Cup of Cool: Top Cafes in Tiong Bahru
Getting coffee and dessert at Tiong Bahru often means honouring a legacy. Tiong Bahru features traditional kopitiams that has been serving classic Singaporean kopi for generations, offering a glimpse into the area’s rich history and culture.
This guide will show you the best cafes in Tiong Bahru, from the heritage ones to trendy artisanal coffee roasters and speciality shops offering brunch.
Merci Marcel
Address: 56 Eng Hoon St, #01-68, Singapore 160056 (Google Maps)
Contact: +6587987960
Hours: Daily (except Wednesdays), noon–10 PM
Price: $$
Merci Marcel exudes a casual modern bohemian atmosphere with refined French cuisine, drawing a diverse dining crowd. The restaurant’s decor features light colours and wooden accents that blend Balinese and French garden vibes.
To offer an array of dining experiences, the place is divided into a cafe, a lounge, and a gorgeous garden patio with lush hanging plants.
The portions served here are just right for a light eater; the 18-month Bayonne ham platter paired with fresh bread is perfect for brunch! Afterwards, we suggest trying the passion fruit-topped creme brulee for a refreshing dessert.
Pro-tip: Last orders are at 9.30 PM on weekdays and 10.30 pm on weekends, making it a convenient spot for a late-night bite.
Plain Vanilla Bakery
Address: 1D Yong Siak St, Singapore 168641 (Google Maps)
Contact: +6583637614
Hours: Daily, 7.30 AM – 7 PM
Price: $$
We were happy to finally try Plain Vanilla Bakery in Tiong Bahru. Its hipster vibe and eye-catching decor (spot the vintage bikes outside!) made this cafe stand out in the neighbourhood.
It’s renowned for its exquisite cupcakes featuring flavours like Earl Grey lavender and vanilla bean. Once you take a bite, you’ll see that the cafe uses premium ingredients like French butter and Belgian chocolate with no artificial preservatives.
Pro-tip: The cafe serves coffee from single-origin beans, but also refreshing beverages like lemonade for hot days.
Caffe Pralet
Address: 17 Eng Hoon St, #01-04 Eng Hoon Mansions, Singapore 169767 (Google Maps)
Contact: +6583180698
Hours: Daily, 9 AM – 6 PM
Price: $$
Caffe Pralet has been operating for 14+ years. It offers a cosy atmosphere with wooden furniture and nostalgic blackboard decor. Each table adorned with a potted plant adds a homely touch.
While there, try the signature Spam Bam sandwich, boasting crispy Spam and flavourful egg mayo on fluffy multigrain bread. Its coffee latte impressed us with its smooth texture, medium to strong body flavour, and perfect temperature.
Pro-tip: Another must-try is the delicious Cheeky Avocado sandwich featuring crispy sourdough bread.
The Butcher’s Wife
Address: 19 Yong Siak St, Singapore 168650 (Google Maps)
Contact: +6562219307
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 11.30 AM–2.30 PM and 6–9 PM
Price: $$
For something a bit exotic, The Butcher’s Wife offers vibrant Brazilian-inspired cuisine and natural wines in Tiong Bahru. It’s a gluten-free restaurant but doesn’t comprise flavour with its house-made sauces and ingredients.
Expect dishes influenced by Brazil, South America, and Africa, with a focus on fermentation. Its sweet potato gnocchi with rosemary butter sauce, mushrooms, and pea shoots is a great example.
Pro-tip: The place gets extra-packed on Saturday nights.
Creamier Handcrafted Ice Cream & Coffee
Address: 78 Yong Siak St, #01-18, Singapore 163078 (Google Maps)
Contact: +6588179986
Hours: Monday to Friday, 1–10 PM; Saturday to Sunday, noon–10 PM
Price: $$
At Creamier’s Tiong Bahru outlet, expect a more down-to-earth interior compared to other locations. But it still offers pour-over coffee using three single-origin beans and cold brew with coffee ice cubes.
While there’s a smaller selection of a dozen ice cream flavours, there are still notable options. Try the black glutinous rice, charcoal sesame, and bestsellers like Earl Grey lavender and sea salt gula melaka (palm sugar) for a more adventurous palate.
Pro-tip: You can pair your ice cream scoop with some tasty waffles.
Micro bakery & kitchen
Address: 78 Yong Siak St, #01-12, Singapore 163078 (Google Maps)
Contact: +6590889873
Hours: Wednesday to Sunday, 8 AM–4 PM
Price: $$
Micro bakery & kitchen is a cosy bake shop known for its fresh daily baked goods crafted with high-quality ingredients. It’s a small bakery that pays attention to detail and dedication to house-made ingredients like ricotta and sourdough—and it shows.
From its wide range of naturally leavened breads and pastries, we particularly liked its house ricotta tartine. It features smooth homemade ricotta, cherry tomatoes, spinach, and basil on fluffy sourdough!
Pro-tip: The tables are on the small side, so expect the shop to be crowded at times.
Privé
Address: 57 Eng Hoon St, #01-88, Singapore 160057 (Google Maps)
Contact: +6567760777
Hours: Daily, 8 AM–10.30 PM
Price: $$
At Privé Tiong Bahru, enjoy an all-day menu featuring a variety of options from coffee to hearty dinners. With a focus on plant-based options, there’s something to satisfy every palate from vegans to carnivores.
A standout dish here is the Middle Eastern avocado toast served with poached eggs or cumin-lime roasted chickpeas. It’s further topped with pomegranate, pumpkin seed dukkah, and chipotle-cumin hummus, so it’s layers upon layers of flavour.
Pro-tip: Choose from oat, soy, or almond milk options for your coffee.
Sunbeam Cafe
Address: 22 Havelock Rd, #01-705 Block 22, Singapore 160022 (Google Maps)
Contact: +6587987960
Hours: Daily (except Wednesdays), noon–10 PM
Price: $$
Sunbeam Cafe offers a wide variety of ice cream flavours and board games for customers to enjoy. It offers signature waffles with toppings like ice cream, fruit compote, Nutella, and more.
If you don’t like too-sweet fruit pies, the apple pie here hits the right level of sweetness that avoids jelak. You can take pics of your treat using the cafe’s free Wi-Fi too.
Pro-tip: There are also Tiger and Heineken draft pints for those looking to unwind with alcohol.
Binky Star
Address: 729 Havelock Rd, Singapore 169649 (Google Maps)
Contact: [email protected]
Hours: Monday, Wednesday to Thursday, Sunday, 6–10 PM; Friday to Saturday, 4–10 PM
Price: $
Binky Star is a hidden gem for ice cream in Tiong Bahru. It boasts a cosy atmosphere and unique cold dessert flavours you’re not likely to find elsewhere.
They may sound exotic, but the taro, apple pie, and root beer float ice cream flavours are must-tries. Pair your ice cream with a crispy waffle for the perfect sweet escape.
Pro-tip: Enhance your waffle experience with a touch of honey that’s served with every order.
Tiann’s
Address: 71 Seng Poh Rd, #01-35, Singapore 160071 (Google Maps)
Contact: +6562221369
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 8.30 AM–4.30 PM
Price: $$
Tiann’s in Tiong Bahru is renowned for its healthy, sugar-free and gluten-free offerings. It’s committed to sourcing the freshest ingredients and crafting everything from scratch.
Tiann’s serves coffee from Nylon Coffee Roaster and Allpress Coffee and doesn’t use refined sugar in any of its food and drinks. This is great news for healthy-conscious diners who refuse to compromise on taste.
Pro-tip: There’s also Paleo bread with a decidedly nutty flavour that’s ideal with butter.
Drips Bakery Cafe
Address: 82 Tiong Poh Rd, #01-05, Singapore 160082 (Google Maps)
Contact: +6562220400
Hours: Monday to Friday, 10 AM–10 PM; Saturday to Sunday, 9 AM–10 PM
Price: $$
Drips Bakery Café, established in Tiong Bahru in 2010, serves excellent coffee brewed using an intricate siphon technique. We’re not coffee snobs, but we can taste the difference from our usual cuppa.
Its mixed berries tart is a standout, featuring a crunchy shortbread crust with just the right amount of butter and salt, complemented by a hint of nutty almond paste.
Pair it with the refreshing Earl Grey yuzu tea for a perfect cafe experience (and thank us later).
Pro-tip: The outdoor seating is dog-friendly!
Flock Cafe
Address: 01-25 Tiong Bahru Estate, 78 Moh Guan Terrace, #01-25 Block 78, Singapore 162078 (Google Maps)
Contact: +6565363938
Hours: Daily, 8 AM–8.30 PM
Price: $$
At Flock Cafe, you can enjoy classic brunch fare, pasta, burgers, cakes, and coffee in a cosy, unpretentious setting. It’s one of our favourite places for friends and family to gather over shared interests in food, coffee, or music.
Its House Pancakes feature fluffy pancakes with crispy bacon and scrambled eggs. Another must-try here is the waffles with scrambled eggs and crispy bacon – a filling twist on the classic.
Pro-tip: There’s strong Wi-Fi and lots of power plugs inside.