A thoughtful collaboration between the Spa Esprit Group, Chef Ryan Clift and Edible Gardens, this edible garden concept comes with a gorgeous indoor terrace garden, fruit orchards, and even space for lawn bowling and table tennis. This 60-seater restaurant set on Dempsey hill might be as close to "farm-to-table" as we're going to get in Singapore, and it certainly is a breath of fresh air. Brunch is available on weekends from 11am to 3pm, with coffee from Common Man Coffee Roasters. Expect vegetable-forward dishes such as Chilled Avocado & Ginger Soup with Poached Yabbies & Fresh Radish ($20). For something heavier on the palate, go for the spicy Squid Ink Tagliatelle with "Inferno" Sauce ($26). For dessert, both the 8 Spice Apple Crumble ($17) and the Lemon Tart with Basil Ice Cream ($17) look and taste fantastic.
Interestingly situated at Crown Centre, Crown Bakery & Cafe offers an extensive selection of bread and pastries such as ciabattas, brioches and croissants, alongside a small selection of brunch items. Go for their massive Crown Breakfast ($29) which generously comprises of a soft, buttery Crown Puff Pastry with sunny side egg, red wine braised oxtail, chicken sausage, Canadian back bacon, baked tomato and sautéed mushrooms. To go, grab the innovative Hainanese Chicken Bread ($4.50) made from chicken soup, skinless chicken thigh, garlic, ginger and shallots. It's quite literally chicken rice in bread form — it even comes with a spicy, tangy chilli sauce!
Opening their doors across from Butterscotch at Bukit Merah Central, Ice Cream Shack offers ice-cold relief from the unforgiving Singapore heat with their diverse selection of flavours. Expect familiar flavours like Cookies & Cream and Pistachio, and experimental ones such as Marmite and Avocado. Single scoops are priced at $3.80 for regular flavours, while premium flavours such as Lychee Rose or Speculoos are priced at $4.60. Have your ice cream with crispy waffles or in a waffle cone (an additional $4.70 and $0.50 respectively)!
The famous Four Seasons Chinese Restaurant from London has arrived in Singapore! Offering the same menu as the London outlet, Four Seasons is known for their Cantonese-style roast duck in their signature sauce ($22 per portion, $36 for half, $68 for a whole duck), which reportedly commands legendary queues in London. Also go for the House Special "Pei-Pa" Beancurd ($28) — tofu balls stuffed with mushrooms and coated in salted egg yolk sauce.
Have you ever had frozen custard? Situated at Short Street near the famous Rochor Bean Curd, Density Frozen Custard offers an all-American premium ice cream experience. Priced from $4 onwards, the ice cream is churned daily using natural ingredients, and egg yolks as a stabliser. The minimal air incorporated into the making of the frozen custard thus requiring the use of less sugar (supposedly half the amount in a regular froyo). Aside from their regular flavours such as Madagascan Vanilla Bean, you can expect a rotating selection of Daily Specials such as Quadruple Chocolate, Gingerbread and Strawberry Shortcake.
Be swept back to the glorious days of old Hong Kong at Sum Yi Tai, a three-storey dining and drinking complex on Boon Tat Street which offers an interesting fusion of Chinese-Cantonese tapas and cocktails. Go for the Signature Golden Ginger Chips ($10), the umami-laden Claypot Rice with Chinese Sausage & Preserved Meat ($26 for 2), and the Vermicelli with Jumbo Head King Prawn ($32). The cocktails here are intriguingly named, and some even use Chinese ingredients in an unexpected way. Try the intriguing My Mistress' Cherry (bourbon, cherry liqueur, lime and bitters) or the Chinese Mojito (chrysanthemum rum). They also serve a selection of rice and noodle dishes for lunch on weekdays!
Joining the popular Tiong Bahru estate is Cream & Custard, a cafe which serves coffee and a small selection of tarts, cakes and pastries. Gloriously spacious with a minimalist white aesthetic, Cream & Custard is a great spot if you are looking for sweet treats in that area. Go for the indulgent Triple Chocolate Devil ($6.80) or the well-balanced Passionfruit Meringue Tart ($5.60).
This is one for those who love their artistic, moody coffee shots! Located at Duxton Hill, MavRx (stylised with a capital R) is a small hole-in-the-wall joint with monochromatic decor and wooden benches for seats. This minimalist, cool spot serves nothing but coffee. The menu offers Black ($4.50), White ($5) and Espresso ($3), with an additional $1 for an extra shot or an iced version.
Apart from serving really good coffee, Collective Brewers has always been playful and experimental with their food menu, with new items being introduced on a regular basis. Their newly-launched brunch menu offers both traditional items such as the "Ang Moh" Breakfast ($16) and Salmon Crab Cake Benedict ($18), and quirkier options such as their "Ondeh Ondeh" Pancake ($14). If you're looking for something more substantial, go for the Lap Cheong Aglio Olio ($15) — linguine with wilted spinach, shiitake mushrooms and smoked Chinese sausages — and their Rendang Grilled Cheese on brioche ($16).
Apart from serving really good coffee, Collective Brewers has always been playful and experimental with their food menu, with new items being introduced on a regular basis. Their newly-launched brunch menu offers both traditional items such as the "Ang Moh" Breakfast ($16) and Salmon Crab Cake Benedict ($18), and quirkier options such as their "Ondeh Ondeh" Pancake ($14). If you're looking for something more substantial, go for the Lap Cheong Aglio Olio ($15) — linguine with wilted spinach, shiitake mushrooms and smoked Chinese sausages — and their Rendang Grilled Cheese on brioche ($16).
Tarte by Cheryl Koh is a new patisserie by the Les Amis group, located next to Caveau at Shaw Centre. Specialising in artisanal tarts and carolines (mini eclairs) for takeaway, they have plans to offer more items and desserts in the pipeline. Tarte uses quality ingredients such as Italian hazelnuts and pistachios, and offers its signature tarts in two sizes: small ($8 - $9) and regular ($30 - $34). Go for the Pistachio Tart ($9) with toasted pistachios and pistachio filling, or the Mango Tart with Indian Alphonso Mango ($8)!
Joining the eateries in Bukit Timah Plaza's new extension, Rise & Grind Coffee Co. offers both indoor and alfresco seating and serves coffee, brunch fare and a small selection of mains. With few cafes in this area, this is certainly a welcome addition. For brunch, go for the super photogenic and delightfully tasty Ocean's Thirteen ($17) — smoked salmon, poached eggs, asparagus, brioche toast, beetroot yogurt and yuzu hollandaise sauce. Massive trending points for having both beetroot and yuzu in one dish, and making it work well too! For lunch or dinner, go for the more substantial Shakshouka ($16) — lamb merguez sausage, baked egg in tomato sauce, feta cheese with wholemeal pita — or the Tom Yum Pasta ($16).