Coexist Coffee Co.

As far as Singapore is concerned, industrial buildings are the perfect hideaways for some of the city’s best coffee shops. The latest is this stylish gem squirrelled away on the rooftop of Hillview Building in Bukit Batok. Beautifully sun-drenched and split boldly in red and white, Coexist Coffee Co also comes with a rooftop patio where you can soak up the sun (and humidity) if that’s your, well… cup of tea.

Speaking of, you’ll find both coffee and tea – or a mixture of each – on the drink menu. That means things like espresso-based mocha, hojicha hit with a double-shot espresso, piccolo and matcha. Food-wise, expect brunch classics given an Asian twist. Think chilli crab shakshuka, fish and chips with sambal mayo, and smoked duck bao.

This black-clad Muslim-owned coffee shop in Geylang packs a hip-hop vibe, what with drink names like Black, White and Soul Plane (comprising a single shot and piccolo).

Its V60 pour-over coffee features single-origin El Salvador Santa Rosa, Bali Lakshana and Rwanda Izuba beans roasted at The Community Coffee in Far East Plaza, while its cold brews come in cool flavours like Oatkast which has a lovely cereal oat milk aftertaste and Drizzy with light cream “capability”.

The menu of eats is compact and comes with equally funky names: Eggo and Heartbreak (scrambled eggs on sourdough toast) and Cocoa Butter Kisses (chocolate pudding sprinkled with sea salt), anyone?

Little Rogue Coffee

The pretty, sunny spot in Tanjong Katong has all the Melbournian vibes and some excellent food. Chef-owner Aaron Leow dishes out quality fare in the form of soft scrambled eggs with truffle cream and ikura, miso roasted cauliflower steaks and ricotta cheese hotcakes.

Made with Proud Mary beans from Melbourne (by way of Singapore roaster Ballad of Anna May), the brews here are beautifully balanced and come in all the requisite forms i.e. latte, mocha, long black, cappuccino… you get the picture.

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Parched

From behind its deep white bar, baristas dole out pocket-friendly coffee made from beans roasted in-house. When you order an espresso-based drink, you get to choose between single-origin Ethiopia beans or a blend of beans from Peru and Honduras.

These can be enjoyed as pourover coffee or espresso-based drinks, most of which exude a pleasantly gentle acidity.

There are plenty of tea options like hot or iced matcha lattes and green or red teas too. The seating area is miniscule, so expect to wait if you want to perch yourselves by the bar.

Covet Coffee

Pink, white and spartan, this minimalist store in Bishan serves filter coffee, espresso-based drinks, tea latte and chocolate. Stylish and comfortable, this is exactly the kind of place you want to hang out in when you need a break from your WFH sitch, especially if you live in the vicinity.

Covet’s signature Ana coffee blend is made from a mix of Columbian Supremo and Costa Rica Finca La Isabela Beans, which yield a robust cuppa with notes of dark chocolate and cherry. There’s also a delightfully rich matcha latte made with matcha that’s whisked to order.

SYIP

This gorgeous, minimalist space sits just a five-minute walk from Farrer Park MRT Station and serves classic Singapore-style café food like ikura kombu capellini and mentaiko chicken rice bowls. The desserts are equally alluring – think berries on toast and Kahlua tiramisu.

The signature iced lattes – soothing salves on sweltering days – come in flavours like iced strawberry, ice matcha yuzu and iced chocolate. Bonus: these pretty drinks are great for 'gramming.

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