Awfully Chocolate Bakery & Cafe (East Coast Road)

Awfully Chocolate Bakery & Cafe on East Coast Road is the flagship cafe of Awfully Chocolate, the Singapore chocolate cake brand. It sits on East Coast Road in the heart of Katong. The cafe serves brunch, lunch, dinner and tea, and its pies, quiches and pastries are baked on site.

The brand began in 1998 with one product, its All Chocolate Cake. Here, the team of local chocolatiers puts chocolate into almost everything, from drinks on tap to savoury dishes.

What to order

Start with a drink from the chocolate taps. The Really Fresh Chocolate Milk is made with dark cocoa and Hokkaido milk. Hot chocolate comes in three strengths, from a 45% dark milk to a 70% dark chocolate. For something without caffeine, try the roasted cacao tea, which the brand makes by roasting cacao twice.

Weekday lunch leans towards comfort food. The menu has Chef Tan's Garlic Soup with grilled focaccia, fish and chips, a braised beef pie and several pastas, such as cacio e pepe and linguine vongole. There are also truffle fries with parmesan, and a lemonade made with fresh lemons, mint and cucumber.

Dinner is a set menu built on a fun idea. The starters are savoury takes on desserts, such as a Basque cheesecake with tomatoes and mushrooms, or a corn canelé with caramelised bacon. Mains include coq au vin and seabass in a white cocoa butter sauce. The meal ends at what the brand calls the world's first chocolate raclette wheel, where warm chocolate is melted onto the dessert of the day.

Weekend buffets

The weekend brunch buffet covers fresh bakes and pastries, scrambled eggs, bacon, tater tots and yoghurt bowls. Each diner also picks one brunch main from the menu. The weekend menu also lists a high tea buffet with a live doughnut bar, a cookie tower, truffles and small cones of the brand's Hei chocolate ice cream.

The setting

The room is modern and roomy, with plenty of wood. It feels lively but relaxed, and it suits families, couples and small groups. At the buffet, the counters are covered and staff help to plate your food.

Good to know before you go

• You can reserve a table on the cafe's website. If it is full, there is a waitlist.
• Each table gets about one and a half hours at the weekend brunch buffet, so arrive on time.
• There is a kids' menu, and children under 10 pay less at the weekend brunch buffet.
• The team runs chocolate workshops and private events, where guests can decorate their own chocolate bar.
• Festive menus appear at Christmas.

Getting there

The cafe is at 131 East Coast Road. The nearest MRT station is Marine Parade on the Thomson-East Coast Line, about a five-minute walk from Exit 3. Check menus and book on the Awfully Chocolate Bakery & Cafe website.

Nearby

The cafe is a good start to a day in Katong and Joo Chiat. Walk up Joo Chiat Road to see the colourful Koon Seng Road shophouses. Other places to eat in the area include Petit Pain and Nyonyas & Gentlemen. If you want to stay nearby, look at Hotel Indigo Singapore Katong. For more ideas, see all restaurants in Katong and Joo Chiat, our list of cafés and bakeries in Singapore and our Katong and Joo Chiat guide.