Music instrument institution Swee Lee is a homegrown brand that began their humble operations in 1946 by supplying brass and woodwind instruments to the British military band. Today, Swee Lee owns several showrooms and lifestyle stores that can be found all over Singapore and they offer a range of contemporary musical instruments such as drums and guitars.

Their flagship store at The Star Vista recently underwent renovation works and the original store has expanded to cater for a new retail space that stores just about everything a musician will ever need. Expect to be greeted by musical instruments, audio and DJ equipment, fashion apparels, a music academy and the best part for coffee enthusiasts—an in-house cafe called Swee Lee Social Club.

Upon first look, the cosy cafe immediately appealed to us with its intimate setting that allows for heartfelt conversations with your friends over coffee, yet with enough space for patrons to walk around comfortably.

In addition to their stellar brews, Swee Lee Social Club also carries juices and bottled drinks that are kept in a chiller.

Boasting an aromatic selection of freshly brewed coffee brewed with beans that are roasted by local speciality coffee roaster Common Man Coffee Roasters and various types of tea, Swee Lee Social Club is the latest hangout spot in the west that you should know about.

Be sure to approach the baristas behind the bar for the secret menu that features some light bites and smoothie options. Swee Lee Social Club’s secret menu is concise and there were only 5 items on it—a small selection of smoothies and some sweet offerings.

If you are ever craving for something sweet, their Waffle & Co (S$10) off the secret menu will do the trick. It comprises a crispy buttermilk waffle topped with a scoop of ice cream as well as a myriad of sprinkles from rainbow rice to crushed peanuts.

Simple as it was, this waffle dish is bound to satisfy those with a sweet tooth—no doubts about that.

For something a little more filling, diners can opt for the Sweet Toast (S$7) that features fresh blueberries, bananas, muesli, honey and dried fruit scattered over a toasted piece of sourdough toast.

Despite the dish having lots of interesting textures, we felt that the dish was lacking a certain wow factor. It was literally just a variety of fruits scattered over bread which basically anyone could whip up at home.

Overall, we would say that although the food was not the most fantastic around, we still give props to Swee Lee for adopting such a refreshing concept to revitalise what used to be a plain old music instrument store.

Swee Lee Social Club
1 Vista Exchange Green
#01-01-07/10, The Star Vista
Singapore 138617
Tel: +65 6334 7703
Daily: 10am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Buona Vista

If you are clueless about what a Shibuya Toast is, it is basically just a sweeter version of a French toast with a plethora of colourful toppings. Originating from Tokyo itself, the reason why this beautiful thick toast dessert is such a hit in Singapore is simple – they taste as good as they look. Or sometimes even better.

The combination of perfectly buttered and toasted thick toast is decorated with sweet toppings that usually includes maple syrup, various flavours of ice cream or gelato, whipped cream and fruits.

Now, the golden question is – just where do you find the best Shibuya Toasts in Singapore? Read on to find out more.

#1 ASSEMBLY COFFEE

There are many versions and unique renditions of the Shibuya Toast and Assembly Coffee’s Brick Toast (S$12) is one of our favourites. Buttered and toasted cubes of the loaf are nicely crisp on the outside, while still retaining a nice fluffiness on the inside.

It is topped off with vanilla ice cream and comes with a side of greek yogurt and strawberries. The toppings added a nice textural variety to the overall bite and for just S$12, this is definitely one of the cheaper Shibuya Toasts we can find in Singapore.

26 Evans Lodge
Singapore 259367
Tel: +65 6735 5647
Tue to Sun: 8am – 7pm
(Closed on Mondays)
Nearest Station: Botanic Gardens

#2 DAZZLING CAFE

You would definitely have seen Dazzling Cafe’s insanely pretty range of Shibuya Toasts on all your social media platforms by now and we agree that they are worth the hype. While we might not be big fans of their savoury mains, their desserts were good enough to make us want to return for more. But be warned – the queue can go beyond an hour.

Our favourite has to be the Hazelnut Chocolate Honey Toast (S$19.90). The attention to detail is resounding, the cream that sits atop carefully designed and each cube of toast s filled with hazelnut chocolate – sinful goodness!

15 Stamford Road, #01-85
Capitol Piazza
Singapore 178906
Tel: +65 6384 3310
Daily: 12pm – 10pm
(Nearest Station: City Hall)

#3 DESSERT PROJECT

The Nutella Thick Toast (S$14.90) was a hit with every single one of our tastebuds because you know you can never go wrong when there is Nutella involved.

The thick toast is evenly toasted and the melted chocolate topping was a cherry on top of all the goodness. The toast is served warm, setting a contrasting note with the ice cream that is served generously in two scoops on the side.

22 Havelock Road #01-673
Singapore 160022
Mon, Tue, Thu & Sun: 12pm – 9.30pm
Fri & Sat: 12pm – 11pm
(Closed on Wednesdays)
Nearest Station: Tiong Bahru

#4 DOUBLE SCOOPS

Double Scoops offers two choices – a classic Shibuya Honey Toast (S$10) and a Nutella Banana Toast (S$11), each with one scoop of gelato of choice.

While honey toasts are evergreen, it was the Nutella one that tugged our heartstrings. But of course, right? Nutella is always wonderful, especially when lavishly drizzled over a thick toast alongside smooth, premium gelato. We had ours with a scoop of Earl Grey Lavender ice cream and the fragrance sure balanced out the sweetness of the dessert.

Block 226A Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 #01-627
Singapore 561226
Tel: +65 6452 0208
Sun to Thu: 12pm – 10pm
Fri & Sat: 12pm – 11pm
Nearest Station: Ang Mo Kio

#5 LOFT CAFE

Moving on from all the chocolatey renditions, we have Loft Cafe’s Natsu Beri Shibuya Toast (S$11.40) that was an absolute delight for us, and certainly makes a great option for berry lovers.

The added acidity of the fruits was a marvelous complement to the toast, and do not be fooled by this photo because it was actually a gigantic serving! But no worries, because desserts are meant to be shared with lovers.

268A South Bridge Road
Singapore 058817
Tue to Sun: 7.30am – 11pm
Tel: +65 6221 2103
Nearest Station: Chinatown

#6 STATELAND CAFE

TAN (S$14.90) is the name of this good-looking plate of toast at Stateland Cafe. A crowd’s favourite, TAN is essentially a charcoal toast with marshmallow filling, salted caramel and coconut ice cream.

They also have a Matcha Honey Toast (S$14.90), which in our opinion is also as beautiful-looking and delicious as its aforementioned counterpart. Stateland is the place to visit for quirky renditions of the Shibuya Toast.

32 Bali Lane
Singapore 189868
Tel: +65 8715 5475
Mon, Wed, Thu & Sun: 12pm – 10pm
Fri & Sat: 12pm – 12am
Nearest Station: Bugis

#7 WA CAFE

Wa Cafe presents a brilliant Honey Toast with Matcha and Orgura Paste (S$16.50) that is probably the closest you can get to a true blue Japanaese Shibuya Toast in Singapore.

Topped off with a mountain of ingredients, expect to see ice cream, azuki (red bean) and a huge dollop of whipped cream. The overall combination of the different elements weaved into each other really well, and is one version of Shibuya Toast that is most definitely worth every cent (and calorie)!

#B1-51, Chinatown Point
133 New Bridge Road
Singapore 059413
Tel: +65 +65 6444 7646
Daily: 11am – 9pm
Nearest Station Chinatown

For more recommendations, read our guide to the best desserts in Singapore.