Brewing around the world : Singapore 🇸🇬

A never ending cafe crawl in Singapore

For all the coffee enthusiasts who live for the perfect brew, this one’s for you! Here’s a collection of cafes and roasters I’ve visited around Singapore, each with its own unique vibe and flavor profile. This guide is for those who love exploring every nook and cranny of the city in search of a great cup. I’ll be keeping this list fresh with updates, so stay tuned for more caffeine-fueled finds! ☕

• Cloud, Tanjong Pagar/Duxton Hill
• Cata, Joo Chiat
• Asylum Coffee House, Jalan Besar
• MORNING COFFEE, New Bahru

Cloud, Tanjong Pagar/Duxton Hill

Cloud sits right at the entrance of Duxton Hill, close to the main Tanjong Pagar Road. Positioned on the corner of Duxton Hill and Duxton Road, this café’s misty, cloud-inspired minimalistic interior is hard to miss. I was captivated by the ambiance here, and their signature drink—the Cloud Coffee—certainly lives up to its name. You can still get classic brews like black, white, espresso, cold brew, or filter, but I’d definitely recommend trying their Cloud Coffee for a unique experience (it’s their signature, after all).

Cloud Coffee offers three variations—Black, White, and Chocolate—all served cold. I tried the “White Cloud,” which is essentially a milk coffee with a distinctive cloud-like froth on top. While some might say it’s just a latte with extra froth, I found the texture surprisingly smooth, almost like fresh whipped cream but with a more fluid, airy consistency.

They also have a modest selection of pastries and sweets. The Nori (seaweed) cookie was an unexpected delight, with a balanced blend of sweet and savory, and a subtle hint of the sea—think salted caramel, but with a distinct Asian twist.

I recommend stopping by if you’re after an Instagram-worthy spot that also delivers on quality coffee and light bites. The café opens at 10 a.m., and I visited shortly after opening on a Saturday. It was pleasantly quiet at first, but by the time I left around 10:30 a.m., it was already starting to fill up. So, if you’re not keen on a wait, get there early to beat the crowd!

Cata, Joo Chiat

Cata was one of those delightful, unexpected discoveries. Tucked right beside the well-known Kueh maker, Kim Choo Kueh Chang, in Joo Chiat, I stumbled across it on their very first day of opening. Drawn in by the new vibrant coloured interior and the thoughtfully curated selection of coffee beans, I knew I had to give it a try.

True to its name—‘Cata’ means “tasting session” in Spanish—this place is all about savoring quality coffee. According to their website, Cata began as a roastery in Singapore back in 2016. The Spanish lady who served me (possibly the owner or a co-owner) added a welcoming touch, giving me a sense of their deep commitment to coffee. They also offer training and consultancy services for smaller projects, like equipment supply, coffee sourcing, and bean selection, which might explain the curated array of beans and tools displayed around the café. It was a bit of a playground for coffee lovers.

I opted for a cold brew featuring Brazil’s Ipanema A17 Winey bean. Its fruity, acidic notes served over ice made for a refreshing, vibrant choice—a perfect companion to Singapore’s sunny weather, especially after wandering the lively streets of Joo Chiat.

Speaking of Joo Chiat, it’s an area that’s a must-visit in Singapore, blending the charm of traditional Peranakan heritage with modernity. The colorful, historic shopfronts offer a beautiful contrast to the creative, modern spaces inside, each store promising its own unique ambiance and experience. Cata fits right into this mosaic, offering a spot where coffee meets craft in an area brimming with cultural fusion.

Asylum Coffee House, Jalan Besar

Asylum Coffee is nestled at the corner of Jalan Besar and Petain Road, a vibrant area known for its colorful shophouses and, just a stone’s throw away, the bustling urban red-light district. By day, Jalan Besar has become a hotspot for hipster cafés and creative spots, and Asylum Coffee is one of the trendsetters helping shape the vibe of this lively neighborhood.

The café features a simple yet cozy wooden interior, offering a variety of brews—from espresso to filter. What caught my eye, though, was their impressive selection of roasted coffee beans. Buah Keluak, the seed of the Pangium edule tree, has an earthy, nutty flavor with deep, rich, and slightly chocolaty undertones. It’s often described as an umami-rich “Asian truffle.”

Asylum truly captures the essence of Buah Keluak in their coffee. They serve it as an espresso, and I opted for it in a white coffee. The experience was remarkable. The first sip offers the familiar taste of espresso, beautifully complemented by the sweet, creamy milk. As the milk passes over your tongue, the earthy, complex flavors of Buah Keluak start to unfold, leaving a lingering, umami-rich aftertaste. Unable to resist, I picked up some Keluak coffee beans to take home.

While Asylum certainly brews excellent coffee with other beans, I highly recommend this unique Buah Keluak espresso for any coffee lover visiting Singapore—it’s a true local specialty.

TIP: To fully appreciate the depth of this coffee, I suggest pairing it with a dish that features Buah Keluak as an ingredient!

MORNING COFFEE, New Bahru

MORNING isn’t exactly a traditional café or roastery, but if you’re someone who uses a pod machine regularly and wants to explore a variety of coffee beans, then I highly recommend checking out the MORNING store in New Bahru. MORNING, the coffee pod machine brand, launched in 2021, quickly became my favorite after I upgraded my old Nespresso machine. The best part? It’s also compatible with Nespresso capsules!

What makes the MORNING machine stand out is how it recreates barista-quality recipes for different roasts and beans. When you purchase a capsule from the MORNING website, you can download and load the corresponding recipe onto the machine via its mobile app. The app controls the temperature and water amount based on the specific instructions provided by the roaster, making for a truly customizable coffee experience.

Located in the New Bahru shopping complex, this store is the first retail space for the MORNING machine and its coffee pods sourced from various roasters around the world. The staff is incredibly knowledgeable—simply tell them your preferred bean or taste profile, and they’ll recommend a selection of pods, even brewing a cup for you using the preloaded recipe from the MORNING machine.

All of the pods sold at MORNING are also Nespresso-compatible, which means you can indulge in capsules from global roasters (I couldn’t resist picking up some from Sweden!).

I grabbed a box of capsules and a few coffee-related books. New Bahru itself is a great place to explore, with plenty of other stores and gourmet food spots to discover. If you’re a fan of coffee tech or just looking to elevate your pod game, I highly recommend stopping by MORNING and experiencing their innovative coffee machine!