Soek Seng 1954 Bicycle Cafe is a hidden cafe that is situated far away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The owner is a vintage bike collector who proudly displays his beautiful vintage bicycles all around the cafe. Needless to say, we were all in awe of the cafe’s lovely interior.

Besides that, having a meal at this bike cafe is a unique experience in itself. Diners are able to watch private airplanes take off from Seletar Airport which is located just beside the bike cafe. How cool is that?!

However as one of the most ulu cafes in Singapore, is it really worth the effort to make all your way there for a meal? Well, read on to find out more!

Grab a seat outdoors during good weather and have your meal while admiring the private jets parked at Seletar Airport. If you are lucky, you may even catch sightings of planes taking off or landing!

Psst… let us share a secret with you. Come around evening so you can witness the sunset. This is one of the rare few places in Singapore where there are no high rise buildings around so you get a complete view of the reddish and orange hues.

Visitors can also choose to sit comfortably indoors as it is air conditioned. Wander around the cafe and take pictures of these classic bicycles and artwork that have been artistically hung up on the wall.

Arriving piping hot in a stone bowl, the Katsu Don came with thick slices of juicy chicken slices, savoury egg, sauteed onions and bits of seaweed and carrots on top of warm Japanese rice.

Just like what you would expect from most fish and chips, the Fish & Chips at Soek Seng 1954 Bicycle Cafe had a crispy batter and every order of the Fish & Chips comes with french fries, fresh coleslaw and salad.

Their menu is a combination of local, western and Japanese mains that are mostly below S$20. Other highlights you can go for include the Sirloin Steak, Ayam Panggang and Gyudon.

To be honest, the dishes are not fantastic and we won’t travel all the way here just for the food. However, it is a great place to chill with your friends and enjoy a beer or two. The bicycle cafe also allows dogs at the al fresco area.

Soek Seng 1954 Bicycle Cafe
 #01-01 Maj Aviation Building
80 Seletar Aerospace View
Singapore 797563
Tel: +65 6659 6124
Tue to Sun: 10am – 10pm

Updated on 6 Oct 2014: Restore Living is no longer in operation. 

Restore Living is a vintage furniture shop and cafe which is tucked in a shop house along Tanjong Pagar Road. Freshly baked bagels, homemade waffles in a nice and quint cafe surrounded by vintage furniture – it is the formula for a perfect afternoon. All the vintage furniture in the shop is available for sale. If you are looking for a new addition for your place, you can choose your favourite piece and bring it home.

Restore Living Cafe
124 Tanjong Pagar Road
Tel: +65 6222 3510
Tue & Sun: 11am – 7pm
Wed to Fri: 11am – 11pm
Sat: 9am – 11pm
Sun: 9pm – 7pm
Nearest Station: Tanjong Pagar

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

When I heard from my friend Eunice that she was planning to open a vintage home store and artisan bakery café – I was excited for two reasons. First, I know Eunice and her eyes for perfection; I am confident that she will only deliver the best to customers, and her strong aesthetic sense will definitely create a wonderful setting. Second, I stay in the area, and I’ve always lamented that we did not have many nice cafes in the west of Singapore to talk about. But of course, that has changed with the addition of Carpenter and Cook at Lorong Kilat.

Since the vintage cafe opened in June, I’ve been there many times and I am happy to tell you that it is now one of my favourite cafes in Singapore.

I like Carpenter and Cook because it serves excellent home-made desserts. It is a shame that many cafes do not bake their own desserts (either due to space constraint or lack of capability) so I am delighted to say that Carpenter bakes everything in-house.

Some of their signature desserts — such as the carrot cake ($7), surely one of the best around; passionfruit meringue tart ($6.20), a very toothsome and flavourful rendition; lemon drizzle cake ($5): moist, and citrus-y; and lemon curd tart ($6.20), another of my favourite in town — are very addictive, and I cannot help it that I am always dropping by too often just to satisfy my cravings. For something savoury, I’d recommend their quiche ($7) with asparagus, tomato and roasted pepper; and brioche bun ($6.50) served with salad.

I also like the retail goodies – home made jams, granola, biscuits and marshmallows – that you can take home with you, or give it to friends as gifts.

If you are staying in the west, you must make a trip to Carpenter and Cook this weekend. If you are on an adventure to find the best cafe in Singapore, Carpenter and Cook is the place to check out.

Carpenter and Cook
19 Lorong Kilat
#01-06 Singapore
Tel: +65 6463 3648
Tue to Sat: 10am – 10pm
Sun: 10.00am – 7.00pm
Nearest Station: Clementi/Bukit Batok