We have a confession to make… we’re serious java junkies and we are always on the lookout for the best coffee and cafes in Singapore. If we don’t get our caffeine fix in the morning and then a cup or two later in the day, we just can’t function. So when it comes to coffee, we know exactly where to get the best cuppas in town. Whether you’re looking for a quick pick-me-up on your way to work in the CBD or an artisanal coffee that you can linger over in a cosy cafe, these coffee spots tick all the right boxes for quality beans, brilliant baristas, great food and overall atmosphere.
Alchemist
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The Alchemist has three locations, two of which are simple, no-frills takeaway spots and then the flagship in the Khong Guan building where they roast their own beans. On any given day there are a variety of top-notch blends to choose from that range from bold and nutty to floral and fruity. Go for your favourite espresso bevvie or ask for a pour-over and watch the barista work his or her magic right in front of you.
Alchemist, 2 MacTaggart Road, Khong Guan Building #01-01, Singapore 368078. Open Mon – Fri 8am – 5pm, Sat 9am – 6pm. 16 Raffles Quay, Hong Leong Building #01-08, Singapore 048581. Open Mon – Fri 8am – 5pm. 10 Anson Road #01-34 Singapore 709903. Open Mon – Fri 8am – 5pm
% Arabica Coffee
This famous Kyoto coffee joint was founded by Kenneth Shoji, who brought on world champion barista Junichi Yamaguchi to create brilliant cuppas made with the very best Arabica beans. Depending on the season, you could be sampling brews made with beans from Colombia, Ethiopia or Shoji’s own coffee farm in Hawaii. The Arab Street location is the brand’s first branch in Singapore.
% Arabica, 56 Arab Street, Singapore 199753. p. +65 6291 3887, Open daily 8am – 8pm
43 Jalan Merah Sag, Chip Bee Gardens
313 Orchard Road, 313 Somerset
Atlas Coffeehouse prides themselves on their attention to detail, so no matter what time of day you pop by, you’ll get the same quality cuppa. We love the ultra-Instagrammable white and blue interiors and the sleek setup they have going on at the coffee bar. Stop by for breakfast or brunch and you can pair your coffee with tasty eats like candied bacon buttermilk waffles or butterscotch banana pancakes.
Atlas Coffeehouse, 6 Duke’s Road, Singapore 268886. p. +65 6314 2674. Open Tues – Sun 8am – 7pm
Bula Café & Bar
You can’t miss the bright turquoise Synesso machine at Bula Café & Bar in The Working Capitol. Make a beeline to it for buzzy espresso-based drinks just the way you like them from flat white to cappuccino, long black or piccolo. When the sun starts to set, the space transforms into a chic bar where you can grab after-work drinks including cocktails, beers and wines.
Bula Café & Bar, 1 Keong Saik Road, Singapore 089109. p. +65 8814 9358. Open Mon – Fri 8am – 10pm
Set in a beautiful Art Deco shophouse, CSHH is the flagship store of Papa Palheta. Sidle up to the circular bar and chat with the baristas to come up with the perfect cup of coffee tailored to your tastes. Also on site is The Roastery where they roast their own beans, The Annex where you can pick up coffee products, neat gadgets and machines, and C-Platform upstairs where you can learn the art of coffee making.
Chye Seng Huat Hardware, 150 Tyrwhitt Rd, Singapore 207563. p. +65 6396 0609. Open Sun – Thurs 9am – 10pm, Fri – Sat 9am – 12pm
Just like the name suggests, the baristas at these chic cafes are schooled in the fine art of coffee making from roasting the beans to brewing using water filtered through a BWT system and creating beautiful latte art. Pop by for a signature blend made with sustainably sourced beans from prime coffee growing regions or sign up for one of their hands-on workshops.
The Coffee Academics, 6 Scotts Road, Scotts Square #02-01/02, Singapore 228209. p. +65 6538 1940. Open Mon – Thurs 9am – 8:30pm, Fri – Sat 9am – 9pm, Sun 9am – 8pm (and various locations)
Common Man Coffee Roasters
CMCR has long been a darling of the Singapore coffee scene. They work with Five Senses Coffee to bring in quality beans that are roasted and ground on site and prepared using a custom Synesso machine for espresso-based drinks or pour-over apparatus for single origins. Grab a seat at the brew bar to watch the baristas in action or settle in at one of the wooden tables for divine coffee and all-day brunch dishes.
Common Man Coffee Roasters, 22 Martin Road #01-00, Singapore 239058. p. +65 6836 4695. Open Mon – Fri 7:30am – 5pm, Sat – Sun 7:30am – 6pm
This offshoot of CMCR serves up the same excellent specialty coffees in a gorgeous space filled with natural light and decked out in marble, rattan and wood. We love the convenient CBD location and the fact that they do drool-worthy brekkie and lunch dishes to go with the brews. If you’re looking for a stylish spot to have a meeting over coffee and some bites, this is a solid bet.
Common Man Stan, 11 – 12 Stanley Street, Singapore 068730. p. +65 6877 4855. Open Mon – Sat: 7:30am – 5:30pm
Craftsmen Specialty Coffee
Established in 2013, Craftsmen Specialty Coffee now has six locations across Singapore, which is a testament to how great their beans and bites are. They only source single origin coffee beans from quality growers in Brazil, Honduras, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sumatra, Costa Rica and Guatemala, so you have a range of flavour profiles to choose from. You can also pick up bags of beans to take home.
Craftsmen Specialty Coffee, 6 Eu Tong Sen Street #01-59, Singapore 059817. p. +65 9658 0769. Open Mon – Thurs 8am – 9:30pm, Fri – Sat & even of PH 8am – 10:30pm, Sun & PH 8am – 9pm (and various locations)
Curious Palette is owned by Ryan Kieran Tan, who is a three-time Singapore National Barista Champion and World Siphonist Champion, so you’re pretty much guaranteed an amazing cup of joe. You can choose from a selection of special blends brewed with your choice of syphon, aeropress or drip. They also do delicious brunch dishes like the berry ricotta hotcakes and soft shell crab burger.
Curious Palette, 64 Prinsep Street, Singapore 188667. p. +65 3138 1478. Open Wed – Sun 9am – 10pm
Head upstairs to this cafe on the second-floor of a shophouse on Amoy Street and you’ll find yourself in a cosy space done up with dark wood, copper and loads of power outlets so you can plug in and get some work done. During the day you can fuel up on aromatic coffees and hearty lunch dishes like the loaded Dapper Burger and Mac n. Cheese. Swing by in the evening and it turns into the speakeasy-style Spiffy Dapper bar.
Dapper Coffee, 73 Amoy Street 2nd floor, Singapore 069892. p. +65 8742 8908. Open Mon – Fri 8am – 5pm
The baristas at this contemporary cafe often compete in competitions including Dutch Colony’s very own Latte Art Pourdown. They’ll be happy to chat with you about their superb beans sourced from primo coffee growing regions and how they bring you the bean-to-cup experience from roasting the beans in house to brewing using the Steampunk MOD machine and various manual methods.
Dutch Colony Coffee Co., 81 Clemenceau Ave #01-21, Singapore 239917. p. +65 6904 4522, Open daily 8am – 6pm & 13 Frankel Ave, Singapore 458230. p. +65 6448 5852. Open daily 8am – 6pm
Five Oars Coffee Roasters
Five Oars draws you in with lots of greenery, chic white and grey interiors, and the irresistible aroma of freshly brewed coffee. Ask the staff about beans and blends on offer that day and get them to whip you up a latte or straight-up pour-over. The menu also offers tons of tasty brunch dishes like the crab benedict and wagyu foie gras bowl. In the evening it’s all about pasta, risotto and roasted and grilled meats.
Five Oars Coffee Roasters, 39 Tanjong Pagar Road, Singapore 088462. Open daily 8am – 10pm
Grace Espresso
For those who live in the River Valley hood, Grace Espresso is a recent addition and the perfect neighbourhood spot to grab a cuppa.’ Located on the corner of Nathan Road, this cafe is small but serves up just what you need to start your day. Lucky for us, they have non dairy options they serve with coffee, like our favourite Oatly Oat milk.
Grace Espresso, 428 River Valley Road #01-14, Singapore 248327
Jewel Coffee
Since opening on Shenton Way in 2011, Jewel Coffee has been one of our favourite java haunts. In fact, owner Adrian Khong was one of the first people to open our eyes to artisanal third-wave coffee. No matter which locale you hit up, you can expect exquisite cuppas made with single origin beans from key coffee growing regions around the world and prepared using a Chemex, V60 or syphon.
Jewel Coffee, 1 Shenton Way #01-07, Singapore 068803. p. +65 6636 9452. Open Mon – Fri: 7am – 7pm, Sat: 8am – 5pm (and various locations around Singapore)
Kafe UTU is Singapore’s first African-inspired cafe, which makes it a refreshing change from the usual coffee spots. The space is warm and inviting with hand-carved doors, huge portraits on the walls and mahogany furniture, and the menu has a range of enticing coffee options like the Ibadra Ritual, a quadruple ristretto shot poured over chilled Hokkaido milk. If you’re hungry, we highly suggest the hearty Liberian peanut chicken stew.
Kafe UTU, 12 Jiak Chuan Road, Singapore 089265. p. +65 6996 3937. Open Wed – Mon 8am – 5pm
Little Farms is best known as a grocery chain that stocks fresh, natural whole foods, but they also have a few cafes attached to their stores where you can fuel up on great coffee and cafe fare. Grab an Allpress espresso to give you a boost before you do your grocery shopping or relax afterwards with a latte and an acai bowl or smashed avocado brekkie plate.
Little Farms Cafe, 491 River Valley Road #01-20, Singapore 248371. p. +65 6262 0619. Open daily 7:30am – 8pm (and various locations)
Lunar Coffee Brewers
Brought to us by the folks behind Atlas Coffeehouse, Lunar Coffee Brewers is a sleek, minimalist cafe in the heart of the CBD. The house blend coffee features a mix of Guatemalan and Brazilian beans and is custom-roasted by local outfit 2 Degrees North Coffee Co. Order up a piping hot cup just the way you like it or try one of their refreshing cold brews
Lunar Coffee Brewers, 6 Shenton Way, #01-49/50 OUE Downtown Gallery 2, 068809. p. +65 6224 4500. Open Mon – Fri 8am – 7pm, Sat 8am – 3pm
MAVRX Coffee Bar
MAVRX Coffee Bar may have closed their Duxton location, but fans can still grab excellent brews at their latest locale in Great World City. The draw here is the sublime blend of Brazilian, Sumatran, Colombian and Guatemalan beans roasted by Allpress, an artisanal New Zealand roastery. For something uniquely refreshing, try the iced espresso with fizzy tonic water.
MAVRX Coffee Bar, 1 Kim Seng Promenade #01-129, Great World City office lobby, Singapore 237994. p. +65 8780 3813. Open Mon – Fri 8am – 5:30pm, Sat – Sun 10am – 5:30pm
Since opening in 2012, Nylon Coffee Roasters have been serving up top-notch coffee sourced fairly and sustainably from trusted producers. The coffees change depending on what is in season and whatever new batches the owners discover on their coffee seeking missions. Stop by the cafe to try wonderfully balanced cuppas and pick up beans to take home. Be sure to chat with the barista to find out the story behind your beans.
Nylon Coffee Roasters, 4 Everton Park #01-40, Singapore 080004. p. +65 6220 2330. Open Mon – Fri 8:30am – 5:30pm, Sat – Sun 9am – 6pm
Omotesando Koffee
Over the past year or so, Singapore has seen a slew of Japanese coffee chains opening up, and one of the most hyped was Omotesando Koffee. The Singapore locale is just a small takeaway spot tucked into The Work Project at Downtown Gallery, but that hasn’t stopped people from flocking to its counter. Purists can go for a regular drip or hand poured coffee, latte or cappuccino, while adventurous types can try the iced versions with bubble foam.
Omotesando Koffee, 6A Shenton Way, The Work Project, Downtown Gallery #04-01, Singapore 068815. Open Mon – Fri 8am – 6pm
Patisserie G
If you fancy some sweet treats to go with your coffee, make your way to Patisserie G at Millenia Walk or Downtown Gallery. The coffee boasts big, bold flavours and you can opt for regular milk or soy milk and hot and cold versions. Pair it with a slice of lychee rose cheesecake or a rich chocolate tart. They also have savoury sandwiches on brioche, a croissant or ciabatta.
Patisserie G, 9 Raffles Boulevard, Millenia Walk #01-40, Singapore 039596. p. +65 6338 7578. Open Mon – Thurs 7:30am – 9pm, Fri 7:30am – 10pm, Sat 10am – 10pm, Sun 10am – 9pm & 6A Shenton Way, Downtown Gallery #01-30/34, Singapore 068815. p. +65 6222-0390. Open Mon – Fri 7:30am – 6pm
This cool little gastro-cafe on Neil Road is a collaboration between the Department of Caffeine (D.O.C) and 2 Degrees North Coffee Co, so you can be sure the seasonal artisanal coffees are on point. Also on offer are teas from Tea Bone Zen Mind, hot chocolate by Mörk Chocolate, and an array of globally-inspired all-day dishes like grass-fed burgers, donburi bowls, and hearty pastas.
The Populus Coffee & Food Co., 146 Neil Road, Singapore 088875. p. +65 6635 8420. Open Mon 9am – 7pm, Tue :9am – 4pm, Wed – Fri 9am – 10:30pm, Sat 9:30am – 10:30pm, Sun 9:30am – 7pm
The Providore has a number of outlets across the city where you can get your caffeine fix, indulge in fresh, healthy eats, and pick up artisan products to take home. Our favourite location is the one at Raffles Place, which is set in a gorgeous glass house. The convenient location in the heart of the CBD makes it a great spot for a work meeting, lunch or coffee break or after-work drinks. They also have a take-out counter for quick to-go orders.
The Providore, 7 Raffles Place, Singapore 048625. p. +65 6533 1352. Open Mon – Sat 8am – 10:30pm, Sat – Sun & PH 9am – 6pm (and various locations around Singapore)
Ronin (now closed)
It may be a bit hard to find, but Ronin is well worth the effort for its cool hole-in-the-wall vibe and superb coffee and cafe eats. The coffee menu is kept simple with just a few espresso-based drinks on offer, signature mochas in mint or orange flavours, and the affogato with espresso, ice cream and chocolate chips. The food menu is also straightforward with breakfast grains, toasts and sandwiches.
Ronin, 17 Hongkong St, Singapore 059660. Open daily 8am – 6pm
If you’re in the Telok Ayer hood and craving a cuppa, Sarnies is your spot. This buzzy Aussie-style cafe roasts their own beans in house so your cappuccino, latte or black coffee will always be fresh and flavourful. The food is also pretty spectacular, as they go out of their way to use only the best ingredients for their sandwiches, salads and mains like house-cured bacon cured, grass-fed beef and fresh veggies.
Sarnies, 136 Telok Ayer Street, Singapore 068601. p. +65 6224 6091. Open Mon – Tues 7:30am – 10:30pm, Wed – Fri 7:30am – 12am, Sat – Sun 8:30am – 4pm
Schibello Coffee Roasters
Little Creatures Singapore recently partnered with Schibello Coffee Roasters from Australia to add an in-house roastery to their microbrewery and cafe. So now along with craft beers and contemporary eats, you can also grab single origin coffees from the espresso bar. The plan is to switch up the beans regularly so you can try different blends boasting a range of flavours. They also offer coffee roasting sessions and tastings.
Schibello Coffee Roasters, 36 Club Street, Little Creatures, Singapore 069469. p. +65 2833 0350. Open daily 8am – 12am
Tiong Bahru Bakery is a beloved Singapore institution offering up some of the best breads and pastries on the island, as well as insanely good coffee by Common Man Coffee Roasters. They now have a few locales around town, which means it’s even easier to get your morning coffee and croissant fix. The take-away counters are good for grabbing a cup of joe to go, but you can also linger over your coffee and light bites at a table in any of their cheerful cafes.
Tiong Bahru Bakery, 56 Eng Hoon Street #01-70, Singapore 160056. p. +65 6220 3430. Open daily 8am – 8pm (and various locations around Singapore)
Toby’s Estate
Australian coffee connoisseur Toby Smith brings us this renowned cafe where world ranked baristas roast and brew specialty coffees made with the highest quality beans. Sit back and sip a rich, aromatic brew, munch on a flaky croissant or a toasty warm panini, and catch up on your emails with the free Wifi, all while overlooking the river. You can also get top notch beans and coffee equipment in the on site shop.
Toby’s Estate, 8 Rodyk Street #01-03/04 , p. +65 6636 7629, Open Sun – Thurs, 7:30am – 6pm and Fri-Sat, 7:30am – 8pm
They say it takes 40 hands to produce just one cup of coffee from planting the beans all the way to the final pour, hence the name of this pioneering third wave coffee spot. It’s all about coffee appreciation here, so you’ll only find premium beans sourced directly from growers from around the world. The vibe is cool and a bit edgy, the coffee is ridiculously good and the food is divine, so both locations tend to get packed, especially during weekend brunches.
40 Hands, 78 Yong Siak St, #01-12, Singapore 163078. p. +65 6225 8545. Open Mon – Fri 7am – 6pm, Sat – Sun 7am – 7pm & 226 East Coast Road, Singapore, 428923. p. +65 6877 4860. Open Mon – Sun 7:30am – 6:30pm
