Local cafes for lovers of coffee

Helmed by the team behind the famous Assembly Coffee, Atlas Coffeehouse offers both great coffee and delicious nosh at affordable prices. It’s no wonder that there’s usually a snaking queue, especially during brunch on weekends.

There’s a whole range of coffee to pick from here, from espressos and affogatos to cold brews. Discerning coffee lovers will be able to pick coffee from their preferred origins, with beans sourced from Kenya, Colombia and Ethiopia.

Peckish visitors can dig into a variety of brunch favourites—go healthy with the smashed avocado and watermelon, or dig into rosti with bacon fennel sauce and a cheese frankfurter.

After your meal, take a stroll at the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Just three minutes away from the café, this UNESCO Heritage Site is filled with myriad flora and makes for the perfect reprieve.

Atlas Coffeehouse. 6 Duke’s Road, Singapore 268886. +65 6314 2674.
Tue-Sun 8am-7pm.

Don’t let the name of this café fool you. The flagship store of home-grown roasters Papa Palheta, Chye Seng Huat Hardware Coffee Bar is one of the pioneers of Singapore’s hipster café craze.

Located on the compounds of a former metal hardware store, the establishment is as famous for its industrial-chic décor as it is for its fragrant brews. Retro furnishing, a charming al fresco courtyard space and quaint metal fixtures make an afternoon here a trip back to Singapore’s yesteryears.

Coffee lovers who’re fascinated by the process of coffee-making should take a seat at their 360-degree bar, where they’ll get to watch the baristas whipping up their drinks.

We suggest going for the Black Cold Brew, made with beans from Ethiopia. Harvested on the Suke Quto farm, these beans are famous for their sweet flavour and floral aroma.

Chye Seng Huat Hardware. 150 Tyrwhitt Road, Singapore 207563. +65 6396 0609.
Tue-Thu & Sun 9am-10pm; Fri & Sat 9am-midnight.

To expand your palatte with a selection of global flavours—and fuel up for a shopping spree at Orchard Road—pay a visit to Oriole Coffee + Bar.

A café by day and bar by night, this popular establishment’s beans are roasted in-house and hail from smallholder farm communities across the Bean Belt, from Kenya to Costa Rica. The café also serves all-day breakfast, with items like smoked salmon rosti and espresso hotcakes.

Visitors eager to learn more about the art of brewing a perfect cup of joe should sign up for one of the establishment’s coffee workshops. Classes include latte art workshops, courses on basic filter brewings and hands-on sessions on the basic skills of a barista.

Oriole Coffee + Bar at Pan Pacific Serviced Suites Orchard. 96 Somerset Road #01-01, Singapore 238163. +65 6238 8348.
Daily 11.30am-10.30pm.

Located in the heritage district of Chinatown, Sarnies has built up a reputation among local coffee lovers, and has even been lauded by global travel magazine Lonely Planet.

Caffeine lovers who prefer strong brews will certainly find satisfaction in the coffee at Sarnies, which are all made with a double ristretto for more intense flavours.

A crowd favourite is their Guatemalan-blend Latte; featuring sweet and fruity tones on the surface, and a roasted, nutty aftertaste.

If you’re feeling adventurous, ask the bartender to whip up an Orange Mocha for you—this off-the-menu item incorporates orange peel, and makes for a truly unique pick-me-up.

When you’re done with your coffee, take a short stroll to the Thian Hock Keng Temple to get an equally satisfying culture fix. This age-old temple is dedicated to Mazu—the goddess of the sea—and its traditional South Chinese architecture is truly a sight to behold.

Sarnies. 136 Telok Ayer Street, Singapore 068601.
Mon & Tue 7.30am-10.30pm; Wed-Fri 7.30am-midnight; Sat & Sun 8.30am-4pm.

To sample coffee whipped up by a local industry veteran, drop by Tiong Hoe Specialty Coffee.

The owner of this cosy establishment, Mr Tan Tiong Hoe, has been making coffee for over half a century, and has been roasting, packaging and supplying beans since the 1960s.

Brewing equipment, coffee-related paraphernalia and canvas sacks filled with coffee beans clutter the shelves here, and the shop is filled with the pervasive aroma of coffee.

You can order from a menu comprising of espressos, lattes and regular cups of joe, or peruse a selection of beans to bring home with you.

While the owner is forthcoming with coffee-related stories and factoids, aspiring baristas may want to take a more in-depth dive into the world of coffee with the establishment’s in-house classes.

Tiong Hoe Specialty Coffee. 170 Stirling Road #01-1133, Singapore 140170. +65 6474 5442.
Mon-Fri 8.30am-5.30pm; Sat & Sun 9am-4pm.