Best Cafés & Brunch in Singapore

Cafés and brunch in Singapore: what to expect

Coffee and brunch are a big part of weekend life here. For cafés and brunch in Singapore, you can choose between two styles. One is the modern café, with specialty coffee, brunch plates and pastries. The other is the kopitiam, a traditional coffee shop that serves local coffee and kaya toast. This list covers both, plus gelato and ice cream shops for an afternoon treat.

Local breakfast: kopi and kaya toast

Kaya is a sweet jam made from coconut, eggs and sugar, often flavoured with pandan leaf. It is spread on toast with slices of cold butter. The usual set comes with two soft-boiled eggs. You season them with soy sauce and white pepper. Wash it all down with kopi, the local coffee.

Ya Kun Kaya Toast (Far East Square) is in the CBD. Killiney Kopitiam is in the Orchard and River Valley area. See Kaya Toast for more, or read What Is Kaya Toast? Singapore's Classic Breakfast Explained.

How to order kopi

• Kopi: coffee with sweetened condensed milk.
• Kopi O: black coffee with sugar.
• Kopi C: coffee with evaporated milk and sugar.
• Kosong: add this word for no sugar. It means "empty" or "zero" in Malay.
• Teh: tea. The same words work, so "teh O" is black tea with sugar.

More tips are in How to Order Kopi in Singapore Without Getting Lost.

Specialty coffee and brunch cafés

Modern cafés serve espresso drinks and filter coffee, often from beans they roast themselves. Brunch menus run from eggs on toast to big all-day breakfast plates. Pastries such as croissants are popular too.

• Common Man Coffee Roasters: a coffee roaster and café in the Orchard and River Valley area.
• Tiong Bahru Bakery: a bakery café in Tiong Bahru. Pair it with a walk round the Tiong Bahru Estate, an older housing area known for its Art Deco flats.
• Chye Seng Huat Hardware: a café in the Little India and Jalan Besar area.
• PS.Cafe (Harding Road): a café in leafy Dempsey, good for a slow weekend brunch.
• Wild Honey: a café in the Orchard and River Valley area, handy before a day of shopping.

Gelato, ice cream and sweet treats

Singapore is hot and humid all year, so a cold treat helps. Birds of Paradise Gelato Boutique is a gelato shop in Katong and Joo Chiat. Apiary serves ice cream in the Chinatown and Tanjong Pagar area. See Gelato and Ice Cream for more.

Tips for brunch in Singapore

• Go early at weekends. Popular cafés often have queues by late morning.
• Check if you can book. Some cafés take bookings. Others are walk-in only.
• Know rough costs. A kaya toast set is cheap, often under S$10. A café brunch plate with coffee often costs S$25 to S$40 or more. Prices change, so check the menu.
• Look for "++". Sit-down cafés may add a service charge and GST to menu prices.
• Laptops. Some cafés limit laptop use at busy times. Check the signs before you settle in.
• Eat near your sights. Plan brunch close to what you want to see, so you do not lose time crossing the city.

For more ideas, see the Cafés & Coffee and Kaya Toast & Local Breakfast topics.

FAQs about cafés and brunch in Singapore

What is a traditional Singapore breakfast?

Kaya toast with soft-boiled eggs and a cup of kopi or teh. You can find it at kopitiams and at chains such as Ya Kun and Killiney.

What does kopi mean?

Kopi is the local word for coffee. It is usually strong and comes with condensed milk unless you ask for something else.

Do cafés in Singapore take reservations?

Some do, especially for groups. Many smaller cafés are walk-in only, so arrive early at weekends.

Where are the best areas for cafés?

Tiong Bahru & Alexandra, Dempsey, Katong & Joo Chiat and the streets around Jalan Besar all have many cafés. Orchard Road also has plenty inside its malls.

Is tipping expected at cafés?

No. Tipping is not expected in Singapore. Sit-down cafés may already add a service charge.