In Portsdown Road is Under Der Linden, a floral-themed café that's sprung up in the midst of the otherwise sleepy neighbourhood's row of black-and-white colonial bungalows. The café is similar to its sister concept, Café de Nicole – they're both all-day dining destinations with an in-house florist, while also welcoming furry four-legged pals.
While you'll find fresh and dried flowers in almost every corner of the airy space, it is the outdoor garden that offers dream-worthy Instagrammable backdrops. Come nightfall, the LED lights and neon signs illuminate the alfresco area for an entirely different vibe.
Matching the floral drapes are its whimsical beverage creations. Popular picks include the refreshingly bright Tandaradei ($9) that infuses a tangy hint of grapefruit with butterfly pea flower tea. At the same time, the signature Walther Vogelweide ($13) shakes up a lychee yuzu tea concoction that is served in a dainty see-through teapot.
Plates here draw influence from a hearty European spread. To start, slurp on fresh Antilope oysters ($16) with balsamic pearls, or spread creamy stracciatella ($18) over toasted rye with heather honey, slivers of pink grapefruit and pistachios. The vongole and tiger shrimp broth paired with a squid ink spaghetti ($23) is lifted ever so cleverly with chilli padi.
But if you’re up to splurge, we recommend Linden’s in-house 45-day dry-aged black Angus ribeye ($78) that could be shared by a party of two. The umami-ladened cut is bincho-grilled to tender perfection and served with deliciously charred stalks of broccolini with parmesan shavings.
The people behind this floral joint are all about variety and have ambitious plans to push out a triple-threat dining destination. Now, just a corner’s turn away is Ce Soir, a rather romantic semi-fine dining French restaurant that is helmed by Chef Koh Han Jie, the former Junior Sous Chef of two-Michelin starred Les Amis. In the following months, the group also teases an afternoon tea room concept that will likely be a tete-à-tete hotspot that is to come.