Throw a stone in any direction in Singapore and chances are, it’ll land on a cafe. It’s official, Singaporeans are mad about cafes—and we’re only getting madder. But gone are the days where cafes used to be places offering people a respite from the hustle and bustle, to catch up on reading or simply to lounge about in the comfort of good company, a nice warm beverage and a light snack to match.

Nowadays, the appeal of hipster cafes is a tad different. It’s all about the aesthetics, the so-called ’wow factor’ and whether or not certain qualities—be it the food, drinks or interior—are worthy of the ‘gram’ or not.

It’s times like these where one really should know where to find a nice quiet cafe, one devoid of the hipster crowd, the noise and simply a place that offers a conducive space to work, read or lounge about. Here is our list of 10 quiet cafes to get lost in a good book without distractions.

% ARABICA CHIP BEE GARDENS

Like all their other outlets, % Arabica Chip Bee Gardens is decked out in its signature clean and minimalistic white interior. The shop space is also more spacious and less crowded as compared to their other outlets at Arab Street and 313@Somerset and it has both air-conditioned seating as well as an al fresco area.

% Arabica Chip Bee Gardens is also the only % Arabica outlet in the world to have a food menu which has been carefully considered and crafted to pair well with % Arabica’s skillfully brewed cuppas, so you know that you’ll be in for a treat.

44 Jalan Merah Saga, #01-58
Singapore 278116
Tel: +65 6261 4516
Sun to Thu: 8am – 6pm
Fri & Sat: 8am – 8pm
Nearest Station: Holland Village

BAKER’S BENCH BAKERY

This artisanal neighbourhood bakery along Bukit Pasoh Road churns out stellar bakes and gourmet sandwiches. From sticky cinnamon rolls to twice-baked croissants, they’ve got everything you need for a dignified brunch.

Caffeine junkies, not to worry, they also have a respectable selection of coffee brews and tea beverages.

Their interior brags of elegant Scandinavian vibes, replete with muted greens and lush plants. It’s the perfect backdrop for a peaceful getaway.

6 Bukit Pasoh Rd
Singapore 089820
Wed – Mon: 8.30am – 5pm
Nearest Station: Outram Park

BRAWN & BRAINS

Tucked away in the iconic former Singapore Badminton Hall, Brawn & Brains’ clean interior allows for ample natural light to stream in. Visitors can look forward to fresh bakes, coffee, as well as scrumptious lunch options here. Avoid visiting them during lunchtime because the cafe packs quite a crowd then.

100 Guillemard Road
#01-02, Singapore Badminton Hall
Singapore 399718
Tel: +65 6348 0501
(Closed on Mondays)
Tue to Sun: 8.30am – 6pm
Nearest Station: Paya Lebar

GROUP THERAPY

Fans of Group Therapy Coffee no longer have to travel to the CBD area for their Roasted Almond Latte. Its second outlet at Katong V Singapore is armed with the same laidback ambience and is considerably quieter.

The menu is slightly different from the original outlet at Duxton Road, but their promise of comfort food at affordable prices for the masses still stands. If you’re looking for a productive or meditative afternoon in the comfort of a warm dim cafe, Group Therapy is your best bet.

30 East Coast Road
Katong V #01-11
Singapore 428751
(Closed on Mondays)
Daily: 10am – 6pm
Nearest Station: Eunos / Paya Lebar

JIMMY MONKEY CAFE AND BAR

Tucked away in a tranquil neighbourhood in One-North, Jimmy Monkey is known for their fantastic coffee blends. With the help of their state-of-the-art coffee machines, every sip of their brews is sheer indulgence at its best and make for a fantastic pick-me-up on any day.

#01-51 One-North Residences,
9 One-north Gateway,
Singapore 138643
Tel: +65 6777 8470
Daily: 8am – 6pm
Nearest Station: One North

LOOKSEE LOOKSEE

We all know how disgustingly humid Singapore’s weather can be, and more so especially if you’re wandering through Haji Lane. But fret not, because Looksee Looksee is the quintessential refuge for cafe hoppers and book lovers alike.

This gorgeous reading room cum tea salon is dressed in pretty pastels fit for a princess. They have plenty of books for browsing if you’d like, you can actually bring the books you fancy home!

267 Beach Road,
Singapore 199545
Tel: +65 6338 8035
(Closed on Saturdays & Sundays)
Mon to Fri: 11am – 5pm
Nearest Station: Nicoll Highway

ONE MAN COFFEE

One Man Coffee is a specialty coffee concept that focuses on the art of the espresso. They share the premise with French eatery, Garçons, which operates in the evening once the humble coffee shop closes.

As stunning as their humble brews and latte art is, what we appreciate even more is the peace and quiet we get here during non-peak hours. Surrounded by the cafe’s chill music and occasional hissing of the espresso machine’s steamer spout, One Man Coffee is one of our favourite hideouts on a relaxing afternoon.

215R Upper Thomson Road
Singapore 574349
Tel: +65 9658 1685
Daily: 9am – 5pm
Nearest Station: Marymount

THE BOOK CAFE

If peace and quiet are what you’re looking for then The Book Cafe is your best bet. There is a diversified range of reading materials available here—several hundred local and foreign books, magazines and newspapers—all free for your reading pleasure.

Their all-day breakfast line-up is simple yet hearty nonetheless and there are many couches indoors, allowing you to simply chill the afternoon away in comfort.

#01-02, 20 Martin Road,
Seng Kee Building,
Singapore 239070
Tel: +656887 5430
Daily: 8.30am – 10.30pm
Nearest Station: Clarke Quay

THE BRAVERY

Pancake lovers, you have every reason to rejoice! The Bravery Cafe—one of our favourite halal cafes—serves possibly the tastiest and fluffiest pancakes in Singapore. The cafe’s renowned Pancakes Stack features a triple stack of fluffy pancakes topped with caramelised bananas and a dollop of ricotta cheese, and is drizzled generously with golden syrup.

Once you’ve demolished that, feel free to fall into the serene embrace of the place with a cup of their signature Lavender Latte.

Avoid lunchtime if you want to spend some quality peaceful time alone. The Bravery is usually relatively quiet for the rest of the day.

66 Horne Road
Tel: +65 9388 2973
Mon, Wed, Thu & Sun: 9am – 6pm
Fri & Sat: 9am – 9.30pm
(Closed on Tuesdays)
Nearest Station: Lavender

THE MOON

Seated in the heart of Chinatown, The Moon is a great refuge from the tourist-saturated streets. This gorgeous book cafe calls out to our inner hippy spirits with its charming Bohemian vibes, replete with earthy tones and exotic rugs. Sit back with a cup of their specialty coffee or a slice of cake.

Their abode houses a ton of good reads that you can browse through. But note that the books are limited to within the reading area only!

37 Mosque St
Singapore 059515
Sun – Tues: 11am – 9pm
Wed: 11.30am – 9pm
Thurs: 11am – 9pm
Fri – Sat: 11am – 12am
Nearest Station: Chinatown

The relentless obsession with Melbourne cafes is such a worldwide phenomenon to the extent where virtually every cosmopolitan city is jumping on the bandwagon of serving Melburnian-inspired brunch, alongside aromatic Australian flat whites. From Two Hands, and Little Collins in New York City, to Lantana Cafe and Kaffeine in London, Melbourne-style cafes can be found in many cities around the World today.

Needless to say, Singapore is too unspared from this global trend. Will these cafes continue to become a part of our daily lives, or will the bulk of these establishments disappear like the Bubble Tea fad? Only time will tell.

According to National Population and Talent Division, approximately 50,000 Singaporeans live in Australia. Most of them return to Singapore after graduation and/or a few years of work, only to find themselves sorely missing Down Under’s handcrafted coffee. The demand for artisanal coffees is high, especially when Singaporeans today are increasingly well-travelled too. Spurred by a group of young ambitious entrepreneurs and expats, a cafe culture was born.

It has only been but five years since the café bug bit us. 40 Hands was one of the pioneer specialty coffee cafes that emerged in 2010 – where it has transformed the previously sleepy Tiong Bahru neighbourhood forever. Today, there are hundreds of similar specialty coffee shops catered for affluent yuppies. Judging from our Instagram feeds, consumers are clearly craving for more. Here, we look deeper into Singapore’s cafe scene and where it is headed to!

THE EVOLUTION OF CAFES IN SINGAPORE

While nobody can predict the future, we can vouch for the tremendous improvements of Singapore’s cafe scene. It is a continuous journey for both cafes and patrons, where both parties are constantly learning about coffee and food. Gone are the days where customers are satisfied with just Starbucks; Singaporeans’ palates are undoubtedly evolving and expectation are hence higher.

Jane Hia, founder of Kith Cafe, agrees that cafes nowadays are a lot more serious with their food offerings and decent coffee is almost a given. She attributes fierce competition as a huge motivation, where it keeps everyone on their toes and push them to keep up the standards.

OF STANDARDS AND LIFESTYLE DEMANDS

“Only those who are consistently good will survive. Down the line, I believe consumer lifestyles are gradually changing and cafes will take on a bigger role in their daily lives. It will no longer be about novelty. It will become a way of life,” she said.

Ryan Pang, owner of Habitat Cafe, has too expressed his views that standards of food and coffee are getting higher. “It is really competitive right now, where the cafe scene is becoming increasingly commercialised,” he said.

Many youngsters – high school students included – have no qualms splurging S$5 to S$7 for just a cup of coffee, even though they could get a traditional kopi from the hawker at just a dollar. Singaporeans’ dramatic increase in disposable income and spending power plays an important role in sustaining the café scene here on our sunny island where there are cafes at almost every corner of the city now. Locals aside, the influx of well-off expatriates is also vital to the café industry. Singapore is indeed after all no longer a small fishing village but a full-fledged metropolis.

SINGAPORE’S CAFES – YAY OR NAY

Now the big question is: Have Singapore’s cafes nailed it? Some say yes and some say no.

Substance ultimately determines a café’s fate and Singapore’s rising community of discerning diners is able to distinguish between what is fad and what is fab. New café establishments definitely need more than just a pretty façade to convert first-time patrons into regulars.

Andrew Lek, owner of Department of Caffeine and The Populus Coffee & Food Co., said there is greater wisdom now. “Food served must taste good and cannot just look pretty,” he added.

“Fads probably seem like a big deal in Singapore because queuing up for something or being ‘kiasu’ is very much ingrained in the Singaporean DNA. That said, I think fads die faster too. Food is such an important part of our culture, couple that with amplifying effects from social media, it just makes it easier for the nation to talk about it. I don’t think anyone in history has ever shared so much information about food and there is only more to come,” said Jane.

While social media platforms such as Instagram are a great way for cafes to gain public awareness, it is also a tool where owners find themselves extremely vulnerable to. Derrick Chew, owner of Hyde & Co, akins Instagram to a double–edged sword, where it has helped to raise awareness for his brand but there are too several downsides to the popular mobile app.

THE BENCHMARK FOR ALL CAFES AND SINGAPORE’S LIMITATIONS

So why is it that many potential cafes in Singapore actually end up paling in comparison when compared to Melbourne’s cafes? For many years, people from all walks of life have expressed their fascination towards Melbourne cafes’ exceptionally high standards. The formula for success lies in the Aussies’ everlasting love for gastronomy; the pursuit of excellence is an endless journey fuelled by fervour. And of course, the abundance of fresh ingredients, and the blessing of great lands and environments!

Unfortunately, being a nation deprived of natural resources has posed as an indirect problem. Sourcing of fresh premium ingredients is a costly affair and customers might not be ready to pay for such luxuries. Yet, Melbourne’s accessibility to plenty of fresh resources and decades of experience have given them an upper hand in being one of the world’s best dining destinations.

The cafe capital of Australia is also synonymous with the world’s best coffees, where baristas are looked up to with revered admiration. Sadly, the same cannot be said for Singapore, where only barristers and other white-collared professions are treated with high respect.

BIG DREAMS AND EASY MONEY… NOT

On the other hand, many Singaporean restaurateurs have wrongly mistaken Melbourne-inspired cafe concepts as moneymaking schemes. Andrew (from The Populus Coffee & Food Co.) explains that most people did not know that being a cafe owner is actually a 24-hour commitment. Most importantly, he emphasises that money cannot solve everything. It takes an incredible amount of resilience.

Dreaming of opening a cafe one day? Here are 10 things you should know before opening a cafe.

This attitude discrepancy underlines an issue for the future of Singapore cafés. While it is true that the paradigm towards F&B has been shifting, a lot still has to be done. How does one expect a world-class café industry in Singapore when coffee-making is considered an unsustainable career option for Singaporeans? Yet, being a professional barista is an aspiration for many young Melbournians. Go figure.

Adding a random vintage bicycle into the décors and serving lackluster but Instagram-worthy dishes might fool some, but not the well-informed foodies. Once the novelty wears off, food lovers in the know will not return. The undying fiery passions one sees in Melbourne can never be replicated with money, nor can culinary skills acquired over the years be mimicked overnight.

THE SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST

According to Singapore’s Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority, nearly a quarter of the 391 cafes that opened in 2014 have already shut its doors. On the bright side, this alarming statistics also signify a movement – local entrepreneurship is on the rise. As the wise Oprah Winfrey once said, “Failure is another steppingstone to greatness.” May the determined never give up!

The phrase “survival of the fittest” is perhaps the best way to describe the cafe scene in Singapore. There is no lack of options, and mediocre cafes simply will not stay for long.

At the end of the day, this might not ultimately be a bad thing for us. We value quality over quantity, because we simply cannot handle disappointment from a sour coffee and overly cooked eggs every other day.

And if everyone’s just simply jumping on the bandwagon of serving a trendy food or dish-of-the-moment without truly knowing your craft, or trying to get away with shitty coffee, or boringly serving Eggs Benedict and French Toast and all that predictable brunch food, the cafe will not be sustainable.

Cafe owners often talk about their struggles and challenges, and how the uphill struggle occurs because there are “too many cafes around”. But the truth is, only the best cafes who constantly adapt, innovate and improve on their offerings will survive.

Still interested to open a cafe? Read our in-depth interviews with cafe owners on how much it costs to open a new cafe in Singapore.

Words by: Ng Hui Jun
Edited by: Brad Lau, Melody Yap