In a city where sleek coffee machines, efficient coffee stands and cosy cafes can be found at every turn, finding that perfect cup of coffee on your way to work in the morning should not be too hard to find. But it really depends on what you're looking for – and if you are willing to queue a little.
So, at the risk of caffeine overdose, we go on the hunt for the most kick-ass cup of Joe you can find on the island. Whether it's a quick takeaway cup or a sit-down-and-smell-the-roast experience – these are our top picks of the best coffee joints in Singapore.
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Tucked away just behind Sembawang Hills Food Centre this gem of a cafe roasts its beans on-site. Coffee is sourced from all over the world and if you happen to be there and ask nicely, the baristas might offer free tastings so you can pick a favourite from its range.
Liberty Coffee is a bean-roaster, wholesaler and retailer first, but you can also sit yourself down at its bar for hearty breakfast paired with a cuppa. The beans come from diverse regions such as Guatemala and Kenya but are finished in-house to create the perfect espresso blend. Need a La Marzocco machine for your home brews? It has those too.
The folks behind the defunct Smitten Coffee and Tea Bar, and Henry Congressional partner to provide the Toh Tuck area a triple threat that is a coffee shop, restaurant and bar. Getting here is tricky if you don’t live in the neighbourhood – but it’s worth a try.
The coffee beans here are roasted on-site, and the brew experiments plenty. Necessary Provisions was probably the first in the city to pioneer iced coffee cubes for its chilled drinks (from $5.50), and we've heard of the team barrel-ageing brews to taste wood's effect on coffee. And the café's exquisitely poured, crema-topped espresso-based drinks (from $5) are no swill either.
Assembly Coffee gets a sibling café in the Coronation neigbourhood. Atlas Coffeehouse is owners Daphne Goh and Lionel Ang realisation of a goal to serve more hot food than Assembly's tiny kitchen can handle. There are dishes like creamy mushrooms on sourdough ($12) with the option to add a sunny side ($2) or scrambled eggs ($3), and glazed salmon and a fried egg with crisped edges on soba noodles ($17) are their early stars. Assembly's ever-popular waffles ($12-$14) are also on the menu here, and Atlas has also introduced pancakes topped with caramelised bananas or honeycomb ice cream ($18) to its desserts menu – more sweets are on the way, including a pavlova topped with lemon curd and berry compote.
This collaborative effort by Department of Caffeine and coffee-roasting outfit 2Degrees North Coffee Co occupies a sun-drenched shophouse unit with swirly Edison bulbs studded on the walls, pulling in a crowd of office types and bleary-eyed bartenders checking in for a pre-shift java jolt.
The rounded, dark chocolatey notes in Caldera house blend is built on Brazilian and Columbian beans that 2Degrees North roasts just for the café, and the sleek steel Victoria Arduino machine is quite the looker.
There are your requisite bare designer light bulbs, cement-washed walls and friendly service, but the mood at RONIN (whose name is Japanese for 'master-less samurai') is considerably darker; matte black finishes lend it a snazzy, mysterious air. Then there are its smooth-as-always lattes, minty Wicked Mochas and matcha lattes.
Harry Grover, the Spa Esprit Group and Melbourne-based Five Senses Coffee collaborate on this local favourite, which brews its popular 22 Martin and CMCR Espresso blends, as well as grow local appreciation for the different beans they manage to procure for the café.
Coffee-cupping sessions give café-hoppers a shot at cupping coffee just like the pros do, and the space frequently hosts the local barista community for workshops and yearly Aeropress Championships. You just have to love a coffee bar that gives back.
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