Sarnies (Telok Ayer)

Sarnies is an Australian-style café at 136 Telok Ayer Street, on the edge of Singapore's Central Business District. This is the original Sarnies, where the brand began in 2011. It serves breakfast, brunch, sandwiches and specialty coffee through the day.

Founder Ben Lee is from Sydney and moved to Singapore in 2009 to work in banking. He could not find a good sandwich for lunch, so he opened a takeaway sandwich shop of his own. "Sarnie" is a casual English word for a sandwich. The shop had more space than a takeaway needed, so he added seats and coffee. It grew into a full café, modelled on the food-led cafés of Australia. The Sarnies group now roasts its own coffee and also runs cafés, restaurants and bars in Bangkok.

What to order

Breakfast is served all day. Two of the dishes the menu marks as signatures are the Turkish eggs and the Tom Yum eggs benedict. The Turkish eggs come poached on garlic yoghurt with chilli crunch, dukkah, grilled halloumi and sourdough. The benedict swaps the usual hollandaise for a spicy tom yum version, with bacon or smoked salmon.

Other dishes worth a look:

• Shakshuka, with eggs poached in red pepper sauce, labneh and crispy chickpeas
• A full fry-up with house-cured bacon, sausage, beans, mushrooms and hash browns
• Toasties such as a tuna melt, a Cubano and a salt brisket reuben
• Pasta, including a mentaiko salmon tagliatelle
• The double chocolate brownie, on the menu since day one

The coffee list runs from espresso and flat whites to cold brew. Signature lattes come in flavours such as brown butter, black sesame and coconut. Chai, matcha and hot chocolate cover non-coffee drinkers. The menu changes from time to time, so check the latest version on the official website.

The setting

Telok Ayer is a district of old shophouses close to the CBD office towers. Ben Lee chose the street because office workers could reach it easily, yet it still had character. The café is casual and welcomes families. Free Wi-Fi and power sockets make it a handy place to work for an hour. The café is pet-friendly as well.

Good to know before you go

• Booking: tables can be reserved on Chope.
• Daytime only: it opens for breakfast and closes in the late afternoon, so plan it for the morning or lunch.
• Dietary needs: there are vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options. Tell the team about any allergies when you order.
• Families: children are welcome and high chairs are available.
• Delivery: food can be ordered on GrabFood and foodpanda, or direct through Oddle.

Getting there

The nearest station is Telok Ayer MRT on the Downtown Line. The café says it is about a minute's walk from Exit A. There is street parking around Telok Ayer.

Nearby

Thian Hock Keng Temple, a historic Hokkien temple, is a short walk along the same street. For dinner, Hyang Yeon serves home-style Korean food a few doors away. The Clan Hotel Singapore, beside Telok Ayer MRT, is a handy place to stay. See all restaurants in Marina Bay and the CBD, or more cafés and bakeries across Singapore.