Tanjong Pagar which means “cape of stakes” in Malay, is a historically-rich district located within the CBD of Singapore.
Surrounded by office buildings, there are plenty of food choices including vibrant bars, Korean BBQ restaurants, and hawker centres such as Amoy Street Food Centre and Tanjong Pagar Food Centre, as well as cafes for brunch, desserts, and coffee.
Straddled by areas such as Duxton Hill, Telok Ayer, Amoy, Tras Street, and Cantonment, here are 20 cafes you can head to at Tanjong Pagar:
Champion Bolo Bun
92 Tanjong Pagar Road, Singapore 088513
Opening Hours: 11am – 7pm (Sun, Tues – Thurs), 11am – 10pm (Fri – Sat), Closed Mon
3-Storey Hong Kong Bolo Bao Specialty Café
The triple-storey high Champion Bolo Bun is unlike any usual cha chaan teng that sells the Hong Kong favourite Bolo Bao.
Clean, minimalist and spacious decked in MUJI-like style on the first floor, with the creative use of contrasting modern wood and rattan against the white walls and old-school floor tiles.
Their menu is short and concise, focusing mainly on Bolo Buns: Classic ($4.50), Classic with Butter ($5), Curry Potato ($6), Mini (4 for $4.50).
Each Bolo bun comes in individual takeaway box, freshly made upon order and best consumed within 20 minutes.
I must say they are one of the best Bolo buns I had in Singapore, extremely soft and fluffy cotton-like buns that separate easily. Yet the bun was extremely chewy with the right amount of sweetness.
The surprise came when you sink your teeth into the golden-brown cookie-like crust on top that is iconic to Bolo Buns – crispy and crunchy outer layer that is firm and non-soggy. Champion Bolo Bun (Tanjong Pagar)
Roji Monster Ice Cream
52 Tanjong Pagar Road, Singapore 088473
Opening Hours: 1:302pm – 4:30pm, 5:45pm – 8:45pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon
Taiwanese Shaved Ice Cream Shop With Monster Desserts At Tanjong Pagar
From Taiwan to Singapore, famous Roji Monster Ice Cream 路地 氷の怪物 has opened at Tanjong Pagar, providing a late night dessert-supper option.
The brand is known for their “monster-like” shaved ice cream and has outlets worldwide in countries such as US, China, Korea, Canada, Australia, and Malaysia.
Stepping inside, the 32-seater space has a MUJI-like minimalist interior, fully equipped with wood elements and muted colour tones like a Japanese teahouse. Quite zen.
Their menu is short and concise, with their cute, customisable signature Monster Ice Cream ($12.90) available in 4 different flavours: Milk, Uji Matcha, Cocoa and Black Sesame.
Diners can choose to customise their Monster Ice Cream with 2 complimentary toppings (extra toppings +$2.90) among the 23 options there.
There are both traditional Japanese and local toppings here such as Rice Dumpling with Red Bean/ Hojicha Jelly/ Matcha Jelly, Salted Cherry Jelly, Honey Osmanthus Jelly, Mini Dorayaki, Iced Gem Biscuits, Cendol, Matcha & Taro Balls and Brown Sugar Tapioca. Roji Monster Ice Cream (Tanjong Pagar)
Canteen by Trapeze Rec. Club
27 Tanjong Pagar Road, Singapore 088450
Opening Hours: 9am – 3pm (Mon – Sun)
Hidden Cool Cafe Within Fitness Wellness Club At Tanjong Pagar
The 4-storey Trapeze Rec. Club is a membership-based wellness club found at Tanjong Pagar, and features a curation of services.
There is an in-house café called the “Canteen” hidden within which members of the public can access to.
Canteen by Trapeze Rec. Club features a limited menu of toasts, coffee, and smoothies made with healthy and organically sourced ingredients.
The menu also includes an array of sweet and savoury Ayurvedic yoghurt bowls, along with bakes from local partners such as Pickle Bakery.
There is also an interesting-sounding Spicy Dan Dan Yoghurt Bowl ($14.80) which is a savoury yoghurt bowl with sous vide egg, chilli oil, sesame, peanut butter and more. This has been their bestseller. Canteen by Trapeze Rec. Club (Tanjong Pagar)
Cake Spade
83 Tanjong Pagar Road, Singapore 088504
Tel: +65 6444 3868
Opening Hours: 12pm – 10pm (Mon – Thurs), 12pm – 10:30pm (Fri – Sat), Closed Sun
Cake Spade which was previously at Orchid Hotel moved to 83 Tanjong Pagar Road. A 1-2 minute walk from the previous location, this patisserie café has a much bigger space, painted in a baby pink on the exterior.
Cake Spade’s proudest cake is perhaps the Strawberry Tofu Cheesecake ($7.20 per slice_ with fresh strawberries encase in jelly with digestive biscuit crust at the bottom. Think Jelly Hearts in cake form, with strawberry, peach and mango (seasonal) flavours.
Other popular cakes include the Lychee Rose ($8), Speculoos Cookie Butter Cheesecake ($8.90), Baileys Irish Cream Cheesecake ($12.50), Mississippi S’mores Cake ($8.50), Cookies & Cream Red Velvet Cake ($7.90) and Mao Shan Wang Durian Cake ($9.80). Cake Spade (Tanjong Pagar)
Equate Coffee
1 Tanjong Pagar Plaza, #02-25, Singapore 082001
Opening Hours: 8:30am – 5:30pm (Mon – Fri), 8am – 3pm (Sat), Closed Sun
Hidden Minimalist Industrial Cafe Mount Ondeh Cakes And Canele
Located at the second floor of Tanjong Pagar Plaza (directly opposite 100AM Mall) in one ulu corner, you would find Equate Coffee – one of the newest kids on the block.
Here at Equate Coffee, they focus more on artisanal coffee and bakes on their menu.
Their interior is definitely eye-catching with many elements in play: a huge grey wall made from raw, unfinished concrete materials at the entrance.
There is also that sleek, industrial-themed long bench and flooring, with futuristic-looking golden coffee bar counter on the other end.
Using a 2-beans-blend from Brazil and Sumatra roasted in Malaysia for their espresso-based drinks, the usual suspects such as Black ($4.50), White ($5) and Mocha ($5.50) are available.
2 permanent cakes are on display, freshly baked in house: Canele ($4) and Mount Ondeh ($7) and rotating items such as Earl Grey Cake ($4).
Cakes are currently sourced from Sugar Thieves, and there is intention to serve rotating pastries from various home businesses. Equate Coffee (Tanjong Pagar)
The Food Peeps Coffee & Deli
20 Maxwell Road, Maxwell House #01-11 Singapore 069113
Tel: +65 6970 8035
Opening Hours: 8am – 5pm (Mon – Tues, Thurs – Sun), Closed Wed
Cosy Café At Maxwell House With Brunch And Cakes
The Food Peeps is opened by 3 friends – a chef, barista and marketer, who decided to ‘join forces’ and capitalise on past experiences.
The owners wanted a small space where they can use to experiment can churn out items for catering and delivery, almost like a central kitchen.
Some of the items on the menu include Ranch Chicken & Avo Sandwich ($14), Mushroom Melt Sourdough ($14), Spicy Clam Linguine ($14), Rendang Pasta ($15), Chicken Pesto ($14), and Carbonara ($15).
I am sometimes sceptical about Asian-take on sandwiches, but this rendang sauce which is apparently a recipe from an aunty from Medan Indonesian, comes across flavourful and rich enough.
In fact, I liked that they were not stingy with the portion of meat, which made it a satisfyingly-hearty brunch item with its spicy and savoury flavours.
If sweets are your thing, there is a display of homemade desserts like Buttercake ($2.50), Chocolate Crepe ($5.50) Chocolate Chip Cakes ($1.50); and Peanut Butter Jelly Blueberry Waffles ($11) and Pancakes ($13). The Food Peeps (Maxwell House)
The New And Old Café
10 Anson Road, International Plaza 01-11, Singapore 079903 (along Choon Guan Street)
Tel: +65 8797 7775
Opening Hours: 8:30am – 7pm (Mon – Fri), 10:30am – 7:30pm (Sat), Closed Sun
Hidden Cafe At Tanjong Pagar Selling Bolo Bun And HK Milk Tea
Dry Mee Siam, Bolo Bun, Okonomiyaki, Croissant, Waffles, Kueh Salat, Baileys Tiramisu… the menu items at The New And Old Café are as diverse as it gets.
In terms of mains, there are items of Special Beef Multigrain Rice ($12.90), Luncheon Meat Noodles ($6.90), Dry Laksa ($9.90, available Wed), Dried Fried Mee Siam ($9.90, available Thurs), and Okonomiyaki ($8.90) filled with tuna, chicken or prawn (additional $1 – $1.50).
There are lighter snacks of Crispy Bun with Condensed Milk ($3.50), Luncheon Meat and Scrambled Egg Sandwich ($5.50), Kaya Butter Toast ($2.20) and Peanut Butter Toast ($2.20).
The owner has R&D for almost half a year to achieve the silky and smooth texture of the HK Style Milk Tea, and I enjoyed the lingering bitterness without being overpowering or siap siap.
Also, both were silky renditions with delicate tea aroma, with the chilled version coming in a bottle submerged in ice cubes (so that it does not get diluted yet cold) and lightly sweetened. The New and Old Café (Tanjong Pagar)
Jarrell’s Bistro
198 Telok Ayer Street, Singapore 068637 (Tanjong Pagar)
Tel: +65 6223 1766
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 10:30pm (Tues – Sat), Closed Sun, Mon
Delicious Chilli Crab Pasta and Har Cheong Burger At Tanjong Pagar
If you are around the CBD looking for inexpensive meals, Jarrell’s Bistro is a modern, casual Asian bistro located along Telok Ayer Street.
It offers Lunch Sets and A La Carte menu of modern Asian fusion tapas, mains, pastas and sides – at wallet-friendly prices considering this area.
A 2-Course meal is priced at $25++, while a 3-Course with appetiser, main and dessert is at $35++.
Chef’s Traditional Prawn Paste Chicken aka Har Cheong Gai which is available as a bar snack got so popular, he decided to make a burger out of it.
The “patty” is a fillet of chicken thigh marinated in fermented prawn paste, basil leaf powder, ginger and more.
Once the flavours have seeped in, it is deep-fried till the skin turns crisp while keeping the meat juicy. Jarrell’s Bistro (Telok Ayer)
Bearded Bella
8 Craig Road, Singapore 089668 (Tanjong Pagar MRT)
Opening Hours: 7.30am – 5pm (Mon – Thurs), 7:30am – 10:30pm (Fri), 7:30am – 6pm (Sat – Sun)
Melbourne Inspired Cafe By Singapore National Barista Championship Winner
Melbourne-inspired brunch fare, white and spacious interior, glass rooftop with natural sunlight, are some of the promising pull factors for Bearded Bella – a brunch and coffee place at Craig Road.
Plus, one of the owners is a Singapore National Barista Championship winner in 2016.
Bearded Bella is a 40 seaters cafe complete with greenery, wood and industrial-like brass elements in its interior design.
The name may sound catchy: union of a Bearded man and a Bella, which represents the fun and quirkiness here.
Look out for its mains which includes Big Brekkie Our Way ($25), Scallop & Cold Pasta ($22), Smashed Avocado ($24), Brie Min ($24), Spiced Scrambled ($18), Crab Croissant ($24), and Mushroom & Hummus on grain toast ($20). Bearded Bella (Craig Road)
Ballad of Anna May Coffee & Dine Out Bar
42 Craig Road Singapore 089680
Opening Hours: 7:30am – 4pm (Mon – Sun)
Enjoy Melbourne’s Famous Proud Mary Coffee In Singapore
Ballad of Anna May is located at 42 Craig Road near Tanjong Pagar MRT Station, is the first coffee specialty shop in Singapore to bring in Proud Mary beans.
Some background of Proud Mary: the coffee brand is founded by Nolan Hirte is a specialty coffee roaster, café, coffee educator and retailer based in Melbourne, Australia and Portland, Oregon USA.
They are focused on sustainable sourcing, recognised as a pioneer of the specialty coffee industry in Australia.
Specialty drinks on the menu include the Flat White ($5.50), Cappuccino ($5.50), Mocha ($6.50) and Orange Cold Brew ($7.50).
Food wise, you can expect savoury toasties The First Born ($13) which is Beef Pastrami Toastie, Dangerous To Know You ($13) included with different types of cheeses, and Across To Singapore ($13) of a classic tuna melt. Ballad Of Anna May (Craig Road)
LUNA
53 Amoy Street, Singapore 069879
Opening Hours: 12pm – 6:30pm (Sun – Thurs), 12pm – 9pm (Fri – Sat), Closed PH
Popular Patisserie For Orh Nee Cake and Elegant Goma PB
LUNA Patisserie is known for the selection of pretty, quality cakes.
While its menu changes periodically according to the seasons, best-sellers still available continue to be the popular Orh Nee Cake ($8 per slice, $80 per whole cake) with velvety yam ginko paste and yam cubes; LUNA 2.0 ($9 for entremet, $90 for cake) made of Valrhona Guanaja 70% chocolate mousse; and Matcha Opera ($8 for slice, $80 for whole cake).
The Orh Nee Cake ($8) is my favourite of the selection, made of pumpkin sponge layered with a mixture of yam and ginkgo paste.
The surprise came from the textural contrast in the yam and ginkgo paste, a mixture of smooth and velvety puree and bite-sized chunks of yam.
The Orh Nee is then topped with whipped cream frosting and dollops of yam cream with a touch of desiccated coconut that enhanced its sweetness.
The overall combination is well-balanced without overly sweet, yet packed with different textures.
They have also introduced Goma x PB Tart ($8.50) – swirled on top is a smooth Chantilly cream filling flavoured with black sesame. LUNA (Amoy Street)
The Bravery
50 Amoy Street, Singapore 069876
Opening Hours: 9am – 5pm (Tues – Thurs) 9am – 9:30pm (Fri – Sun), Closed Mon
Brunch Café Reopens With Pancake Stacks At Amoy Street
Long-time café hoppers would have been familiar with The Bravery – a Muslim-owned brunch café which has been around since 2013 at Horne Road in the Jalan Besar area.
Following their lease expiry, the café has found a new home at Amoy Street, a short walk from Telok Ayer or Tanjong Pagar MRT stations.
From the brunch menu, they serve hearty options like Wholesome Breakfast ($23), Nova Cheese Toast ($14), Smoked Duck Aglio Olio ($14) and Rosemary Chicken Breast ($14).
I had the Pancake Stacks ($14) which came with fluffy stacks of pancakes decorated with mixed berries, berry compote, cream cheese and maple syrup.
The texture of the pancakes was also on point – moist and balanced and I could easily finish most of it without feeling jelak (overwhelmingly rich). The Bravery (Amoy Street)
Nesuto
53 Tras Street, #01-01, Singapore 078992
Opening Hours: 12pm – 10pm (Mon – Sat), 12pm – 6pm (Sun)
For Japanese-Style Matcha, Goma and Houjicha Cakes
“Nesuto” means “Nest” in Japanese. The interior is painted in pastel pink and white, giving a sense of comfort and minimalism which could be a pull-factor for the tai-tais and OLs for an afternoon respite.
Signaure cakes include the Yuzu Raspberry, Konichiawa Hojicha, Japanese Matcha Azuki, Japanese Goma, and C3 Cheesecake.
I couldn’t keep my eyes off the ‘attention-seeking’ Yuzu Raspberry Cake ($9), coated with a bright pink whipped ganache.
While the portion of the cake might seem bigger than the rest, the Japanese sponge was extremely light and fluffy, perhaps like biting through cotton.
Made with yuzu meringue mousse and chunks of fresh raspberries, the citrusy and tanginess of the fruits cut through entire combination, making the cake light and refreshing. Nesuto (Tras Street)
Amuse Dessert Co
73 Duxton Road, Singapore 089532
Opening Hours: 12pm – 9pm (Tues – Thurs), 12pm – 10pm (Fri – Sat), 12pm – 6pm (Sun), Closed Mon
Artisanal Dessert Cafe At Duxton With Basque Truffle Cheesecake Ice Cream
Opened by the folks behind The Dark Gallery known for their artisanal dark chocolate desserts, Amuse Dessert Co. has opened at 73 Duxton Road Tanjong Pagar.
Focusing on artisanal desserts created through their own encounters and longing for new experiences, their selection of pastries changes on a rotational basis.
The most eye-catching selection will be the Macarons (Single $3.50, Box of 6 for $21) with 8 different colours that are aesthetically inspired by nature’s colours.
Other pastries include Canele ($4), Madeleine ($4), Mini Pound ($4.50), Loaf Pound ($5.50), Chunky Cookie ($4.50) and Brownie Squares ($6).
The Lemon Basil Mini Pound ($4.50) was my favourite, with a soft and moist texture and refreshing lemon flavour and herbaceous basil notes. Amuse Dessert Co. (Duxton Road)
Parallel Coffee Roasters
39 Duxton Hill, Singapore 089617
Tel: +65 9750 8997
Opening Hours: 9am – 5pm (Mon – Fri), 10am – 5pm (Sat), Closed Sun
Cafe Hidden At Duxton Hill, With Inexpensive Coffee From $2.90
Parallel Coffee Roasters started with the objective of serving affordable artisanal coffee, as the owners “couldn’t find a good cup of coffee in Singapore for less than $5”.
Therefore looking at its menu, I was surprised to find an Iced Long Black for $2.90 and Iced Latte for $3.90.
There is a lean menu with Sourdough Sandwiches, Pastries, Acai & Chobani Yoghurt Bowls, and Super Smoothies.
The recommended Sourdough Sandwiches are the Smoked Turkey, Classic Honey Chicken and New York Pepperoni (each $11.90), though I was enticed by the Grilled Cheese Sandwich ($6.00).
If not go for the Parallel’s Acai Bowls ($11.90) which come with choices of Superstar, Antioxidant, or Amino Bowl. I was recommended the Amino Bowl with a blended açaí base served with strawberries, blueberries, goji, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and chia seeds.
Monument Lifestyle
75 Duxton Road, Singapore 089534
Opening Hours: 8am – 5pm (Mon – Fri), 10am – 5pm (Sat – Sun)
Stylish Retail Store & Café At Duxton Road
Monument Lifestyle is a part retail store, part café. Many brands featured are exclusive in Singapore.
I liked how the entire space was done up, in a stylish yet cosy setting. The lifestyle store was at the front, while the café blended unobtrusively at the back.
While there were a number of office workers who walked in and out to grab a cuppa, the café remained relatively quiet, while staff would be friendly enough to make small-talks.
Like your neighbourhood café.
Coffee beans were from Four Barrel Coffee, known to be one of the best coffee roasters in San Francisco. Monument Lifestyle (Duxton Road)
Baristart Coffee Singapore
65 Tras Street Singapore 079004 (Tanjong Pagar MRT)
Opening Hours: 9am – 9pm (Mon – Sun)
Hokkaido Cafe With Delicious Cream Puff, Carbonara And Cute Japanese Shaved Ice
Baristart is known for using Hokkaido milk of exceptional quality for its coffee, matched with beautiful latte art; its food and desserts – such as the Shiro Kuma Hokkaido shaved ice is worthy venturing to Tanjong Pagar for.
The company name “Baristart” is a portmanteau of “barista”, “start”, and “art” as the business involves professional baristas who start in the company making coffees with art.
It is the first café here to offer coffee using the popular Brown Jersey Milk from Biei, a small town in Hokkaido, Japan.
Biei Jersey Milk is an ultra-premium milk prized for being rare, as there are only about 800 Brown Jersey cows left making up 1% of the total cow population in Japan.
Baristart’s Cream Puff ($4.50 for one and $12 for three) is filled with a decadent custard cream specially made with Hokkaido BIEI Jersey Milk.
The deep brown-coloured puff’s crisp exterior balances the rich and velvety interior, giving you that wonderful mouthfeel.
A piece is the size of a tennis ball, and served topped with crisps and a light dusting of confectioner sugar. Baristart Coffee (Tras Street)
Kreams Krafthouse
32 Maxwell Road, #01-07 Maxwell Chambers, Singapore 069115
Tel: +65 9620 7739
Opening Hours: 9am – 10:30pm (Mon – Sat), Closed Sun
Autumn-Themed Korean Café At Maxwell Chambers
When I visited this undiscovered café called Kreams Krafthouse at Maxwell Chambers (near Tanjong Pagar MRT station), I couldn’t help feeling how spacious, how well-decorated this space was. And the attention to details.
Beautiful space. The cafe just focuses on two items for now – coffee and scones.
Other than the usual Latte and Long Black, there are more Korean-café oriented drinks such as Dalgona Coffee (don’t have to whip yourself), Creamy Choco, Sweet Potato Latte, Vanilla Latte, and Cloud Latte.
The Dalgona Coffee was not quite like the typical ones circulating on the net or made at home, and was included with house-made toffee crisps.
Give it 5 minutes to melt before enjoying the sweet Korean candy taste and mild bitter finish. Kreams (Maxwell Chambers)
Belle-Ville Pancake Café – Tanjong Pagar
100AM Mall 01-14b, 100 Tras Street, Singapore 079027
Opening Hours: 11am – 8pm (Mon – Sun)
Fluffy Stacks Of Japanese Pancakes
The pancake café is known for its meringue made-to-order mille-feuille (French for “thousand layers”) pancakes, included with homemade whipped Hokkaido cream, stacked from 2 to 8 layers.
Offerings include Strawberry and Mixed Berry Pancake, Mango Pancake, Grilled Apple with Homemade Caramel Pancake, Matcha with Rice Ball and Red Bean Pancake, and Chocolate with Grilled Banana Pancake, priced from $11.90 to $16.20.
What makes their pancakes so fluffy include the usage of fresh milk, and they are made fresh-to-order.
These pancakes were indeed moist and soft, with bananas blended into the batter, the interesting part was a half-cooked centre. Belle-Ville Pancake Café (100AM)
Acoustics Coffee Bar
61 Neil Road, Singapore 088895
Opening Hours: 8:30am – 5:30pm (Mon – Thurs), 8:30am – 9:30pm (Fri – Sun)
Pet-Friendly Botanical Theme Cafe With All-Day-Brunch
Acoustics Coffee Bar, previously known as Acoustic Cafe at Ang Mo Kio , has shifted to Neil Road (right opposite Apiary).
This has expanded to a 40-seater here at Neil Road, using materials to create a neutral sound environment with a better acoustics (thus the name).
Other music elements include the wooden waveform structures seen hanging on the walls and two huge speakers to create the ambience.
Using fresh produce for all their dishes, expect All-Day-Brunch With Breakfast At Acoustics ($24), Acoustics’ Fluffy Pancakes ($12), Brie & Mushroom Croissant ($13), and Egg in A Hole ($14).
The Breakfast At Acoustics ($24) comes with a choice of Egg (Ramen Egg/ Scrambled/ Sunny Side Up), Cheese Sausage, Slow Baked Tomato, Maple Glaze Bacon, Roasted mushroom, Kale salad on a slice of sourdough.
The components are generally well-executed with the scrambled egg stealing the limelight with its moist and creamy texture.
The slow baked tomatoes were a mention, soft and tangy, adding a refreshing citrus punch to the combination. Acoustics Coffee Bar (Neil Road)
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* Compiled by Daniel Ang @DanielFoodDiary and Nicholas Tan @stormscape.
