Where I get my coffee fix! | Singapore Edition

Singapore is entering Phase II of reopening the economy today. And while many people seem to crave a fancy drink at a hotel bar, I was mostly missing a delicious cup of coffee.

You have to know, I am a coffee lover! But with love comes expectation, too. Before we moved to Singapore, I checked whether Singapore was a coffee city, and in all frankness, I wasn’t too confident in the beginning. Coming from Berlin and having explored the hippest European countries, I was pretty spoiled with coffee anyway. Also, I could not find any place serving milk alternatives, such as oat or coconut milk, which was a real bummer, as I stopped consuming cow milk. But with a few more months down the road, I have found some places with delicious coffee AND milk alternatives on the menu, and I am happy to share the best of the best coffee places in Singapore with you:

Common Man Coffee Roasters

22 Martin Rd, #01-00, Singapore 239058 and other

Hands-on, this place is my favorite and will probably ever be. It was the first place I detected and convinced me Singapore wasn’t doing too bad in terms of coffee. Common Man Coffee Roasters make good coffee; I would even go so far as name their roasts in my top 5 worldwide. And since it is basically right across the street, I will go there a few times a week during the day, when it is less crowded, to enjoy a cup of flat oat white, or two.

Forty hands

78 Yong Siak St, Singapore 163078

The Forty Hands is an outlet of Common Man Coffee Roaster; hence it needs to be on this list too, even though the coffee doesn’t taste any different from in their other outlets. Located in Tiong Bahru, I like the charming atmosphere of the outlet and love to watch people strolling in the street that is full of lovely little boutiques or have a coffee fix after a yoga session at Yoga Movement.

Group Therapy

181 South Bridge Road #01-05 & #K1-04, 05874

Group Therapy is more a breakfast or brunch place rather than a coffee shop (and not an actual group therapy obviously) but hell they know how to make a perfect coffee! Look at the latte art, it’s made on point even though it was created with Oat Milk. Knowing that they serve excellent and delicious coffee will also bring me back to their place for occasional brunch dates with friends on weekends. Great move!

The beautiful Latte Art at Group Therapy.

Tiong Bahru Bakery

56 Eng Hoon Street, #01-70, Singapore 160056 and others

Again, Tiong Bahru Bakery serves the roast from Common Man Coffee Roaster (you get that I adore their coffee, right?). However, they serve other than coffee, and those are worth the splurge. Being a french bakery, they revolutionized the way locals enjoy bread with top-notch bakes, sparking a trend for French bakeries across Singapore. In the outlet in Tiong Bahru, they offer sweet and savory bread, flaky viennoiseries, and a fantastic selection of beautifully crafted desserts. With one of those on hand, the coffee will taste even better!

Five Oars Coffee Roasters

39 Tg Pagar Rd, Singapore 088462

I haven’t been to this place yet, but I will certainly go there very soon. Having a “roaster” in its name sets high expectations for their coffee. Also, the Melbourne-café inspired coffee place serves oat milk, which is a big plus. Next to coffee they also serve brunch and breakfast, which looks delicious and will be tested soon.

The Populus

146 Neil Rd, Singapore 088875

This place is perfect for a dusty, rainy day. Everything here reminds me of Scandinavian cities, even the tableware! The Populus claims to serve “contemporary progressive café nosh and specialty coffee” – and I do like their coffee very much.

The Populus’ serving style of a good old flat white.

Craftsmen Specialty Coffee ( Mohamed Sultan)

33 Mohamed Sultan Rd, #01-05, Singapore 238977 and others

This place is raving in Singapore’s coffee lovers scene, and I get why. The coffee is not only delicious; they also use and sell (!) Oatly Oat Milk, is known for its richness when it comes to white coffees. This was a lifesaver for many people during the lockdown, including me. Other than that, Craftsmen serves a great variety of delightful brunch dishes, though I wouldn’t go for their outlet in Mohamed Sultan Road honestly, as I prefer outdoor seating.