Best Coffee Places in Singapore

During my most recent trip to Singapore, I ventured out to explore new addition to the city’s coffee scene. Restaurants, cafés and bars keep opening as fast as they are disappearing. And there were quite a few places I had not visited as yet. So here it is, my updated coffee guide with my favourite cafés in Singapore. Taste is important, but I also rated them according to their location, ambience and price. There is actually a tie with two places ranking highest with 35 out of 40 points.

Merci Marcel (35 Points)

Location 10 Ambience 10 Price 7 Taste 8

I absolutely love the style of this café. Similar to %Arabica (see below), the branding is in every single detail. Merci Marcel has several branches in Singapore.

I went to the one in Orchard Road which has a nice outdoor seating area and a cute boutique selling design and lifestyle products. The croissants are delicious too – but in this rating, we only assess the coffee. (But I guess this info may be useful for you J.)

Highlander (35 Points)

Location 10, Ambience 5, Price 10, Taste 10

With a cappuccino for SGD 4.90, this is one of the cheaper places for coffee in Singapore. But this coffee is also delicious – actually the best one I had in Singapore so far.

The ambience is the only thing which falls short. But I guess their concept focuses more on selling beans and training. But it is definitely worth stopping by and enjoy their delicious coffee. (49 Kampong Bahru Road)

Tiong Bahru Bakery (32 Points)

Location 9 Ambience 7 Price 8 Taste 8

This bakery/coffee concept was one of my first discoveries in Singapore. I went to their branch in Raffles City (the mall near the Swissotel) and soon fell in love with their branch in the cute area of Tiong Bahru. This is another great place for croissants and other bakery. (#B1-11 Raffles City Shopping Centre; Tiong Bahru Branch: 56 Eng Hoon Street; there are further branches)

Privé (32 Points)

Location 8, Ambience 9, Price 8, Taste 7

Privé has outlets all over the city – our brunch go-to place was the one in Keppel Bay but I also like the one in Chijmes or at the National Civilizations Museum.

The ambience in all outlets is great, beautiful locations with a modern vibe. The price is not extremely expensive but also not extremely cheap. The taste of the coffee is nice and paired with a beautiful view it is a perfect match. (Marina at Keppel Bay, 2 Keppel Bay Vista; Chijmes #01-33, 30 Victoria Street; Asian Civilizations Museum, #01-02, 1 Empress Place)

Common Man (32 Points)

Location 10, Ambience 8, Price 5, Taste 9

This is also one of my favourite brunch and coffee places. The location is great, right next to Robertson Walk in River Valley. The price is at the higher end. However, the taste is great. (22 Martin Road)

%Arabica (30 Points)

Location 9 Ambience 7 Price 5 Taste 9

%Arabica is one of the places which everyone mentioned to me recently. The design of the place is impeccable, everything is white and sleek. The attention to detail and the branding is also worth mentioning: Even the coffee machine cover is decorated with the minimalist logo. The coffee was delicious. However, it is served in paper cups only and I actually do not like the taste of paper and coffee. Furthermore, seating is extremely limited. The message is clear: buy coffee and get out. If you are in the area and would like a good coffee, it is, however, worth stopping by. (Prices are a bit hefty though – SGD 7 (about USD 5.20 and EUR 4.70) for a cappuccino). (56 Arab Street)

PS Café (30 Points)

Location 7, Ambience 8, Price 6, Taste 9

Of course, my favourite place in Singapore had to be on the list. I love the ambience (sometimes, the music is a bit loud tough). The coffee is delicious, but in the upper price segment.

I usually went to the branch in Dempsey, which is a bit far off. Hence, the 7 points. There are, however, several branches across the city. (28B Harding Road; when you come from Holland Road, go up the hill and then keep left where the street goes down a bit, the entrance is on the left side)

The Providore @ Mandarin Galleries (30 Points)

Location 10, Ambience 7, Price 7, Taste 6

This used to be my go-to place if I needed to run for errands on Orchard Road. The coffee used to be European-style – not too bitter but quite strong – which is something I really like. However, when I visited this time, the coffee did not come up to their usual standards. I was debating if I should keep the recommendation. But I decided against deleting it, because I hope this was a one-time issue. (Mandarin Gallery #02-05, 333 A Orchard Road)

Have you been to Singapore? What are your coffee recommendations? Let me know if I missed your favourite, I am always happy to explore new places.

Note: Unfortunately, Artistry Café – which was included in my previous ranking – is permanently closed.

More about Singapore

Ultimate Singapore Guide

Business Style Guide Singapore

Singapore Changi Airport Guide

Museums & Exhibitions: Future World Exhbition at the ArtScience Museum, Singapore Art Museum, Yayoi Kusama @ National Gallery

Singapore Street Art

Shopping at Haji Lane

Disney: Magic of Animation at ArtScience Museum

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Original article published in 08/2017, updated 11/2019. All information as of the date of publishing/updating and based on the personal visit of Elisabeth Steiger and the information provided at the museum and the official website of the places mentioned above. We cannot accept responsibility for the correctness or completeness of the data, or for ensuring that it is up to date. All recommendations are based on the personal experience of Elisabeth Steiger, no fees were received by the recommended places above.

The picture used for the cover is not an illustration by Elisabeth Steiger, it is a picture of an illustration seen in a mall in Singapore.