Haji Lane is undoubtedly one of the most frequented hotspots by youths these days. It is no surprise, with the rustic charm it exudes and hipster-looking shops donning the whole district. Saunter down the stretch of road located next to Kampong Glam, and you will be greeted by a series of shops started out by designers and cafe entrepreneurs. Though small, you will be able to discover countless of hidden gems.

Not only does the area make a good heritage trail, it is also crowned as a cafe hopper’s haven, with cafes of different themes and concepts, all awaiting your discovery. We are sure that out of so many choices, there will be one or more that ticks the boxes of your ideals of a cafe.

Here is a Guide to Haji Lane – there are cafes, bars and restaurants you would want to check out when you are in the area!

BERGS

At Bergs, you can sneak a peek into how they prepare their gourmet burgers from scratch in the open kitchen. All recipes are created by their owners, inspired from their travels around Australia and Asia.

Bergs is listed in our guide to 13 Must-Try Burgers in Singapore.

10 Haji Lane
Singapore 189203
Tel: +65 6293 4642
Mon to Thu: 11am – 9.30pm
Fri: 11am – 11pm
Sat: 10am – 11pm
Sun: 10 am – 9.30pm
Nearest MRT: Bugis

BAR STORIES

Fancy a cocktail concoction specially made for you? At Bar Stories, the absence of a drinks menu allows their bartenders to create a bespoke drink suited to your individual taste and preference – made only with fresh fruits.

55-57A Haji Lane
Singapore 189250
Tel: +65 6298 0838
Sun to Thu: 5pm – 1am
Fri to Sat: 5pm – 2am
Nearest MRT: Bugis

BROTHER BIRD SOFTSERVE CO.

Located strategically along Bali Lane, taking over the space of the now-defunct Honeycomb, Brother Bird is a brand new concept – by the folks behind Stateland Cafe - that specialises in soft serve and mochi donuts.

30 Bali lane
Singapore 189966
Tel: +65 9800 7628
Mon, Wed to Sun: 12pm – 10pm
Tue: 6pm – 9.30pm
Nearest Station: Bugis

CAKE LOVE

If you are a fan of waffles or desserts, Cake Love will work for you. This Halal cafe has garnered the likes of many, and is possibly the most underrated dessert shops around.

4 Jalan Pisang
Singapore 199071
Tel: +65 8222 5558
Tue to Thu: 5pm – 10pm
Fri, Sat & Sun: 5pm – 11pm
Nearest MRT: Bugis

EAT PLAY LOVE

Take a chance to slow down and pace yourselves in this cafe that allows you to tinker with art and enjoy a meal at the same time. Get lost in their art and craft materials provided for you to ignite your artistic flairs.

28 Aliwal Street, #01-07
Singapore 199918
Tel: +65 6444 6400
Mon, Wed, Thu and Sun: 11am – 9pm
Fri to Sat: 11am – 10pm
(Closed on Tue)
Nearest MRT: Bugis

FIKA SWEDISH CAFE AND BISTRO

At Fika Swedish Cafe, patrons are encouraged to Fika, which also means ‘take a break’ in Swedish. You can always spot a steady stream of customers enjoying a meal of Swedish cuisines at this cafe, or just chilling with a Swedish cuppa.

257 Beach Road
Singapore 199539
Tel: +65 6884 6884
Mon to Thu and Sun: 11am – 10pm
Fri to Sat: 11am – 11pm
Nearest MRT: Bugis

FLUFF BAKERY

Not only is this takeaway-only halal bakery a winner among the Muslim crowd, the humble confectionary has also attracted patrons far and wide with their supposedly to-die-for cupcakes. Our verdict? After sinking our teeth into the fluffy and moist cupcakes while scrambling to lick off its icing sugar – we were sold.

12 Jalan Pisang
Singapore 199079
Tue to Sat: 12pm – 7.30pm
Closed on Sundays and Mondays
Nearest Station: Bugis

HYDE & CO

One glance at this cafe and you will be mesmerized by its British charm. The cafe serves tea in the prettiest pots, their breakfast spreads are gorgeous, and they make pretty darn good waffles in creative flavours!

785 North Bridge Road
Singapore 198573
Tel: +65 6635 5785
Sun & Mon: 12pm – 6pm
Wed to Sat: 12pm – 10.30pm
(Closed on Tue)
Nearest MRT: Bugis

I AM CAFE

I am Cafe is the number one choice for patrons who want to grab a light-hearted meal and soak in the atmosphere of Haji Lane. This Halal establishment in Haji Lane has garnered a strong following from many Singaporeans and even tourists patronizing the area. Be sure to try the signature rainbow cake!

674 North Bridge Road
Singapore 188804
Tel: +65 6295 5509
Mon to Thu: 11am – 11pm
Fri to Sat: 11am – 1am
Sun: 11am – 10pm
Nearest MRT: Bugis

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LA MARELLE BOUTIQUE CAFE

La Marelle reminds us of a whimsical birthday party – think paper lanterns, raindrop motifs, pink backdrops. The food here is served on beautifully crafted plates, and they also sell a range of hand-crafted accessories which the ladies will love.

25 Baghdad Street
Singapore 199664
Tel: +65 8138 7654
Daily: 10am – 11pm
Nearest MRT: Bugis

MAISON IKKOKU

Maison Ikkoku is a cafe by day and cocktail bar by night. It houses a smaller seating than the rest of its cafe buddies, but be amazed by their breakfast serving portions. We urge you to go straight for their Break Of Dawn (S$22) breakfast platter.

20 Kandahar Street
Singapore 198885
Tel: +65 6294 0078
Mon to Wed: 11.30am – 1am
Thu to Fri: 11.30am – 2am
Sat: 10am – 2am
Sun: 10am – 1am
Nearest MRT: Bugis

SYMMMETRY

Truffle fries? Yes, please! Symmetry cafe has been widely known for their crisp and evenly perfumed fries, along with other French inspired menu items in this serene cafe tucked away at Jalan Tubor.

9 Jalan Kubor, #01-01
Singapore 199206
Tel: +65 6291 9901
Mon: 10.30am – 9pm
Tue to Thu: 10.30am – 11pm
Fri: 11am – 12am
Sat: 9am – 12am
Sun: 9am – 7pm
Nearest MRT: Bugis

STATELAND CAFE

Possibly the ones who started off the Red Velvet Waffles trend, Stateland Cafe also offers a series of all-day breakfasts for those craving something more substantial. Other crowd pleasers include their Matcha Thick Honey Toast (S$14.90).

30 Bali Lane
Singapore 189866
Tel: +65 9296 4997
Mon, Wed to Sun: 12pm – 10pm
Tue: 6pm – 10pm
Nearest MRT: Bugis

SELFIE COFFEE

Nothing screams an added personal touch to see your face on your cup of drink. Being a new member of Haji Lane, Selfie Coffee has been known for churning out coffees with coloured (your) selfies printed on coffee foams that are completely edible.

11 Haji Lane
Singapore 189204
Tel: +65 6341 7212
Mon to Thu: 12pm – 8pm
Fri to Sun: 11am – 10pm
Nearest MRT: Bugis

THE BEAST

The Beast gives you a taste of comfort food in the premises of a casual dining bar. Think fried chicken on waffles, gourmet burger and maple bacon donuts – set to bring you on a Southern American adventure.

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17 Jalan Klapa
Singapore 199329
Tel: +65 6295 0017
Mon to Wed: 5pm – 12am
Thu to Fri: 5pm – 1am
Sat to Sun: 11am – 12am
Nearest MRT: Bugis

THE LAB SG

The Lab SG has a funky interior that is made of industrial pipes and scrap metal, giving off an overall edgy touch to this Muslim-owned cafe. Their Heisenburger is one of our favourites as it is both hearty and extremely tasty. They also have cool and refreshing drinks here, all served in a beaker – hence, the name The Lab.

1 Jln Pisang
Singapore 199069
Tel: +65 6299 5681
Mon to Sat: 12pm – 10pm
Sun: 1pm – 10pm
Nearest Station: Bugis

TWENTY GRAMMES

Essentially a dessert cafe and ice cream parlour, Twenty Grammes has been constant in serving up quality ice cream, great waffles and unique flavours. Highlights include its Charcoal Waffle (S$8.50) with ultra-rich salted egg yolk sauce, TG Froyo Parfait, and Soft Serve Froyo waffle (S$12.50).

753 North Bridge Road
#01-01
Singapore 198721
Tel: +65 6717 1733
Mon to Thu, Sun: 12pm – 10pm
Fri to Sat: 12pm – 1am
Nearest Station: Bugis

WORKING TITLE

Located in a backpacker’s hotel, Working Title caters to the meals of many with its range of all-day brunch, pizzas and pastas. The quaint interior makes a near-perfect enclave to chill the afternoon away for guests and cafe hoppers alike.

Mileslife is our favourite app to accumulate miles through everyday spending. You can earn 3 miles for every dollar spent at this restaurant. Download and try Mileslife out now! You can use our code ‘Ladyironchef‘ upon your first spending to get 1,000 miles.

48 Arab Street
Singapore 199745
Tel: +65 9734 4187
Mon to Thu: 11am – 10pm
Fri: 11am – 11pm
Sat to Sun: 10am – 11pm
Nearest MRT: Bugis

WILDER CAFE

Wilder cafe is the latest addition to Haji Lane, sitting along the streets of North Bridge road and exuding an unpretentious hipster vibe. The Halal cafe serves as another option for the Muslim crowd, with menu items such as Truffle Fries (S$11) or their signature Wilder Burger with Taters (S$14).

749 North Bridge Road, #01-01
Singapore 198717
Tel: +65 6635 1136
Tue to Sun: 12:30pm – 10pm
Closed on Mondays
Nearest Station: Bugis

It seems like a new brunch spot opens every other week, so it is surprising to see Symmetry doing a roaring business for weekend brunch despite its out-of-the-way location at 9 Jalan Kubor.

Symmetry is beautiful in a rustic sort of way. The brick walls and dim lights lend a cosy feel to it, making it perfect for a lazy weekend brunch.

It seems as if eggs are given a whole new status on brunch menus; Singaporeans have no qualms forking out $20 for a pair of eggs. The Eggs Benedict ($20) from Symmetry were well worth the price tag, for they were one of the best we have tried in a long while. These little babies were poached beyond perfection, with wobbly whites and golden viscous yolks. We liked how the hollandaise, itself already a perfect balance of flavours, was torched to a crisp.

We also loved the lightly scrambled eggs and the huge cheesy sausage from the Big Breakfast ($24), though the limp bacon and plain toast were distractions to this otherwise fantastic dish.

We would advise against having desserts here though; the Pain Perdue ($15) recommended by our server was nothing more than French toast with vanilla ice cream. We were struggling to finish this dish, which one-dimensional and boring to eat.

On weekdays, Symmetry does decent pastas for lunch; our favourite being the Penne ($22) which comes with a delicious truffle-tinged cream sauce and a heaping amount of mushrooms and rocket leaves. Dinner is a more sophisticated affair, with mains such as Beef Short Ribs and a whole Baby Barramundi. As for the brunch menu, we recommend sticking to the eggs, Afterall, that is what brunch is all about!

Symmetry
9 Jalan Kubor #01-01
Tel: +65 62919 901
Tue to Thu: 11am – 11pm
Fri & Sat: 11am – 12 midnight
Sun: 11am – 7pm

Words and photographs by Sarah Lim