River Valley which is an area popular with the expat community, has been bustling with cafes of late such as Little Farms Café, Grace Espresso, Kura, and Starter Lab which is a short walk away at Havelock Road.
While much has been written about cafes at nearby Tiong Bahru, I thought of compiling a cafe guide listing coffee places from Valley Point, Great World to UE Square – all in the River Valley area.
Note: There are also Common Man Coffee Roasters, Grounded by CMCR and PS. Cafe along Martin Road, which is also a short walk away.
LR Boulangerie
491 River Valley Road, Valley Point #01-02, Singapore 248371
Opening Hours: 9am – 5:30pm (Mon – Sun)
Under-The-Radar Bakery Cafe With Crispy Croissants
For those craving for some fresh bakes of Buttery Croissants, Baguettes and Basque Burnt Cheesecake, you will be thrilled to know that there is a new and unknown (for now) French bakery LR Boulangerie at Valley Point (right next to Little Farms Café).
Besides serving their own coffee beans that are roasted in-house by Coffee Plus, LR Boulangerie offers a selection of bakes, mainly French-style breads and pastries, including cute and Instagram-worthy ones.
Sweet treats include Burnt Cheesecake ($12.80), Tiramisu ($9.80), New York Cheese Cake ($7.80) and Croque ($4.20) piped with vanilla custard, though they rotate depending on the time of the day.
It is worthy to wait for their freshly-baked Croissants, who would probably be snapped out not long after they are out from the oven.
Compared to some others which are generally either fluffy or dense, these were light and crisp, of buttery layers and remarkably flaky texture. (However, online reviews seem to be fairly mixed, though I did have good ones after two anonymous visits.)
Little Farms Café
491 River Valley Road, Valley Point #01-25, Singapore 248371
Tel: +65 6262 0619
Opening Hours: 7:30am – 8pm (Mon – Sun)
Wholesome Brunch Place With Fresh Produce
Little Farms has gained a little reputation since opening in 2016, known to offer fresh produce, meats, seafood, dairy, and groceries, source directly from suppliers in Australia and Europe.
It has recently expanded with a café and brunch concept at Valley Point, replacing where Greenwood Fish Market used to occupy.
The brand has typically been associated with fresh, wholesome and nutritious foods.
Ingredients are sourced directly from their suppliers over Australia and Europe, supposedly arriving within 2 days from the market floors to the shelves of their store.
Their breakfast and brunch items is available from 7:30am (considered quite early in Singapore’s context) to 3pm, offering Gluten-Free Crumpets, Bacon & Egg Roll ($14), Eggs Benedict ($22), Buttermilk Pancakes ($18), to Buttermilk Pancakes ($18).
I had the Smashed Avocado on Toast ($17), feeling a slight pinch in terms of price, though I must say that the mashed avocado was more creamy and luxurious than most of the average avo-toasts around. Little Farms Café (Valley Point)
Thong Aik Coffee
78 Indus Road #01-495 Singapore 161078 (15 min walk from Tiong Bahru MRT Station)
Tel: +65 8901 7155
Opening Hours: 8am – 8pm (Mon – Sat), Closed Sun, PH
Nanyang Coffee & Authentic Thai Cuisine In One Café
People do not head over to Indus Road for food on an ordinary day, though it is of walking distance to Valley Point and Beo Crescent Food Centre.
Thong Aik Coffee is considered a well-hidden find within this older estate near River Valley Road Bukit Ho Swee.
Thong Aik serves up Nanyang coffee in the morning, and Thai food from lunch (11am) to dinner as it is a collaboration with Ying Thai (not to be confused with Yhingthai Palace Restaurant).
Starting with the morning offering from 8am to 11am, there are items of Lu Rou Fan aka Braised Pork Rice Bowl ($3.90), Century Egg Porridge ($2.90), and Green Bean Soup with Gula Melaka ($2).
Moving ahead to Lunch, you can expect something totally different with Basil Minced Pork Rice ($6), Thai Fried Rice ($5.50), Tang Hoon with Pork or Chicken ($5.50), Green Curry Chicken with Rice ($6), Pineapple Fried Rice Chicken ($5.50), Phad Thai ($7) and Tom Yum Fried Rice ($5.50).
I was initially quite surprised at the quality of the Green Curry when I first tried – rich and deliciously creamy, not losing out on the heat factor.
Grace Espresso
428 River Valley Road #01-14 Loft@Nathan Singapore 248327
Opening Hours: 7:30am – 6pm (Mon – Sun)
Hidden Cafe With Good Coffee, Opens From 7:30AM
This hidden café along River Valley is done up simply with medium-blue walls, with most of the customers seated outside on the wooden bench.
The tables are ‘tree logs’ and I enjoyed its easy-going vibes.
While there is no air-con, I still think it is a rather comfortable space to watch the world go by.
The menu is quite rather lean, Loaded Avo Toast ($12), Crunchy Peanut Butter Banana Toast ($8), Grace Benedict ($12), Turkey Bacon Avo Melt ($12) and Roast Beef & Portobello Mushrooms Sandwich ($14).
For Pescatarians (people who eat fish but not meat), available is a Big Breakfast ($15.50) with smoked salmon, portobello mushrooms, scrambled eggs, cherry tomatoes on sourdough.
For drinks, they offer up the usual Flat White, Latte, Cappuccino ($5.50 each), Mocha ($6), Matcha Latte ($6) and option of Ceremonial Grade Matcha Latte ($7.50).
I enjoyed the coffee which was balanced and slightly rich due to the usage of Hokkaido milk. Grace Espresso (River Valley)
Mavrx Coffee Bar
1 Kim Seng Promenade, #01-129 Great World Office Lobby, Singapore 237994
Opening Hours: 8am – 5:30pm (Mon – Fri), 8am – 4:30pm (Sat – Sun)
Hipster Coffee Place Moved From Duxton To Great World Office Tower
First and foremost, “Mavrx” is pronounced as “Mavericks”, just in case.
As the owners believe the best ideas are brewed over a great cup of coffee, the name is a celebration of “mavericks” – individuals doing things from works of originality, creativity, to experimentation.
The menu has been expanded to include a selection of coffee, aromatic teas, and special lattes such as Genmaicha and a Seven spice chai.
Mavrx Coffee Bar serves up cups of Espresso ($3.50), Flat White ($5), Latte ($5), Cappuccino ($5), Mocha ($5.50), and the not-so-common Genmaicha Latte ($5.50) and Yuzu Cooler ($5.50).
It also offers options of House Blend and Single Origin – a Kenya Rianjagi with blackcurrent, lemonade sweetness, and juicy finish.
The MAVRX house blend is a medium roasted coffee blend using the Allpress Espresso Blend made from 4 origins- Brazil, Sumatra, Colombia & Guatemala, with primary flavours of caramel and cocoa and clean, crisp apple acidity. Mavrx Coffee Bar (Great World)
The Dark Gallery – Great World
Great World #01-117/118, 1 Kim Seng Promenade, Singapore 237994
Tel: +65 6235 4582
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm (Mon – Sun)
Dark Chocolate Heaven With All-Day High Tea, Dessert Dégustation And Brunch
Salon by The Dark Gallery is an expansion on the brand’s philosophy, and the new concept combines dedicated dine-in salon, café, retail.
What’s welcomed is that there is spacious dining space for a relaxing day out, a takeaway counter and sit-down cafe area for a quick coffee or ice cream, and retail section for Ice Cream Cakes, Single Origin Chocolate Tablets, Bonbons and Macarons.
Also included is a new dine-in menu crafted by Brand Chef Kimberly Tan, with exclusive plated desserts and savoury dishes – after customers have requested for more brunch food.
The French Toast ($18 for ala carte order, $39 as part of Dessert Dégustation Set) is served a la mode with a scoop of sea salt butterscotch-flavoured ice cream.
The freshly baked brioche is fluffy and slightly custardy, paired with a medley of fresh fruits to balance out the richness. The Dark Gallery (Great World)
Plentyfull Bakery & Deli – Great World
1 Kim Seng Promenade #B1-K119, Great World, Singapore 237994
Tel: +65 6721 9952
Opening Hours: 9am – 8pm (Mon – Sun)
Freshly Baked Breads And Brunch At Great World
Plentyfull Bakery & Deli has a more casual, sunnier vibe and different menu (compared to the Millenia Walk outlet which has now closed) .
Other than fresh baked breads and cakes, bright salads, hearty hot mains like the Westside braised meatballs, customers can look forward to a Bubur Ayam dish first launched at this outlet.
At Plentyfull, food items are made from scratch whenever possible, preservative-free and sourced from farmers and artisans locally and internationally.
The menu includes offerings such as Plentyfull’s OG Avocado Toast ($13.90, +5 for Norwegian smoked salmon, +2 for sous-vide organic eggs), Plentyfull’s Wagyu Burger ($18.90), Grilled Cheese Toastie ($10.90), Westside Braised Meatball Spaghetti ($17.90), Truffle Cheese Fries ($11.90), Hand Stacked Potato Tots ($11.90), Sourdough Prawn Toast ($14.90), Oma’s Bubur Ayam ($12.90) and Bacon & Kimchi Fried Rice ($16.90).
KURA Singapore
46 Kim Yam Road, The Herencia #01-07 Singapore 239351
Tel: +65 9722 2996
Opening Hours: 11am – 6pm (Mon – Sun)
Well-Hidden Cake Café With Pretty & Delicious Black Forest Tart
Kura is a patisserie-café found at The Herencia, a commercial development located at Kim Yam Road (near River Valley Road), where Nan Chiau High School used to be situated at.
KURA 蔵 in Japanese stands for a “storehouse”, a place where the owners would ‘store’ treasured pastries for customers.
Some of their signature offerings include the Key Lime Tart ($4, $7.5), Earl Grey Tart ($8), Dark Black Forest ($8.50), Uji Triple Matcha Tart ($4.60, $8.50), Kopi Gao Tiramisu ($8), Hojicha Tiramisu ($8) and even a Mango Pomelo Tart ($9).
The Dark Black Forest ($6.50) which is a contemporary twist on nostalgic flavours comes recommended.
While it didn’t look like a black forest cake at all, it kept its ‘cherried’ essence within, and I enjoyed the soft chocolatey mousse-like texture. Kura (Kim Yam Road)
Dutch Colony Coffee Co. – UE Square
UE Square #01-21, 81 Clemenceau Avenue, Singapore 239917
Tel: +65 6904 4522
Opening Hours: 8am – 6pm (Mon – Sun)
Coffee Bar With Breakfast, Toasts And Cakes At UE Square
Not many may know that Dutch Colony Coffee Co. which has a popular outlet at Frankel Avenue, has another at UE Square (just adjacent to River Valley Road).
The coffee selection includes a rotating selection of single origins – Finca La Loma (Colombia), Yirgacheffe Aricha (Ethiopia) and Fazenda Santa Clara (Brazil).
If not, an Espresso ($3.50) or Latte ($5.00) made from the signature “Dutch Blends” which has tasting notes of milk chocolate and strawberries (on white) should be a good choice.
In terms of food, there are breakfast items of Granola Bowl ($9.80), Ham & Cheese Croissant ($8.50), Guacamole & Egg Toast ($10), and Toast with Butter & Jam ($4).
Or get a Tex Mex Beef Wrap ($8.50), Thai Chicken Wrap ($8.50), Beef Pastrami Sandwich ($9.50), Smoked Salmon Sandwich ($9.50) or Baked Beef Pie ($9.50). Dutch Colony Coffee Co. (UE Square)
Fine Dining Bakery
207 River Valley Road, 01-59 UE Square, Singapore 238275
Opening Hours: 9am – 3pm (Mon, Thurs – Sun), Closed Tues, Wed
French-Trained Baker with Quality European-style Breads
You would find many Japanese expats and ladies hanging around the café, and find that some of the recommended breads are quickly snapped up.
The head baker Chef Maekochi’s or “Akira” used to work at La Boutique de Joël Robuchon in Roppongi, Joël Robuchon at Resorts World Sentosa, and béni Singapore. That’s why the name of “fine dining bakery” due to his experience.
The bakery café specialises in handcrafted breads using Hokkaido flours, and baked throughout the day in small quantities so that the goods stay fresh.
Its signature is the Shokupan White Bread – deliciously soft and fluffy that may just transport you to Japan. You would also find the bread used for sandwiches such as the Fluffy Egg Salad Sandwich ($8.50).
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