With all the hype over major events such as the opening of Jewel and Shilin-inspired Night Market in April, it’s time to take things down a notch and bask in some slow and easy vibes. Make May the month for a rendezvous in a speakeasy bar or a casual catch-up in a luxe F&B with pampering gourmet food.

For a change from the usual café-hopping and quick Instagrammable bites, wind down with classy nosh and artisanal concoctions for drinks. We found quiet spots right in the city hidden away from its hustle and bustle.

Here is our curated list of 10 new openings for you to drop by this May. We made sure to include an izakaya, some quiet places with lip-smacking bowls, plus a couple of enclaves to explore over toasts with tipples.

Photo Credit: 51 Soho

51 SOHO

51 Soho is a luxurious restaurant that bathes you in blue light and serenades you with acoustics as you step in. Their all-day dining concept elevates one-bowl lunch meals in the Central Business District with their Pan Seared Chicken Breast. Dinner with them is made interesting with Salmon & Pearl.

51 Telok Ayer St, #01-01
Singapore 048441
Tel: +65 9755 1058
Mon to Fri: 8am – 11pm
Sat: 10am – 11pm
Sun: 10am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Telok Ayer

B BAR

Rendezvous over tipples at b bar, a speakeasy beyond the Wines and Spirits alley in habitat by honestbee. Slide open their full-length mirror facade of a door and step into a green-hued classy bar that is heavily enshrouded in darkness. Their cocktails are grouped by alcohol content; look forward to stellar grub too, such as our favourite rosemary fries.

34 Boon Leat Terrace, #01-01
Singapore 119866
Mon to Fri: 5pm – 12am
Sat: 12pm – 12am
Sun: 12pm – 10pm
Nearest Station: Pasir Panjang

Photo Credit: botany.sg

BOTANY BY DAZZLING CAFE

Dazzling Cafe may have closed but you can still get your honey toast fix at Botany By Dazzling Cafe—co-owned by local actress Julie Tan. Dine slow by the river where sinful eating coexists with healthy nosh.

86 Robertson Quay, #01-03
Singapore 238245
Tel: +65 6951 4861
Mon to Fri: 9am – 10pm
Sat & Sun: 8:30am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Clarke Quay

Photo Credit: CHEEK BISTRO

CHEEK BISTRO

CHEEK BISTRO takes over Cheek By Jowl but with a cheeky and different direction. Their menu pushes out small and large sharing plates with familiar flavours but in exciting guises with bold flavour combinations or unconventional executions. Think Beef Tartare with millet and desserts such as Goat Cheese Parfait with berries.

21 Boon Tat St
Singapore 069620
Tel: +65 6221 1911
Mon to Fri: 12pm – 2:30pm, 6pm – 10pm
Sat: 6pm – 10:30pm
(Closed on Sundays)
Nearest Station: Telok Ayer

Photo Credit: Idlewild

IDLEWILD

Plan your next cocktail destination to Idlewild. They give you a globetrotter experience with drinks inspired by 10 cities along the popular Transatlantic Route—Dublin, Rome, Lima, Lisbon, New York, Casablanca, London, Paris, Mexico City, and Havana. Signatures include Rooster of Barcelos and Journey of Limun.

80 Middle Rd
Lobby Level
Singapore 188966
Tel: +65 6825 1045
Tue to Thu & Sun: 5pm – 1am
Fri & Sat: 5pm – 2am
(Closed on Mondays)
Nearest Station: Bugis

JW360° CAFE

JW360° is a Japanese concept store that comprises JW360° Cafe, Suju Restaurant, and a retail corner called Nomono. Try their ultra premium strawberry gelato made from Amao strawberries after enjoying Western-influenced Japanese cuisine. Their Mixed Katsu set is crispy and their Gindara Misozuke Yaki features a grilled miso-marinated codfish that easily melts in your mouth.

78 Airport Boulevard, #01-223/224/225
Jewel Changi Airport
Singapore 819666
Tel: +65 6243 2466
Daily: 9am – 11pm
Nearest Station: Changi Airport

Photo Credit: Olivia Restaurant & Lounge 

OLIVIA RESTAURANT & LOUNGE

Nestled in the Keong Siak neighbourhood in KeSa House is Olivia Restaurant & Lounge which is a window into dining in Barcelona. Their menu embodies a Mediterranean essence with elevated homestyle cooking so you can relax late into the evening over their dishes. Some highlights are their Japanese Tuna Cheek and Olivia’s Creamy Homemade Cheesecake.

55 Keong Saik Rd
Singapore 089158
Tel: +65 6221 0522
Tue to Sat: 9am – 2:30pm, 6pm – 10pm
(Closed on Mondays & Sundays)
Nearest Station: Outram Park

THE DRAGON CHAMBER

Singapore’s only speakeasy restaurant, The Dragon Chamber, has reopened behind a corner fridge in an unassuming coffee shop. With its enigmatic “secret society” decor, it is a spot to visit at least once for the experience. Complete it with their Wagyu Truffle Beef Hor Fun which still gets us raving and their Dragon’s Claw which remains a showstopper for the brave.

2 Circular Rd
Singapore 049358
Tel: +65 6805 8181
Mon to Fri: 10am – 12am
Sat: 5pm – 12am
(Closed on Sundays)
Nearest Station: Clarke Quay

Photo Credit: The Old Man

THE OLD MAN

‘The Old Man and the Sea’ is a novel on perseverance in pursuit of a big fish and, in that same vein, The Old Man is Agung Prabowo’s big catch and dream. This award-winning cocktail bar is furnished with touches of island life. Order inventive sips like Death In The Afternoon which blends absinthe, sparkling wine, and coconut-pandan yoghurt or A Farewell To Arms for a safe favourite.

YUJIN IZAKAYA

Yujin Izakaya is tucked away along Zion Road with dynamic manga scenes hung on their wall. Step past their metal mesh doors to an open kitchen for creative bites inspired by traditional Japanese izakaya. Their menu includes cold and hot appetisers, smokey grilled dishes, beautifully singed skewered items, lip-smacking bowls, and light desserts.

56 Zion Rd
Singapore 247781
Tel: +65 6235 0429
Mon to Thu: 5pm – 11pm
Fri & Sat: 5pm – 12am
(Closed on Sundays)
Nearest Station: Tiong Bahru

habitat by honestbee has been opened in Singapore for half a year now as Singapore’s first tech-enabled, multi-sensory grocery and dining experience. Never imagined that grocery shopping would be a fun experience in itself? Us too! That’s when you have to pay habitat by honestbee a visit. All you need to begin your experience is to download the honestbee app.

With 20,000 unique grocery items, including imports from all over the globe that you can purchase on their app and over 15 food and beverage vendors, you could spend a whole day here with your loved ones. Their smorgasbord of extensive dining concepts easily revs up your appetite and adds to our list of having one of the best fish and chips as well as best pancakes in Singapore.

habitat by honestbee is anything but basic and it all starts upon entering their huge converted warehouse. Whether it is for shopping or not, we have 13 reasons why you can enjoy hours at habitat by honestbee from it as a unique experience for a weekend activity to being a place to chill out in Singapore.

#1 SMORGASBORD OF MORE THAN 15 DINING CONCEPTS WITHIN HABITAT BY HONESTBEE

For those who live to eat, food in habitat by honestbee comes in a diverse array of 15 dining concepts to excite every type of foodie. You can lounge the whole day away with their line-up of stalls.

Settle everything from breakfast to afternoon tea and even date night dinners. This family-friendly place is good for big groups with a full range of options from light bites to coffees and bentos to bakes so everyone gets what they want.

Take your plates and trays and gather around whichever part of habitat by honestbee you like. We love the large cushions in the corner where hinoki occupies. Its decor changes by season and theme.

When we visited habitat by honestbee, ‘Oishii Spring’ was the seasonal event centered on Japan’s cuisine, with seasonal grocery items also sold at a designated section for ‘Oishii Spring’.

#2 CAPTAIN SNAPPER HAS ONE OF THE BEST FISH & CHIPS IN SINGAPORE

There are five different choices of fish and chips from Captain Snapper and you’d have to try them at least one. Choose from Atlantic Cod (S$22.90), Halibut (S$18.90), Snapper (S$17.90), Barramundi (S$14.90), and Dory (S$12.90).

At Captain Snapper, they use Tiger Beer in their batter and also offer 4 types of homemade sauces to complement your crispy golden fish and perfectly crunchy chips, including Tartare, Sriracha Tartare, Citrus Thai Chilli, and Spicy Tangy.

We tried their Atlantic Cod Fish & Chips (S$22), which was served to us wonderfully golden-brown and crisp on the outside and firm but succulent on the inside. It makes the cut as one of the best fish and chips in Singapore that you sea-riously need to check out.

#3 THE FLUFFIEST JAPANESE-STYLE SOUFFLÉ PANCAKES FROM POOFY

This alone is reason enough for you to make a trip to habitat by honestbee.

If you’ve never tried, soufflé pancakes redefine how pancakes should be done. Basically, they’re so light and airy you can imagine yourself eating a pancake cloud. Poofy makes theirs without a pancake mould so the edges are very soft with insides that are beyond fluffy.

We tried the house signature Poofy Pancakes (S$14) which came topped with fresh berries and cream, and the Matcha by Riz Labo (S$17) which was heavily sprinkled with matcha powder. While the Matcha version was aromatic with a nice tinge of earthy bitterness, the classic one was a lot better because of the rich egginess.

#4 COOL TECH-MEETS-FOOD GROCERY SHOPPING

A large part of the habitat by honestbee experience revolves around technology. Before you enter habitat by honestbee, download the honestbee app so that you can get a Bee Pass—a unique QR code—to scan and pass through their gantries.

Enter their 60,000 ft² store that is brightly lit with natural lighting. Spot a line of shopping bags being transported by overhead conveyor belts that are packages of live honestbee deliveries.

#5 RENDEZVOUS AT B BAR – A SECRET BAR WITHIN HABITAT BY HONESTBEE

Wine & Spirits alley offers a selection of up to 300 types of craft spirits. While admiring the expansive assortment of alcohol selections here, make sure you check out the hidden bar!

b bar is a speakeasy beyond the Wines and Spirits alley in habitat by honestbee. It is one of the new openings in May to visit and adds to our list of best bars in Singapore.

Slide open their full-length mirror facade of a door and step into a green-hued classy bar that is heavily enshrouded in darkness. We enjoyed the Rice Up (S$18), which is made up of sake, brown rice syrup, genmaicha tea, white miso paste and yuzu juice—served in a sake bottle along with dry ice, which actually attributes to the fragrance of cooked rice to the drink.

#6 FRESH GROCERIES TO SKIP THE GUESSING GAME OF WHICH IS BEST

Grocery shopping in habitat by honestbee is made easy with fresh farm-to-fork foods that are sourced directly from farmers and producers across the globe.

There are daily indulgences such as Japanese spices, dry-aged meat, prosciutto on demand, limited edition balsamic vinegar, and unique seasonal produce. Even their seafood selection saves us from figuring out which fish is fresh, because everything is.

#7 INTERNATIONAL GROCERY SELECTIONS

The full supermarket is stocked with over 20,000 items with some that are exclusive to the outlet. The international selection available at habitat by honestbee also makes shopping a lot more fun because we are simply spoilt for choice with the best products from all over the world.

Think rice from different prefectures of Japan, sauces and condiments from different parts of Europe, vegetables from the freshest highlands etc. We got so much culinary inspiration just by shopping the various shelves!

#8 START YOUR DAY RIGHT WITH BREAKFAST AT LAZY LOAF

Start the day right with breakfast at Lazy Loaf.

From flours such as Ba Ria-Vung Tau strong flour, Nippn Toku Kirin rye flour and Masuda Flour Milling Co. to Kobe flour, Lazy Loaf uses specialised Asian flour to enhance their bakes.

Tuck into brunch items such as Smashed Guacamole on Toast (S$8) which comes with two fried eggs and a salad. Their Kaya Tasting Set (S$8) would be a hit among locals; pick from a choice of Asian Loaf or Habitat Loaf with a dollop of habitat kaya.

On that note, you can sample an array of freshly baked artisanal bread at their counter that also has Chocolate Orange Loaf and Smoked Duck & Coriander Sourdough.

#9 SIP ON A CUPPA AT HINOKI COFFEE

With Kyoto-roasted beans and Hokkaido milk, hinoki is where you can have a taste of Japan’s coffee culture in a brew. Sip on cuppas such as Matcha Latte (S$6) and White Coffee (S$5.50) paired with light desserts from their Niven Cakes menu as you idle away.

#10 CHOOSE YOUR OWN MEATS FROM THE BUTCHER

The highlights of the Butcher station are the deliciously marbled cuts of meats on display. Their Snow Aged Wagyu and Miyazaki Wagyu, especially, look like they promise a meltingly rich texture after they are cooked.

There are multiple options for veal and lamb plus an exclusive-to-habitat Bangalow Pork too.

#11 HAVE YOUR WAGYU PERFECTLY GRILLED AT CAMPFIRE FOR DINNER

At Campfire, any raw steak you select from the Butchery can be seared and plated for a top-up of S$8 and these folks sure know how to make us plan a return trip to habitat by honestbee just for them. All meats are served along with roasted tomatoes, potatoes and mesclun salad.

Our Tajima Wagyu Cross Flat Iron Steak MS 4-5 (S$15 per 100g) came with a slightly crusty surface that we easily sliced through to pick up very soft slices of medium-rare steak.

#12 CRAFT BEERS FROM WHITE MOUSTACHE TO KNOCK BACK AND CHILL

Even as you do your grocery shopping at habitat by honestbee, its environment naturally beckons you to unwind. As your pace slows down and your tension eases, White Moustache is the stall for craft beers that go beyond the labels.

Choose from Brewlander & Co., Deschutes Brewery, Pilsner Urquell Brewery, and Carlow Brewing Company. Head over during Happy Hour, from 5.30pm to 8.30pm every weekday for prices that start at S$8.

Can’t decide? Then go for their Beer Tasting Set (S$18), with your choice of 4 beers.

#13 CASHLESS PAYMENT FOR LESS WAITING AND MORE CHILLING

With a NewGen retail experience at habitat by honestbee, doing your grocery shopping has never been easier or more convenient with their cashless system. Cash and queues are the least of your worries at habitat by honestbee. If you are only getting 10 items and under, use the ‘Scan & Go’ function on the honestbee app to literally grab and go. What you chuck in your tote bag will be paid using beePay which is honestbee’s digital wallet.

Otherwise, push your cart into one of the booths at the Checkout station. Scan your Bee Pass and watch your shopping settle itself with habitat by honestbee’s automated checkout and collection system. Check your email for a receipt and in as fast as five minutes, you should get a notification for collection.

The Collection point is where robots await. Scan your Bee Pass to prompt one of them to slide up to you to take over your load of groceries.

To add, the honestbee Bee Pass also saves you the hassle of queuing and paying with credit card or cash when you purchase your meals at habitat by honestbee. Just flash it to pay and get your food at the Collection counter. The beauty of technology and cashless systems!

A one-stop shop for all our daily needs with premium cuts of meat and the freshest of seafood, as well as multiple top-quality eateries, habitat by honestbee is indeed our new favourite hangout in Singapore and it totally redefines grocery shopping!

habitat by honestbee
34 Boon Leat Terrace, #01-01
Singapore 119866
Sun to Thu: 10am – 10pm
Fri & Sat: 10am – 12am
Shuttle Bus Service from HabourFront/Labrador Park
For shuttle bus updates, check out habitat by honestbee on Facebook or via habitat.honestbee.sg
Nearest Station: Pasir Panjang

This post is brought to you by habitat by honestbee.