Carrotsticks Stanley
Photograph: Carrotsticks Stanley
Photograph: Carrotsticks Stanley

The best brunch spots in Singapore

Munch on stacks of pancakes, crispy bacon, eggs benny and other brunch favourites at these cafés

Written by: Pailin Boonlong
Contributor: Adira Chow
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Brunch is an institution – as it should be. There's nothing better than waking up slightly later on the weekends and hunting down the perfect brunch spot where you can order both breakfast and lunch items. Whether it's regular eggs on toast, ricotta pancakes or a bowl of pasta, hit up these spots in Singapore to fuel your lazy weekend with late breakfast meals and a cup (or two) of coffee.

RECOMMENDED: 7 most Instagrammable cafes in Singapore and The best minimalist cafés in Singapore 

  • Cafés
  • City Hall

Maison Kitsuné's cult cafe isn't one that just looks pretty for the gram with its iconic fox-shaped sable cookies. The coffeehouse is well-loved for its robust cuppas and brunch-worthy sandos and quiches. Think chicken katsu sando ($15) layered with caramelised onion or the sundried tomato quiche ($13). Though we recommend sinking your teeth into the egg sando ($13) where satisfyingly jammy eggs and a flavourful egg mayo proved a winning combo. While you're at it, sip on single-origin coffees sourced from South America and roasted in Café Kitsuné's roastery in Okayama, Japan. No meal is complete without world-famous sweets treat – try the Singapore special chilli chocolate tart ($12).

  • City Hall

At A.B.C, Akira Back Brunch Club (from $98), everyone’s welcome to join. Every Saturday, from noon to 2.30pm, dig into chef de cuisine Bill Hong's feast of modern Japanese with Korean accents. Beyond classics like the tuna and mushroom pizza and wagyu tacos, expect a serious lineup of flowing sashimi, nigiri and maki rolls made with the freshest handpicked harvest from Japan. Slurp up plump Japanese oysters with four handmade sauces, or tuck into a mung bean pancake with kimchi salad for a taste of Korean heritage. The Hot Collection menu also tempts diners with savoury delights made with an assortment of meats highlighted by beef toban and seafood including rock shrimp tempura. But remember to save some room for the sweet finale: mango coconut mousse, Apple-y with light mousse, and hojicha ice cream.

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  • Fusion
  • Raffles Place

There’s no denying it – Kee’s does brunch the way weekends should be: laid-back, with great food and drinks always within reach. Step into the historic 1930s building at 21 Carpenter Street where this neo-bistro and bar blends European classics with Pan-Asian flair in a stunning art deco setting. Curated by Michelin-starred chef Andrew Walsh, its weekend brunch menu – available from noon to 5pm – tempts you with mid-day favourites like smashed avocado toast ($20), smoked salmon eggs benedict ($24), and fennel scotch egg ($22), as well as hearty mains like Kee's smash bacon cheeseburger ($26) and portobello pasta gratin ($26). Elevate it with add-ons such as Kaluga queen osetra caviar ($6/gram), Spanish chorizo ($6), and 36-month jamon iberico ($6). Afternoon tippling lovers, rejoice – pair your meal with Tempest’s cocktails or free-flow prosecco from $58 for two hours. Whether it’s a friendly catch-up or solo indulgence, Kee’s has the goods to delight you.

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  • Bakeries
  • Raffles Place

There’s a brunch spot around every corner in the East, but here’s one that stands out: Awfully Chocolate Bakery & Café. Now, what’s special about this is that it’s a weekend brunch buffet – an all-you-can-eat spread featuring brunch staples like scrambled eggs and bacon rashers. Try an assortment of fresh sweet and savoury pastries with cocoa spread and dashi butter on the side, as well as different breakfast cereals. From $32 per person, you also get to choose a main, including the likes of eggs Benny topped with parma ham, prawn and crab meat aglio olio, or espresso-infused brioche French toast.

Kids under 10 years dine at half the price and get to enjoy free-flow chocolate milk, making this the perfect family-friendly brunch spot. Awfully Chocolate Bakery & Café’s brunch buffet is served every weekend, from 10am to 2pm.

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  • Tanglin

Celebrated in the Michelin Guide for its innovative and eco-conscious approach, Open Farm Community takes farm-to-table dining to a whole new level. It champions the locavore movement through seasonal dishes made with organic produce grown on its own urban farm, just steps from your table. And now it’s giving you even more to love: a new weekend brunch. Start with the OFC super breakfast ($39), a hearty spread featuring all the classic fry-up favourites, plus crispy polenta cake and sourdough toast. Or try the OFC farm super breakfast ($39) which comes with a medley of veggies, egg, and garden herb salsa verde.

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  • Cafés
  • Tanjong Pagar

This cushy café along Stanley Road is on a solo mission to bring good ol’ Australian brunch fare right into the heart of the CBD. And it’s adding a dose of health consciousness to it, with the menu packed with wholesome fare including healthy bites and superfoods, as well as gluten-free and vegan options. You’ll find the tables packed on weekdays, and don’t be surprised when you see a sizeable crowd even on weekends. The café’s signature smashed avo ($24) is a staple, and comes with homemade dukkah, poached eggs, feta and pomegranate. The pastrami sandwich ($24) is equally promising, stuffed with tender and savoury smoked brisket, sautéed onions, pickles, gouda and mustard. And no visit to Carrotsticks is complete without a cuppa – it does a specialty dark coffee that’s crafted in collaboration with the Australian roastery Allpress Coffee. 

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  • Tanglin

Brunching over a hearty Italian feast under a preserved olive tree is an experience unlike any other. Summertime boasts robust flavours where starters are the likes of creamy burrata from Puglia with fresh tomatoes and a fig jam or a spicy Italian shakshouka ($29). Following the Scarpa family tradition, fresh handmade pasta is without question, a must. Go with the alluring Ravioli di Magro ($27) with sage-infused brown butter, the Gnocchi al Gorgonzola ($29) or the mouth-watering slipper lobster risotto ($37). There's also a Naples-style eight-cheese pizza ($37) with its melodious mix of cheesy savouriness, rich creaminess and a pleasant hint of funk. Complete your boozy afternoon affair with new Italian summer-inspired cocktails from the breezy Bridge Of Sighs ($24) with prosecco and blood orange or just a classic stiff Negroni in hand – live la dolce vita!

  • Eating

Café Natsu is on the ground floor of Crane Joo Chiat, a stunning 1920s Peranakan heritage building. One glass panel overlooks bustling Joo Chiat Road, while those lucky enough to clinch a table at the open-aired windowsill seats will get a glimpse of the pastel-coloured Koon Seng shophouses. 

Try the eggs Benedict here, either as a classic benny ($28) with glazed ham or done as a Florentine ($30) with spanner crab. Obvious Japanese influences come into play with wasabi spinach and miso hollandaise. We’re also huge fans of sandos, and the menu at Café Natsu doesn’t disappoint with options like egg mayo ($22) and chicken katsu ($29). The standout, true to form, is the wagyu sando ($30) – beef short rib sandwiched between soft, crustless bread.

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  • Japanese
  • Raffles Place

Despite having the name “Jypsy”, which immediately offers an impression of a carefree, vagabond life, the menu reads fairly sophisticated. It’s a restaurant concept by P.S Cafe so no surprise that their food is equal parts photogenic and tasty. They're known for signature dishes like salmon tacos and a nest of fries, that’s artistically created to look like a Japanese kakiage dish of tempura. But it’s a mixture of small and big plates here, perfect for a larger group to try a little bit of everything. 

  • Raffles Place
Punch
Punch

Punch appeals to your senses even before the food arrives. Its interiors of mostly white furniture with dashes of marble and wood are built for Instagram, while the open courtyard at the back of house offers a boost of Vitamin D, wooden benches, greenery and a glimpse into the kitchen. The café does a mean braised pork belly bowl ($13), fork-tender enough to rival any grandma’s rendition. The crown jewel, however, is the spicy tuna poké ($15): marinated maguro, shredded nori and cubes of avocado tumble atop furikake-seasoned sushi rice.

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  • Cafés
  • Raffles Place

Melbourne-inspired café Bearded Bella serves brunch staples like avocado toast ($17) sprinkled with quinoa, feta and pomegranate as well as spiced scramble ($18), silky scrambled eggs topped with mushrooms and crispy kale. If it’s a cuppa you’re looking for, you’re at the right place. Co-owner Regina Tay is a National Barista Championship Winner and roasts the beans in-house in small batches.

  • Cafés
  • Marine Parade

The sandwiches here are all freshly breaded and prepared, with two thick slices of shokupan (Hokkaido milk bread) and packed with savoury fillings like teriyaki-glazed chicken and Australian wagyu striploin. Order the classic wagyu sando ($40) – the obvious crème de la crème with its generous slab of wagyu. There are only limited portions of this daily, so if this has caught your eye, make sure to head down either for brunch or an early lunch. As a special item on the Joo Chiat menu, you can also order a HCG sando ($16), featuring har cheong gai (shrimp paste chicken) that’s left to marinate for 48 hours.

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  • Cafés
  • Buona Vista

Inspired by the buzzy Australian café scene, the owners of Dewgather sought to recreate their own buzzy coffee spot back in Singapore. The roomy 120-seater space at The Star Vista serves up classic café grub tinged with Asian influences. Swordfish linguine ($27) comes perfumed with a herb-scented sauce, while waffle and chicken ($20) is finished with kimchi and pickled daikon.

  • Italian
  • Raffles Place

The charming waterfront diner, located along Robertson Quay, has a menu dedicated to Italy’s greatest hits. Brunch, naturally, gets an Italian spin, too. Early risers on weekends can sample hearty brunch plates from the La Mattina menu, with options of smashed avocado toast ($18), açai superfood bowl ($16), and more. Come Fridays and weekends, the brunch menu expands to include hearty plates of pasta and wood-fired pizza, complete with wine and cocktails to while the day away. 

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  • Steakhouse
  • City Hall

Weekend brunch available every Saturday and Sunday, 11.30am to 2.30pm

This sexy steakhouse at Raffles Singapore is more than just a nighttime date spot. Come weekends, the swanky restaurant feels airy and bright, thanks to the sunlight streaming through the windows. Chow down smoked salmon eggs Benedict ($25) and salted caramel French toast ($23). Of course, it isn’t a trip to a steakhouse without some prime cuts; Butcher’s Block offers Australian tenderloin wagyu (85/100g), and the chef’s prime wagyu selection ($480) for sheer indulgence.

  • Cafés
  • Kallang

Don’t let the plain-looking interior fool you, the menu at Daizu Cafe is filled with colour and excitement. It fuses Japanese flavours and Western cooking techniques, resulting in unique brunch plates of chilli soft shell crab brioche ($16), tamago ikura sando ($16), the big breakfast Daizu brunch ($24), and more. Choose to grab a seat at its alfresco deck, or climb up to the cosy second-storey space – both offering prime picture-taking spots for that quintessential #flatlay shot.

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  • Outram

Perhaps a signal of flagging café food standards of late, this hot Neil Road joint appoints itself a 'gastro-café' to highlight its flavour-forward leanings. And The Populus definitely lives up to its tag. The rice and grain bowls ($21-$26) – they’re topped with all manner of vegetables and meats like pulled pork, teriyaki salmon and truffle-scented seared wagyu – are Instagram favourites that taste as hearty as they photograph. As is the server-recommended seafood linguine ($27), with al dente spools of bisque-coated pasta next to nubs of crabmeat and scallops. 

  • Cafés
  • Chinatown

Keong Saik Road may be synonymous with alcohol, but it’s sure able to cook up a fine cup of coffee. At Kafe Utu, African-inspired paintings and portraits are juxtaposed with rustic wood and leather furnishing that immediately reminds of the vibrance of Cape Town. The specialty house blend is called “Ubuntu” – a combination of coffee beans from Uganda, Mexico, and Brazil – whereby you could have it black ($4.50) or with some Hokkaido milk ($6). What’s a coffeehouse without any food? The ones here are really to impress. Try the Buttermilk Fried Chicken ($18), which is accompanied by homemade sauces of Congo Bongo, Fresh Mango Chilli Marmalade and House Chilli. 

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  • Cafés
  • Marine Parade

Occupying the iconic Red House in Katong, it's really hard to miss Micro Bakery. With the mission to serve delicious and hearty food and to provide a cosy space for people to take a break from the hustle, you'll feel comfortable right away at this café with its warm decor and the smell of freshly baked bread constantly in the air. Besides the breakfast options like the scrambled eggs tartine ($16) and Big Breakfast ($26), get some buns, cakes, sourdough loaves and even coffee to go. 

  • Rochor

Pop art posters, pre-loved trinkets, an indie music soundtrack, metal fixtures, and lots and lots of wood hang around this hipster space, bordered on one end by a built-as-vintage brick wall. Snack on special sides of zucchini fritters ($15) and lobster salad nachos ($16), best paired with plates of lamb shakshouka ($25), mushroom and bacon toastie, and other non-derivative brunch creations.  

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  • Bedok

Yes, it’s all about the beans at Dutch Colony Coffee Co. But you’ll want to balance out the caffeine with this quaint Siglap café’s breakfast and brunch menu. There are hearty platters with scrambled eggs, sausages and turkey bacon ($19), and a salted egg prawn pasta ($18). If the breakfast is enough to get you out of bed nice and early, the coffee will do an even better job. Dutch Colony expertly pours its brews (from $6) – you can choose either manual pour-over or by machine.

  • Cafés
  • Raffles Place

Lush greens, elegant furnishings and magnificent views of Marina Bay greet you as you step into this magical new CBD escape that is PS.Cafe One Fullerton. It has something for everyone, be it coffee and cake, business lunches, relaxing dinners, or post-work cocktails. Unwind in the bright and airy indoor area, complete with floor-to-ceiling windows. Cosy up at the intimate bar lounge or head to the open-air terrace for some cool bay breeze.

For more cafés

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