ShiokFlavour

Cafe guide

Tiong Bahru Cafes

Your lepak guide to Singapore's original cafe neighbourhood.

Every cafe checked in October 2026

Tiong Bahru Market, at the heart of the estate

Tiong Bahru is one of Singapore's oldest public housing estates, built in the 1930s, and its low Art Deco blocks now hide some of the island's best-known cafes.

Here a S$1.10 kopi and an S$8.50 latte share the same few streets. Every cafe below was checked in October 2026, so no closed favourites.

Quick picks

Best for brunchMerci MarcelBest for coffeeGlass RoastersBest for workingFlock CafeBest for dateHello ArigatoBest for something sweetPraletBest for old-schoolHua Bee

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The cafes

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Showing 11 of 11 cafes

Tiong Bahru Bakery

Bakery cafe · $$

The bakery that put Tiong Bahru on the brunch map, freshly revamped in 2025.

BrunchGreat coffeeLocal flavoursDog-friendly outdoors
Show details
Order this
Kouign amann · Kouign amann soft-serve (only at this outlet) · Milo Dinosaur shio pan
Lepak tip
Go before 9am on a weekday. At weekends the kouign amann can sell out by mid-morning.
Hours
Mon–Fri 7.30am–8pm, Sat–Sun 8am–8pm
Price
Kouign amann about S$6.90, banana caramel latte S$8.50. 10% service charge to dine in.
Getting there
56 Eng Hoon St, #01-70, Singapore 160056. About 10 min walk from Tiong Bahru MRT. Open in Maps
The story
The first Tiong Bahru Bakery opened here in 2012. It reopened in September 2025 after a full redesign.
Good to know
Walk-in only, no reservations. Leashed dogs are welcome at the outdoor tables. Not halal-certified, though the bakery says some items have no pork, lard or alcohol.

Merci Marcel

French cafe and wine bar · $$$

French all-day cafe with a glasshouse garden patio that turns into a wine bar after dark.

BrunchDate-worthyDog-friendly outdoorsOpen late
Show details
Order this
Ravioles de Royans · Marinated crab tartine · Cheese and charcuterie platter
Lepak tip
Weekend tables fill by about 10am. Book ahead, or come for a slow weekday breakfast instead.
Hours
Daily 8am–10.30pm, Fri–Sat until 11.15pm
Price
About S$30 a person. Eggs benedict around S$21, ravioles from S$20.
Getting there
56 Eng Hoon St, #01-68, Singapore 160056. About 10 min walk from Tiong Bahru MRT. Open in Maps
Good to know
Takes reservations online. Pets are welcome on the outdoor patio. Pork is on the menu.

Plain Vanilla

Bakery cafe · $$

Airy shophouse bakery famous for cupcakes, with all-day brunch to match.

BrunchSomething sweet
Show details
Order this
Red velvet or vanilla bean cupcake · Smashed avocado toast
Lepak tip
Weekends get queues. On a weekday, take a coffee to the fan-cooled seats out front.
Hours
Daily 7.30am–7pm
Price
About S$10–30 a person. Cupcakes from about S$4.20.
Getting there
1D Yong Siak St, Singapore 168641. About 10 min walk from Tiong Bahru MRT. Open in Maps

Flock Cafe

Neighbourhood cafe · $$

Family-run local favourite that works for a solo coffee, a book or a laptop.

BrunchGreat coffeeWork-friendlyOpen late
Show details
Order this
Cheeky Eggs (eggs benedict with braised pork cheek) · Club Pancakes
Lepak tip
Weekday mornings are calm; weekend brunch is a scramble for seats. Order and pay at the counter.
Hours
Daily 8am–9.30pm
Price
Mains around S$20, latte about S$6. Prices are nett, with no service charge.
Getting there
78 Moh Guan Terrace, #01-25, Singapore 162078. About 7 min walk from Tiong Bahru MRT. Open in Maps
Good to know
Indoor communal tables plus a few outdoor ones. Not halal-certified.

Pralet

Bakery cafe · $

A bakery since 2006, now famous for its square sourdough doughnuts.

Something sweetGreat coffee
Show details
Order this
Burnt butter honey glaze doughnut · Beef'in Cheese'in sandwich · Hojicha latte
Lepak tip
On Sundays the popular doughnut flavours can be gone by about noon, so go early.
Hours
Tue–Sun 9am–6pm, closed Mon
Price
Doughnuts S$3.20–4, iced white about S$5.50.
Getting there
17 Eng Hoon St, #01-04 Eng Hoon Mansions, Singapore 169767. About 10 min walk from Tiong Bahru MRT. Open in Maps
The story
Formerly Caffe Pralet, founded in 2006 by the team behind Creative Culinaire.

Micro Bakery Kitchen

Sourdough bakery · $$

Natural sourdough and serious sandwiches in a sunny courtyard, in the old Forty Hands space.

Brunch
Show details
Order this
Grilled four-cheese sandwich · Tomato tartine on sourdough · Lemon yoghurt chia cake
Lepak tip
Weekends get busy. Arrive before 11am for a courtyard seat.
Hours
Wed–Sun 8am–4pm, closed Mon–Tue
Price
Plates about S$16–22.
Getting there
78 Yong Siak St, #01-12, Singapore 163078. About 8 min walk from Tiong Bahru MRT. Open in Maps
Good to know
Not halal-certified.

Creamier

Ice cream and waffles · $

Handcrafted ice cream and waffles, the estate's after-dinner stop.

Something sweetLocal flavoursOpen late
Show details
Order this
Sea salt gula melaka · Earl grey lavender · Waffles with a scoop
Lepak tip
It opens at 3pm on weekdays and noon at weekends, so save it for after dinner.
Hours
Tue–Fri 3pm–10pm, Sat–Sun noon–10pm, closed Mon
Price
Single scoop S$4.90, waffles S$7.50.
Getting there
78 Yong Siak St, #01-18, Singapore 163078. About 8 min walk from Tiong Bahru MRT. Open in Maps
Good to know
Not halal-certified.

Glass Roasters

Specialty coffee · $

Small specialty roaster with an early start and some unusual lattes.

Great coffee
Show details
Order this
Taro latte · Macadamia latte · Single-origin filter
Lepak tip
Seats are few. Take your cup for a walk round the estate, or pair it with breakfast at the market.
Hours
Mon–Fri 7.30am–4.30pm, Sat–Sun 8.30am–6pm
Price
About S$10 or less a person. Iced latte around S$7.
Getting there
60 Seng Poh Lane, Singapore 160060. About 8 min walk from Tiong Bahru MRT. Open in Maps

Hello Arigato

Japanese sando cafe · $$

Japanese sando cafe with local twists, from orh nee coffee to a cai poh egg sando.

BrunchLocal flavoursDate-worthyGreat coffee
Show details
Order this
CP egg sando (cai poh, only at this outlet) · Coffee orh nee cloud · Yuzu honey chicken sando
Lepak tip
Shokubuns are served only until 11am, and weekend queues start around 10am.
Hours
Daily 9am–4pm (weekends from 8am), dinner 5.30–9pm
Price
Sandos about S$16–28, white coffee S$5.50.
Getting there
58 Seng Poh Rd, #01-15, Singapore 160058. About 5 min walk from Tiong Bahru MRT. Open in Maps
Good to know
About 32 seats in a bright corner unit. Not halal-certified.

Matchaya

Matcha bar · $

Matchaya's Tiong Bahru flagship, a matcha bar in the old Drips space.

Something sweetOpen late
Show details
Order this
Matcha Cloud 9 · Hardcore matcha affogato · Matcha kakigori (new from October 2026)
Lepak tip
Open until 9.30pm every day, one of the later hangouts in the estate.
Hours
Daily 9.30am–9.30pm
Price
Prices for this outlet not yet confirmed.
Getting there
82 Tiong Poh Rd, #01-05, Singapore 160082. About 10 min walk from Tiong Bahru MRT. Open in Maps
The story
Opened in 2026 in the unit that was Drips Bakery Cafe for more than a decade.

Hua Bee

Old-school kopitiam · $

A 1940s kopitiam and the shop from Eric Khoo's 1995 film Mee Pok Man.

Old-schoolLocal flavoursGreat coffee
Show details
Order this
Fishball mee pok, dry · Kaya toast and half-boiled eggs · Kopi
Lepak tip
Mornings only, and closed Sundays and Mondays. Look for the film poster inside.
Hours
Tue–Sat 7.30am–2pm, closed Sun–Mon
Price
Mee pok about S$4.50, kopi from about S$1.10.
Getting there
78 Moh Guan Terrace, #01-19, Singapore 162078. About 8 min walk from Tiong Bahru MRT. Open in Maps
The story
Marble tables and blue tiles, trading since the 1940s. After dark the space becomes a bar run by a different team.

Tapao, then lepak

Eat like a local first, then settle in somewhere comfy.

Morning

Kueh, then coffee

  1. 1Tiong Bahru Market: Chwee kueh from Jian Bo, a family business since 1958, upstairs at the market.
  2. 2Glass Roasters: A taro or macadamia latte round the corner on Seng Poh Lane.

Late morning

Mee pok, then pastry

  1. 1Hua Bee: Dry fishball mee pok in the 1940s kopitiam from Mee Pok Man.
  2. 2Tiong Bahru Bakery: Kouign amann and a coffee to finish.

Just outside the estate

Jie Bakery

A bakery founded in 1988, with a S$4.50 traditional toast set and chicken curry with bread. Near Havelock MRT.

249 Outram Rd, Singapore 169048 · Daily 7.30am–7.30pm

Cloudfields

Level 2 cafe with rendang pasta and a warm date-night feel. Its building was sold en bloc in 2026, so it may not stay long.

313 Outram Rd, Level 2, Singapore 169073 · Daily 10am–10pm

Good to know

  • Tiong Bahru MRT (East-West Line) is a 5 to 10 minute walk from most cafes. Havelock MRT (Thomson-East Coast Line) is closer to the Outram Road side.
  • Weekend brunch queues are real. Arrive before 10am or go on a weekday.
  • Several cafes close on Mondays, and Hua Bee closes on Sundays too.
  • No cafe in the estate is halal-certified as of October 2026.

Hours were checked against Google Maps listings in October 2026. Cafes change hours and close at short notice, so check before a special trip.

Tiong Bahru cafes: questions people ask

Which Tiong Bahru cafes are open on Monday?

Tiong Bahru Bakery, Merci Marcel, Plain Vanilla, Flock Cafe, Glass Roasters, Hello Arigato and Matchaya are open on Mondays. Pralet, Micro Bakery Kitchen, Creamier and Hua Bee are closed.

Which cafes in Tiong Bahru are open late?

Merci Marcel is open until 10.30pm (11.15pm on Fridays and Saturdays), Creamier until 10pm, and Flock Cafe and Matchaya until 9.30pm. Hello Arigato also serves dinner until 9pm.

Is Tiong Bahru good for brunch?

Yes. Merci Marcel, Flock Cafe, Hello Arigato, Plain Vanilla and Micro Bakery Kitchen all do brunch. At weekends, arrive before 10am or expect to queue.

Which Tiong Bahru cafes are good for working on a laptop?

Flock Cafe is the one reviewers mention for solo work and reading. Most other cafes are small or busy at weekends, so working there is best on a weekday.

Are there halal cafes in Tiong Bahru?

We could not find a halal-certified cafe in the estate as of October 2026. Tiong Bahru Bakery is not certified but says some items contain no pork, lard or alcohol. See our halal hawker food guide

How do I get to the Tiong Bahru cafes?

Take the East-West Line to Tiong Bahru MRT. Most cafes are a 5 to 10 minute walk away. Havelock MRT on the Thomson-East Coast Line is closer to the Outram Road side of the estate.

Make a day of it

Tiong Bahru Market: what to eatTiong Bahru food trailWhat is chwee kueh?

More cafe guides coming soon

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