The ultimate guide to new cafés to visit in Singapore 2024

Beloved Australian brand and chain Cocobella Lifebar opened on our shores at One Holland Village late last month, bringing with it its indulgently rich coconut yoghurt. Expect, of course, tubs and tubs of its own coconut yoghurt within its beach-inspired interiors, though the açai bowl, topped with heaps of fruits and granola, is not to be missed. If not, go for the strawberry, mango or taro frozen yoghurt instead. For drinks, the açai or espresso smoothies are a great choice, as is the Café Cloud, which mixes coffee and coconut water together and adds a fluffy layer of coco foam on top.

Cocobella Lifebar
Address: 7 Holland Village Way, 01-55 One Holland Village, S(275748)

Popular Bangladeshi chain Peyala Café has made its way to Singapore at Marina Bay Link Mall. At its centre is a commitment to healthy eating and living, which is why you’ll find hearty bowls (salad or rice) of nutritious South Asian dishes such as butter chicken and potato korma, though you'll also find exclusive local flavours such as beef rendang. There are also tortilla wraps on offer, perfect for a quick lunch in the central business district.

Peyala Café
Address: 8a Marina Boulevard, B2-32, S(018984)

Lovers of Taiwanese tea have lots to look forward to with Kebuke, a Taiwanese bubble tea shop that has opened at Taste Orchard. The tea here is sourced from Sri Lanka, making each drink here, such as the jade oolong tea and the honey peach black tea particularly good. For a cooler, opt for a proton fruit tea, which freezes fruit such as strawberries into cubes in your tea—perfect for a hot day out in Singapore. If not, the biscuit black tea latte is great for your sweet tooth. Layered with Biscoff, this drink is just right for an afternoon pick-me-up.

Kebuke
Address: 160 Orchard Road, 01-11/12, S(238842)

Think you’ve had enough of shaved ice desserts? Think again. The Artisan Café on Purvis Street offers kakigori in both traditional and innovative flavours that provide the ideal escape from the heat. Take, for instance, the black sesame kakigori, which is doused in sesame syrup and topped with mochi for a chewy texture. Otherwise, the matcha azuki kakigori is a classic Japanese flavour, though for sake lovers, the guava sake kakigori should be a treat. Coming in for lunch? Make sure to order the five-course kakigori set menu, which includes a lobster bisque, your choice of cod, beef stew, or lobster risotto, and of course, kakigori.

The Artisan Café
Address: 14 Purvis Street, S(188593), +65 9886 9996

Scandinavian wooden furnishings and exposed brick tables make this Joo Chiat café the next great hotspot for coffee with friends. The owners of this café love their bakes, which is why you’ll see gems such as chicken pies and cardamom buns. Those who love their pastries, go for the “Memory of østerbrogade”, which sees flaky layers of pastry topped with vanilla cream and stuffed with raspberry jam. Don’t miss out on the Iranian pistachio tart, which uses its key ingredient liberally, from its firm praline to its frangipane and cream.

174bingo
Address: 174 Joo Chiat Road, 01-01, S(427445)

May 2024

This popular café opened its newest outlet on May 2 at 1-Flowerhill, the newest lifestyle destination by 1-Group in a black-and-white bungalow in Sentosa. Here, a brunch or a midday coffee break is best enjoyed on the Grand Terrace and the courtyard. To beat the heat, order the cendol, which comes with the more delicate texture of bingsu, or fill up with its selection of international and Singaporean dishes from the “Taste of Archipelago” menu. Make sure to stick around for sunset, which is when the café turns into Wildseed Bar & Grill, offering a selection of grilled meats and seafood alongside a curated selection of wines and cocktails.

Wildseed Café
Address: 6 Imbiah Road, S(099696), +65 9630 3287

It’s a chocolate lover’s paradise at Any1 Choco in Telok Ayer. This café sets itself apart with its plant-based and dairy- and gluten-free chocolate, assisted with hydrolysis technology from Hydro Powtech Japan. If you’re not there to buy chocolate bars, try the ice cream, which comes in flavours such as plant-based milk coconut and dark Vietnam cacao. The drinks are notable as well—you can choose between dark, milk and white chocolate drinks, or go for something more special with drinks such as the plant-based milk roasted green tea or the white strawberry.

Any1 Choco
Address: 114 Telok Ayer Street, S(068583), +65 6320 3808

Redhill now has a new neighbourhood café with quality pizzas and pasta to boot. Café Fufu bakes its sourdough pizzas in its imported Gozney oven, which fires up bold new flavours such as wild mushroom, smoked salmon tartare, and its signature pizza fufu, a medley of prawns and coriander pesto. Flatbread versions of pizzas are also available, as are pasta dishes such as the crabmeat pasta. You won’t want to miss having the Valrhona chocolate fudge with pecan for dessert.

Café Fufu
Address: 63B Lengkok Bahru, 01-362, S(152063), +65 9722 9070

Tampines ice cream lovers no longer have to travel far to satisfy their cravings. Glasshouse Creamery is located in, you guessed it, a glasshouse. Go for ice cream flavours such as oolong osmanthus and pistachio; they are best enjoyed on top of mochi waffles, which retain a satisfying crisp with a chewy interior. If you’re looking for something savoury, opt for finger foods like the chicken karaage and the popcorn chicken, which comes with your choice of mayo: truffle, mentaiko, or furikkake. Wash it all down with the café’s selection of speciality tea to warm the stomach.

Glasshouse Creamery
Address: 117 Tampines Street 86, The Alps Residences, S(528538), +65 8908 2078

Originally located in Jalan Besar, this popular mahjong-themed dessert shop has moved to its new home at Hotel 1929 on Keong Saik Road, bringing with it a modern take on traditional Chinese desserts. Though there is the iconic mango pomelo sago, there is also the lighter mango mousse, as well as a Mao Shan Wang durian mousse. Otherwise, you might like its version of cendol or its savoury options like the seafood pancake, but the “Berry Blast”, a new addition to the menu, is a must-try. Featuring vanilla ice cream laced with berry purée and studded with blueberries and grapes, this should help you cool down in the hot weather we’ve been having.

Tian Wang Desserts
Address: 50 Keong Saik Road, S(089154), +65 9680 1628

April 2024

What’s better than having a custom cheongsam fitted on you before indulging in a cooling dessert? Dressmaker Studio HHFZ now shares its Jalan Besar space with Siyuan Desserts, a new café which offers traditional hot and cold Chinese desserts to warm your soul or cool you down in Singapore’s brutal weather. Expect the classics like orh nee, sesame paste and mango sago, but do look out for the chendol as well, where an optional addition of yam paste adds interesting body and flavour to an otherwise solid staple. 

Siyuan Desserts
Address: 111D King George’s Avenue, S(208559)

A one-stop shop for Singapore’s diverse culinary culture, Café O in Bugis offers a broad range of classic Singaporean dishes to indulge in—though there are some plates that will surprise you. Case in point: the Malay ginger fried chicken with chicken rice, which blends the Malay-style fried chicken with Chinese-style chicken rice, served with a 24-hour marinated chicken leg. Don’t forget the salted egg prata, which is gloriously molten within layers of prata. 

Café O
Address: 229 Victoria Street, S(188023)

Coffee addicts have got another coffee chain opening in Singapore to look out for. Indonesian coffee chain Tomoro Coffee has opened its first store here at the NUS Business School Hon Sui Sen Memorial Library, bringing with it its 100 per cent Arabica coffee. There are classic coffee options abound of course, but to try something new, choose the manuka oat latte for your morning coffee instead, which should add an extra kick in your step. If not, the strawberry coconut frappe should prove to be the sweet treat one deserves in the hot weather.

Tomoro Coffee
Address: 1 Hon Sui Sen Drive, S(117588)

Good gelato has arrived in Kovan with the opening of Tom’s Palette. The second store of the Middle Road flagship, this store pays homage to its neighbourhood with its outlet exclusive, the King Pin’s Cone. Reimagining the classic snack putu mayam, the creation sees steamed rice flour “vermicelli” tucked inside a cone and then topped with “Tekka Market Coconut” gelato and a red sugar dressing. If not, choose from 18 flavours of gelato at a time, which can be enjoyed with freshly-baked waffles. Of those 18, six rotate amongst a repository of 230 flavours, so make sure you come back regularly to see what novelties you’ve yet to try. 

Tom’s Palette
Address: 212 Hougang Street 21, 01-333, S(530212), +65 8815 8054

For those on the perennial lookout for good brunch spots, Good Egg by Bearded Bella should be right up your alley. Besides some light bites like croissants and an orange polenta cake, make sure to fill up on hearty brunch classics, including its signature doughnut burgers which come in flavours like “cheesy black garlic goodness”, “Ajumma’s corned beef”, and, of course, the “classic” with a 100 per cent Australian beef patty. Otherwise, rösti with pistachio-crusted salmon should be an excellent choice, as is the cold pasta with seared Canadian scallops. 

Good Egg by Bearded Bella
Address: 160 Robinson Road, 01-01 SBF Center, S(068914)

March 2024

After endearing Paris and Courchevel with his too-pretty-to-eat chocolate creations, celebrity pastry chef Maxime Frédéric is making his first splash in Singapore with Le Chocolate Maxime Frédéric at Louis Vuitton in Marina Bay Sands. The chocolaterie features chocolates bearing the French luxury brand’s house codes, crafted with premium ingredients sourced from his family farm in Normandy and all over the world. 

Le Chocolat Maxime Frédéric
Address: 2 Bayfront Avenue, B1-38/39 Louis Vuitton Island Store, S(018972)

Tea chain Amps Tea+ is bringing its love for tea into Jurong with its biggest outlet yet at Jem. Lounge within the spacious 48-seater café while you sip on its refreshing tea-based drinks, including the white peach oolong latte, the fresh lemon glutinous green tea, or simply its signature fruit tea. Serious tea lovers might appreciate its range of cold and fresh brew options, with teas such as tie guan yin, da hong pao, and four season oolong. 

Amps Tea+
Address: 50 Jurong Gateway Road, 01-64, Jem, S(608529)

Decked out in neons and eclectic retro furniture is Scoop & Sketch, a gelato spot spanning two stories at Atrix in Aljunied. There are, of course, beloved gelato flavours here such as pistachio and black sesame, which are best enjoyed with a waffle and some craft beer. Fancy some ink? Head upstairs to get a tattoo by Naked Skin Tattoo.

Scoop & Sketch
Address: 82 Lorong 23 Geylang, 01-01 Atrix, S(388409)

Community building is the cornerstone of Garden of Secrets, a new café at Sultan Gate. Bite-sized snacks such as gyoza skin pizza and waffles accompany a curated selection of tea, coffee, kombucha and wine, meant to be enjoyed over light conversation. Look out for interactive art exhibitions, retail selections designed by local creators, and performances. 

Garden of Secrets
Address: 37A Sultan Gate, 2/F, S(198485)

From the makers of scenic brunch spot East Coast Commune comes a stylish new rooftop cafe that is bound to draw cafe hoppers to Holland Village. To find it, look out for an elevator between a money changer and UOB bank. Once the lift doors open, a third-home aesthetic and coffee aromas disarm you. There, you’ll find brunch and breakfast delights of the usual suspects, but what truly stands out are the open-faced sandwiches—especially the hearty roasted short rib toast. Come evening, the vibe quickly alters into a romantic spot for lovebirds to revel in.

Frankie & Fern’s
Address: 211 Holland Ave, #04-03, S(278967)

February 2024

Ami Pâtisserie, the cult online pâtisserie by pastry chef Makoto Arami, has finally opened its brick-and-mortar concept on Scotts Road. Situated within the estate of a black-and-white bungalow, you can enjoy pristine tartes and parfaits made with seasonal fruits—who can say no to a musk melon parfait, which comes spiked with Cointreau and Daiyame Shochu? Or indulge instead in a range of Arami’s signature choux, including smoked caramel, Tahitian vanilla and black forest. 

The full experience, however, lies within the Tsudoi dining room, where Arami will serve up his Chef’s Table Discovery Menu of sweet and savoury pastries, each painstakingly created and finished à la minute in front of your eyes. 

Ami Pâtisserie
Address: 27 Scotts Road, S(228222), +65 8907 6146

After making a splash at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, Ralph’s Coffee is making its second appearance in Singapore in Orchard Road. Situated within the Polo Ralph Lauren flagship at Shaw Centre, the new café offers coffee made from its signature Ralph’s Roast, as well as classic American desserts that bring a slice of New York to Singapore. 

Ralph’s Coffee
Address: 1 Scotts Road, S(228208)

From the team behind popular Japanese eatery Omoté comes Umai, a new udon bar that challenges the typical idea of what udon can be. There are four types of handmade udon here, including the flat and wide Himokawa udon from Gunma prefecture, and the thin Hippari udon from Yamagata prefecture. Enjoy them in flavours like the classic Malaysian chilli pan mee, or in an East-meets-West miso carbonara fusion. 

Umai
Address: 128 Beach Road, 01-05 Guoco Midtown Market, S(189771)

If you’re a time-strapped professional in the central business district, Market Bistro should be on your radar for a quick power lunch. Opened at Marina Bay Financial Centre, this new eatery mimics the style of a Wall Street bistro, boasting a menu packed with hearty fare. Grass-fed steak is a great choice, cooked as it is in beef tallow and seasoned with sea salt, as is the battered cod that is rich and flaky. Don’t forget about the Wagyu Royale burger, which comes with an optional top-up of foie gras that takes your burger to the next level. 

Market Bistro
Address: 12 Marina Boulevard, 01-03 Tower 3 Marina Bay Financial Centre, S(018982), +65 8399 1912

This art gallery in Tanjong Pagar is not just host to vibrant Moroccan interiors and eye-popping installations; it is also home to some of the prettiest kakigori you can get in Singapore. At Art Ice, you can indulge in this Japanese shaved ice dessert made with seasonal fruits like apples, strawberries, dragonfruit, and passionfruit. But look out for the roasted sweet potato kakigori as well, or the lemon and butterfly pea kakigori with an Instagrammable shade of baby blue. 

Art Ice
Address: 20 Duxton Hill, S(089603)

January 2024

Popular Taiwanese coffee chain Louisa Coffee has made its way to Singapore with a stylish outlet at Guoco Midtown. Sample all the drinks that have made this café so popular, like the aromatic orange peel latte or the “Taiwan Geisha”. Elsewhere, its selection of cakes and pastries are made for snapping on Instagram—take the taro pie, which sandwiches taro mochi and purée between layers of sponge and topped with taro cream. 

Louisa Coffee
Address: 130 Beach Road, 01-13 & 14 Guoco Midtown, S(189774)

Museum-goers, look out: Miracle Coffee’s flagship has finally set down its roots at the Artscience Museum after a year-long pop-up. A collaboration between pop star JJ Lin and Marina Bay Sands, perennial crowd favourites like the “Kaya Cloud” will still be up for grabs, as will new creations like the Miracle Dream and Miracle Tiramisu drinks. Complete your experience with pastries created in collaboration with Marina Bay Sands’ executive pastry chef Hoi Kwok I, including a kopi choux puff and the “Rainbow Roti”.

Miracle Coffee
Address: 6 Bayfront Avenue, S(018974)

Kick back and relax at Slow Boat, Singapore’s first vinyl listening café. Every table at this cosy spot on Craig Road has a turntable and headphones, allowing you to play vinyls from a curated selection of artists, including classics like David Bowie and Nancy Sinatra to modern hits like Laufey, Lana Del Rey and The 1975. Sip on yuzu tea or coffee, or even wine and whisky, as you listen. 

Slow Boat
Address: 45A Craig Road, S(089683)

If you love Baker’s Brew, you’ll love Plain Meredith, the coffeehouse’s newest pet-friendly café at One Holland Village. Classic brunch fare like a British breakfast platter and salmon eggs benedict are on offer here, as are delights like seafood tagliatelle and grilled barramundi. Your furry friends aren’t ignored here either, with a special menu for pets including ribeye steak bites, duck meatballs with pumpkin purée, and a watermelon and kiwi popsicle.

Plain Meredith
Address: 7 Holland Village Way, 02-23/24, S(275748)

Read more: 41 dog-friendly restaurants and cafés to visit with your fur-friends in Singapore

This new Japanese-style teahouse at Ion Orchard is a must-visit for the Japanophile. Opened by the same owners of Hvala, Ingen Kyoto offers over 150 tea selections, including a prized single cultivar competition-grade green tea that will excite tea aficionados. Don’t forget to order a range of small bites, including parfaits and delicate cakes.

Ingen Kyoto
Address: 2 Orchard Turn, B3-15, S(238801)

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