuba beans for each V60 pour over coffee alternative.
Geylang Drip City
Address: 184 Geylang Rd, Singapore 389253
Operating Hours: (Mon, Tues, Thurs-Sun): 9:30am – 6pm
MoMiJi Kyoto Café
Embodying the revered qualities of Kyoto in its full glory, the all-new MoMiJi café by Teppei Group’s prolific chef-founder Teppei Yamashita, presents a truly immersive experience that begins through iconic crimson Tori gates.
Serving an authentic selection of city-inspired food items, including sandwiches with unique fillings, such as, the $16.20 Matcha Pudding Kyoto Hot Sandwich, and $15.20 Smoked Salmon Sandwich – the MoMiJi café occupies a significant amount of space within KAP mall, and accommodates up to 44 pax at a time, with four ordinary seating arrangements on level one, and four private booths, each representing the different seasons, on level two.
MoMiJi Cafe
Address: 9 King Albert Park, KAPMall, #01-37 Singapore 598292 (8-minute walk from King Albert Park MRT Station)
Opening hours: 10am – 7pm daily
Neptune Café
Characterised by a strong universe theme, Neptune showcases a spacious 70-seater floorplan, with both indoor and alfresco dining areas. Coated in a white and green colourway, the café is fitted with a harmonious mix of wooden furnishing, which exude a distinguishably calm, Japanese inspired ambience.
Complete with an abundance of natural light, Neptune serves a variety of Japanese-esque dishes with a dedicated menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Starting from 9am to 11am, the breakfast and lunch menus feature a diverse array of health-conscious yet savoury alternatives in the form of, Granola Bowl worth $13.90, Banana Bread for $13.90, Chorizo, Eggs, and Avo for $20.90, Standard French Toast for $19.80 and Buttermilk Waffles in three flavours – Plain ($11.20), Salted Caramel ($13.40), and Candied Bacon for $15.50.
Beginning dinner at 5pm onwards, Neptune showcases a variety of Pasta worth anywhere in between $19.20 to $24, Seafood Somen for $22.90, Steak worth $32.90, and Pork Nikomi & Fried Rice for $25.90. Other offerings include the café’s signature ‘Big in Japan’ grana panado scone which comes complete with three different condiments served on the side. These include yuzu jam, honey mascarpone and cold shrimp & salmon in dill sauce.
Neptune Café
Address: 237 East Coast Road, Level 1, Singapore 428930
Opening Hours: 9am – 10pm (Tue – Sat), 9am – 7pm (Sun), Closed Mon
