There are many restaurants serving brunch, but most of them are only mediocre. Club Street Social – located at Gemmil Lane, a quiet corner off Club Street where you can also find Luke’s Oyster Bar – is definitely not one of them. I am not afraid to say that it is one of the best, if not the best brunch place in town. Trust me, that is no small praise.

Since going there, I’ve been recommending it to all my friends. If this is your first time hearing  about it, I’d suggest going there soon before they get too popular.

On my first visit, we were there for drinks (they have very good cocktails which are priced from $16-20, but that’s a story for another day), and I loved the vibe of the place. I remember telling my companion that I felt like I was transported to Manhattan. I made a mental note to come back to try the food. A week later, I was back for brunch, and I absolutely fell in love with the place.

Besides serving all day breakfast (note: they serve it daily), they also have salad, soups, crostini (toppings on small slices of toasted bread, somewhat like a bruschetta), tramezzini (sandwich made from soft white bread), panini (toasted sandwich made with ciabatta), and desserts on the menu. Being gluttons, we were tempted to order everything.

The truffled egg toast ($14) was very appealing, while the pan-seared lobster panini ($28) also called out to us. We eventually went for the scrambled eggs ($12), and prosciutto panini ($16).

The scrambled eggs with fontina and chives was creamy and very well prepared; it had the right consistency and flavour. My dining partner and I agreed that this was one of the best scrambled eggs we’ve had in Singapore. It will have me returning over and over again.

The panini – with prosciutto, tomato, mozzarella, and truffle mayo – was equally outstanding. It was simple, but very delicious. Easily one of the best tasting paninis. A few of my friends who are regulars at Club Street Social also told me good things about their bacon & egg panini ($14) and duck confit panini ($19).

The perfect bread pudding should have the texture of steamed eggs. It needs to have nicely soaked bread, where you can get a bready (pun intended) texture, and when you dig in, it should be moist and soft – like a pudding.

Unfortunately, Club Street Social’s rendition came nowhere close. The middle of the nutella bread pudding was okay, but it was mostly too dry. The lemon tart ($7) was also run-of-the-mill. Desserts are probably not their strength. I’d spend the money to get a cocktail, or go somewhere else for desserts.

With great, affordable food and cocktails served in a classy environment, I have no doubt that Club Street Social is the new “IT” restaurant in Singapore. It already has plenty of fans, so plan a trip this weekend.

Club Street Social
5 Gemmill Lane, off Club Street
Tel: +65 6225 5043
Mon to Fri: 11am – 10.30pm
Sat: 9am – 10.30pm
Sun: 9am – 9pm

For more recommendations, please read my list of best brunch places in Singapore

Located at 297 River Valley Road, Five & Dime Eatery is easily one of the prettiest restaurants in town.

Even though Five & Dime has only been around since the start of the year, it has already garnered a strong following, which is no mean feat considering the number of new restaurants and cafes.

Several of my friends were turned away when they went there without any reservations during the weekdays. And for weekend brunch, they offer three different seating at 10am, 12noon, and 2pm – a testimony of their popularity.

After going there for brunch recently, I can understand why they are so popular. While the food is not out-of-this-world good, I love the dining concept, and I had an enjoyable experience there. I am going to go out on a limb and say that Five & Dime Eatery is one of the best new restaurants in 2012.

I love that Five & Dime has a New York vibe; I love that they have put in a lot of attention to detail in the design of the place; I love that it is a standalone building on a quiet stretch along River Valley Road.

I also love that the restaurant is versatile; bright and airy for a nice Sunday brunch, and when night falls, I can imagine it transforming into a classy and elegant place for a romantic dinner.

The restaurant has a simple menu, with a few choices under each category. The buttermilk pancakes ($15), corn beef hash ($18), and French toast ($15) caught my attention. I was also tempted by the churros ($8) and pandan creme brulee ($12) under the dessert menu.

In the end, we decided to share eggs benny ($16), big brekkie ($22), and mentaiko pasta ($22). The eggs benny is slightly different from the usual ones; the beautifully poached eggs come with seared beef, and a healthy serving of fresh greens. I think it is good enough to be in my list of best Eggs Benedict in Singapore. Do try it and let me know.

The big brekkie  — which you see in the first picture of the post — was reliable. It came with the usual scrambled eggs, sausages, beans, and toast. Not life changing good, but good enough for a lazy brunch.

There are not many places that serve mentaiko pasta, so when I saw it on the menu, I knew that I had to order it. Five & Dime’s rendition was creamy, but not too heavy. The yakitori, on the other hand, was only passable.

In general, I liked it enough for me to order it again on my next visit.

For dinner, Five & Dime has comfort food like mac & cheese, burger, fish & chips, and pasta; most of the items are priced in the acceptable range between $20-30. If you are working in the area, you will be happy to know that they have a pretty decent lunch menu (price ranges from $6 for a soup, to $14 for a sandwich, and $18 for pasta).

Five and Dime Eatery
297 River Valley Road
Tel: +65 9236 5002
Mon to Thu: 12pm – 10am
Fri & Sat: 12pm – 12 midnight
Sun: 10am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Somerset

For more recommendations, please read my list of best brunch places in Singapore