Round Boy Roasters

Round Boy Roasters is a specialty coffee roastery and espresso bar on the ground floor of a public housing block on Jalan Bukit Merah. It roasts its own beans, sells them by the bag, and serves coffee across a large bar counter.

Four friends from different backgrounds started the business. It began in early 2018 as a small cottage business selling beans. It has since grown into a full retail roastery and café with hundreds of coffee subscribers. The team's aim is to make freshly roasted coffee easy for anyone to buy.

What to order

This is a coffee-first café. The espresso drinks use the house-roasted beans, and the menu covers the usual range. Think lattes, cappuccinos and cold brew. If you take your coffee black, ask the baristas which beans are on the bar that day.

Food is limited to a few bakes, such as brownies and apple crumble, and these are not always available. The real draw is the beans. You can choose from single origins and blends to take home, and the staff are happy to suggest one that suits how you brew.

Buying beans and gear

Round Boy Roasters roasts once or twice a week, depending on demand. Freshly roasted beans need time to release gas before they are at their best. The team says its beans taste best between about two weeks and a month after the roast date. That is worth knowing if you plan to carry a bag home in your luggage.

• Beans: single origins and blends, sold as one-off bags or by subscription.
• Omakase subscription: the roasters choose the beans for each delivery, and subscribers often get roasts that are not listed for sale.
• Brewing gear: grinders, espresso machines, manual brewers and accessories, including a Timemore range.
• Coffee cart: a mobile coffee bar you can book for events.

The setting

The café sits in a quiet, older housing estate rather than on a shopping street. A large coffee bar takes up most of the room, so indoor seating is limited. There are some seats outside, and pets are welcome there. It suits a quick coffee and a chat with the baristas more than a long stay with a laptop.

Good to know before you go

• Orders placed online can be collected from free lockers outside the café, which you can use at any hour.
• Same-day delivery is available across Singapore.
• Beans, gear and subscriptions are listed on the official Round Boy Roasters website.

Nearby

The café is not far from the Tiong Bahru Estate, known for its pre-war flats, bakeries and cafés. Our Tiong Bahru heritage walk is a good way to explore it. For a meal, try Skirt & Dirt at Tiong Bahru Market or Master Prata at Alexandra Central. You can find more coffee stops in our list of cafés and bakeries and our cafés and coffee guide.