A Guide To The Hippest Coffee Joints Around
By Prabhu Silvam
Rid yourself from the horrors of maddening crowds, overzealous students vying for study spots whilst spread eagled over coffetables and paying $6.50 for a cup of coffee that tastes like melted cardboard. Here’s our pick of the top 5 cafes to check out in the new year. Oh, and to endure the rigors of High Tea.
Spruce
Still relatively new on the caffeine scene but whetting our appetites nonetheless, is Spruce. Infamous for their hand-crafted taco lunch specials and boasting an impressive line-up of imported coffee beans, Spruce is just the place you want to be on an idle Sunday afternoon. Plus it’s a mere 3 minute drive from Orchard Road, so get moving already.
320 Tanglin Road
Phoenix Park Singapore
Tel: +65 6836 5528
Artichoke
Taking a leaf from the cookbooks of Mediterranean neo-classical chefs, Artichoke is a breath of fresh air. Inspired by the backstreets and alleyways of Spain, Turkey, Lebanon and Greece, Artichoke dishes out Arabia-themed Lamb Ribs and Pastitsio(stewed beef) like they were born to. Another cult favorite is the Moorish Dips – bite size slabs of hand baked wheat meal bread served alongside generous bowls of theme-inspired dips.
161 Middle Road
Tel: +65 6336 6949
Loysel’s Toy
Warm and inviting, with large windows and a stylish timber deco, this bohemian café is anything but child’s play. Carrying Papa Palheta’s brand of premium gourmet coffee as your caffeine of choice has its benefits – just ask Loysel’s Toy. Fresh off swiping the 2011 National Barista Award, Loysel’s Toy promises all caffeine addicts a funkier 2012 ahead with its spanking new range of Italian gourmet beans.
66 Kampong Bugis
Tel: +65 9451 0236
Jones The Grocer
The locale of Jones The Grocer – set amidst the lush foliage of Dempsey Hill with a birdsong background, is every brunch-lover’s pipe dream. The traditional English tea makes the grade with open-faced smoked salmon and egg sandwiches, scones with ginger perfumed fresh cream, and a fine selection of choux pastry and cakes. Add to this the huge selection of teas like organic Darjeeling and Moroccan mint, and this place is hard to beat.
9 Dempsey Rd, Dempsey Hill,
Tel: 6476 1512
Broun Café
There’s a certain amount of fate when it comes to opening up a new café, especially if it is in the heart of the over-caffeinated Clarke Quay district. But Broun Café is nothing short of cuppa paradise with its cavernous shophouse café space – bold, vast and strikingly decorated in brown, definitely a statement by design. A must have is the Strawberry Overload – homemade granola bars dipped in creamy strawberry yoghurt and cream. A perfect wake-me-up after a hard day’s nap.
36 North Canal Road
Tel: +65 6535 0430
