My Favorite Cafes in Singapore
After refusing to pay a hefty price for a seat in a co-working space, I spent a few months bouncing around lounge-y cafes in Singapore when I was still working remote. I also just love going to cafes and having a chat with friends. I was pleasantly surprised by the craft and thought put into the drinks, the design concepts behind each cafe, and how store owners used their business to build a community.
Therefore, I’ve curated a list of my favorite coffee shops in the Lion City to share with you. **Note: Due to COVID-19, some of these stores are running takeaway promotions; please support these local businesses if you can.
The Social Space
333 Kreta Ayer Road #01–14, Singapore 080333
https://www.thesocialspace.co/
Everything about The Social Space is instagrammable. In some ways, it reminds me of the picturesque Bali feel — it has a light and airy atmosphere, natural wooden design concepts, and bohemian accents. The space is gorgeous and serves in three ways: a coffee shop, fair trade retail, and nail salon. There’s free WiFi and plentiful seating for those who want to park and work for a few hours; the avocado toast is pretty tasty too. For the browsers, the corner retail area displays artwork, jewelry, accessories, and soaps made by individuals who face a high barrier of employment — the products being sold are fair trade and help equip the makers with a channel of making income. This store prides itself in being socially-conscious and eco-friendly.
One Good Trade
387 Jln Besar, Singapore 209002
+65 6972 0072
http://www.onegoodtrade.cafe/
For those who know me, I’m a huge advocate for financial independence and the idea of retiring early. I am an avid investor and saver, with big hopes of leaving this rat race and owning a Fang Property Mgmt company (haha). This is why One Good Trade appeals to me so much; I love the concept of having deep financial-related conversations over a cup of coffee and having a creative space to educate and share with the community. It’s a rather unique concept that caters to the trading enthusiasts and investors. There is also a meeting room ($30 per hour) and training room ($60) for rental, with a minimum of 3 hours. The menu is quite extensive, with a long list of coffee, teas, alcoholic house pours, pastas, salads, and soups that resemble closely to Western flair.
KARA Café & Dessert Bar
617 Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 269718
+65 6468 8940
https://www.karacafeanddessertbar.com/
Growing up in LA, this cafe reminds me a bit of home. Los Angeles inspired with a light wood modern design, KARA Cafe is an all-day dining cafe and bar that serves cozy foods, like mexican taco chicken, truffled mushrooms, cashews and black tofu with wasabi mayo. They also have sweet pairings to end as dessert — think fresh waffles from the iron grill and baked cookies in a skillet (reminds me of a pazookie). Drinks include specialty coffees, sparkling sodas and juice, craft beer, and a variety of ciders.
Whisk and Paddle
10 Tebing Lane, #01–01, Singapore 828836
+65 6242 4617
http://whiskandpaddle.com.sg/
My Singaporean friends highly recommended this, so I met them here for a late lunch. We sat inside for AC, but close enough to the outside view. They have a wide variety of menu options, many of which to resemble a typical brunch styled restaurant back in the states. And points for serving all day breakfast! They have an extensive drink menu, with piccolo latte, chocolate adffogato, gula melaka latte (made with palm sugar), and your choice of an alcoholic coffee. Their extensive wine and beer list surprised me too — I definitely wouldn’t mind enjoying a night with friends here with an ice cold beer. Located in the east side of the Lion City in Punggol, it’s a tranquil, peaceful area to explore after a hearty meal. You can take your time and walk along the water.
Emily is a US expat currently living in Singapore to learn about the tech communities growing in Asia. She has worked 4+ years in dev relations, community management, and event marketing within the tech and travel industry. Her time at OmniSci, Google and Booking.com gave her cross-functional expertise. In her free time, she runs the volunteer community initiatives for Singapore Women’s Network and CMX Hub Singapore, as well as promote and write on the importance of early investing and financial literacy at Fangfinance.