Singapore’s café scene is as vibrant as ever, and the joy of discovering a new place that just popped up in your neighbourhood never gets old. We’ve put together this handy list of the coolest new cafés in Singapore which just opened this year. From cosy, independent nooks hidden behind back alleys, to well-loved homegrown brands that continue to put out fresh concepts, these are the spots to have on your radar as you plan your next coffee date.
1. Bee Hoe Coffee
Joo Chiat’s alleyways are always ripe grounds for discovering new gems, and Bee Hoe Coffee is the latest to join the gang. The pocket-sized café sits behind Autocutt Barbershop, but you’ll have to enter from the side alley lined by potted plants. Its tiny space means takeaways are the norm, though there are a couple of stools outdoors for days where the sunlight is more forgiving. The café mainly serves Colombian and Vietnamese beans, and at surprisingly reasonable prices – from $3.50 for a long black, $4.50 for an iced latte, and so on. Vietnamese drip coffee starts at $3, and there are also special creations on the menu like salted coffee ($5), peanut butter coffee ($5.50), and coconut coffee ($5.50).
2. 2050 Coffee
Every well-informed coffee kid should have already heard of Kyoto’s 2050 café. But even if you weren’t part of the 691,100 Singaporeans in Japan last year, you’ll now be able to get the whole 2050 experience at its second store on Beach Road. Operated by the renowned Kurasu team, 2050 is all about future-forward, sustainability-first coffee, all the way from sourcing to serving. The café boasts chic industrial aesthetics, exposed concrete walls, and a key defining feature: sleek coffee dispensers. These gadgets dispense cold filtered brews like the single-origin iced Mexico ($8) with fruity and tea notes; as well as iced matcha latte ($7.50). For those who still prefer espresso-based coffee, the café serves the regular latte ($6,50) and Americano ($5.50) as well.
3. Guerilla Coffee Kallang Riverside
This new 80-seater pet-friendly café is the latest addition to the breezy Kallang Park Connector. Homegrown specialty coffee brand Guerilla’s flagship outlet has an unabashed coffee-first ethos, with its own on-site roastery, coffee bar, coffee workshops, and even a coffee-infused food menu. Pick from a wide selection of beans and have them roasted in under 15 minutes, or visit the coffee bar which serves everything from Ethiopia Guji Shakiso Natural ($8.20) filter coffee, to beans from prestigious estates that can command up to a whopping $100 per cup. Or you can sign up for the Coffee Discovery Session ($148) to taste all the premium coffees at the bar. On the food menu, try the butter board (from $18) with homemade coffee salt, or tiramisu ($16) infused with Guerilla’s house-blend espresso.
4. Average Service
Unlike regular cafés which usually close by evening, Average Service is a day-to-night concept that runs from 8am all the way to midnight in the heart of Jalan Besar. The retro-chic space is clad in bold primary colours, but beyond the eye-pleasing aesthetics, the menu is an ambitious spread of brunch classics and coffee in the day which transition to bar bites and cocktails at night. Share the bread platter with a trio of homemade butters ($12), or dig into the creamy mentai pasta ($24) with silky sheets of handkerchief pasta. Average Service uses a proprietary blend of Brazil and Guatemala beans for its coffee ($6.50 for a latte), but those after something different can try the lavender-infused matcha latte ($7.50), or a series of tea-based cocktails ($18).
5. Corner Corner
Corner Corner is located in the 30-seat hideaway that is RPM Dbespoke, a Japanese speakeasy by night. In the day, the vinyl-clad space doubles up as a coffee house inspired by the Japanese jazz kissaten, or listening café. Savour the slow art of drip coffee – courtesy of Nylon Coffee Roasters – while listening to the day’s chosen tunes. On some days, it’s Japanese synth pop meets exotica in Hiroshi Sato’s Orient (1979), and on others, it’s bossa nova tunes and city pop in albums like Shigeru Suzuki’s Lagoon (1976). Corner Corner also teams up with local patisserie Pantler for its dessert menu, which sees kissaten classics like caramel pudding, as well as snacks like mini orange pound cakes, cream roll cakes, and soda floats. The café currently operates on weekdays only.
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