Good food, cocktails, art and vibes—that’s what the newly refurbished FiftyFive Coffee Bar is all about. With a soothing nautical theme featuring sea-themed art installations, fixtures and activations, the café definitely offers a dining experience that’ll engage all the senses.
The highlight of the café’s sea-inspired decor is no doubt the interactive sandbox placed in the centre of the café space, where you can actually step in and wade through as if you’re walking along the seaside or by the beach. There are also other oceanic elements sprinkled throughout the space, like hanging “fishnets” and artistic driftwood installations.
Head to the second level of the loft-style café to admire ‘Boats’, a sea-themed painting by Singapore’s renowned Nanyang-style oil painter, Liu Kang—who also happens to be the great-grandfather of FiftyFive’s founder-owner. Even the furniture in the café is nautical-inspired, made to resemble the body of ships or boats. You’ll also be able to hear the soothing sounds of waves being played throughout the café for a truly immersive experience.
Ooomahmee, $30
Following the oceanic theme of the café, the food and drink menu also features sea-themed aspects. For food, look forward to a selection of seafood-centric dishes, spotlighting fresh seafood and sashimi through Japanese-inspired bowls. We especially enjoyed the Ooomahmee ($30) an appetising cold truffle oil capellini dish that was very umami indeed, with a lovely truffle aroma coating each noodle strand and topped with fresh Hokkaido scallops, aburi salmon and ikura pearls.
Barachirashi, $22
Super Hiro, $18
If you love chirashi dons, make sure to get the Barachirashi ($22), featuring cubed octopus, trout, swordfish and tamago atop a bed of perfectly seasoned rice. They were generous with their seafood servings, and the cubed seafood were also super fresh and light. Oyster fans will definitely enjoy the Super Hiro ($18), an ultra plump and juicy Hiroshima oyster topped with Hokkaido scallop and ikura for that extra texture and pop of umami.
The sea theme doesn’t end there: even the specially curated cocktail range is named and inspired after the Seven Seas. The cocktails ($22 each) are not only pretty to look at, they are also made to be easy to drink—perfect if you’re looking for some light after-work drinks. The cocktails will be available from Fridays to Sundays, 7pm to 11pm only.
Indian, $22
Caribbean, $22
Arctic, $22
Mediterranean, $22
Gulf of Mexico, $22
The cocktails are more flavour-forward rather than spirit-forward, and we found most of them to have more herbaceous and botanical undertones. If you prefer slightly more fruity cocktails, go for the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Pacific or Gulf of Mexico; though we found the Gulf to have a more of a bitter aftertaste as well. For more fresh and herby tipples, opt for the Caribbean, Arctic or Indian.
The sea-themed decor will be on display at FiftyFive Coffee Bar for a limited time only, with ‘Boats’ on display till 5th June 2023. After which, the decor and theme of the café will likely change again, with a different painting by various local artists being showcased periodically.
FiftyFive Coffee Bar
Address: 55A Neil Road, Singapore 088892
Opening Hours:Tuesday- Thursday, 9.55am-5.55pm; Friday-Sunday, 9.55am-11pm
