Traditional coffeeshop Heap Seng Leong has been serving butter kopi and kaya toast since 1974

In a landscape filled with new openings every other day, it’s rare, and rather comforting, to find a spot that has stayed exactly the same.

Stepping into Heap Seng Leong feels like you’ve stepped into a time machine and gone back in time. This humble coffeeshop at North Bridge Road has been serving up the traditional kaya toast set at this very same spot since 1974.

Unchanged and unhurried, it has even kept its menu and even its interior relatively similar throughout the years, something almost unheard of in this fast-changing city which always seems to love chasing after shiny new things. 

If you’re lucky enough to get a seat inside — though it can be quite humid — you’ll hear the sounds of chatter and uncles calling out orders to one another. 

The air is thick with the aroma of freshly brewed kopi and creamy butter, with a faint warmth drifting from the back of the shop as toast is grilled over charcoal.

It’s an ambience that feels completely different from anywhere else in Singapore today.

For one, you’ll notice remnants from the past everywhere — in its tiled walls, marble-top tables, old posters, and yellowed photographs. Even the sleep-inducing overhead fan turning lazily above looks like it could have come out of a home in the 1980s. 

We managed to snag a table outdoors, sharing it with two uncles, who we gathered after a conversation, were actually friends who have frequented the coffeeshop over the years.

It’s a scene that could have played out decades ago, and, as it turns out, has even played out on screen recently. 

Heap Seng Leong has appeared as a backdrop in Kopitiam Days, a 2025 anthology film made to celebrate Singapore’s 60th birthday.

It ties together six short stories, each by a different local director, all built around the everyday moments that happen in a kopitiam, and yes, that kopitiam is none other than Heap Seng Leong. PS: It’s on Netflix, if you’re keen.

A brief history of Heap Seng Leong

One of the most noticeable things about this historic venue is its iconic signboard.

It reads Heap Seng Leong, with “Heap” being a nod to the surname of the shop’s original owner. The Shi family, who currently run the coffeeshop, took over the space in 1974. 

Heap Seng Leong’s founder Shi Pong Shu had migrated to Singapore from Fuzhou in the 1930s.

When he was still actively working at Heap Seng Leong, he would often be spotted in his signature outfit: a white singlet and striped pajama pants.

Today, it’s his son, Shi Ting Chow, who you’ll find at the coffeeshop, pulling kopi and toasting bread over charcoal, the traditional way.

When the Covid-19 pandemic struck in 2020, the coffeeshop’s survival teetered on the brink of closure. But the community showed up when it mattered, ordering takeaway meals to keep the business afloat while dine-in was restricted. 

Today, both tourists and locals find their way here to enjoy its simple offerings and warm, homely space.

The traditional Singaporean breakfast

The food at Heap Seng Leong is simple, but it’s certainly done properly. The bread is toasted over charcoal, and the coffee is pulled through a long-spouted kettle.

The charcoal-grilled lines across the bread of a kaya toast (S$1.40) tell you what to expect: a crisp, golden toast. 

The kaya spread on it was light, but fragrant, sweet, and with just the right amount of silkiness. 

Most people would opt for butter in their toast, and we see no reason to skimp on these calories either.

Heap Seng Leong’s kaya butter toast (S$1.40) comes with a sizeable cold slab of butter that softens against the warm toast, so every crisp bite carries both sweet kaya and salted butter for a perfectly balanced indulgence.

If you love your peanut spread, it also has a peanut butter toast (S$1.40) option with a smooth and light layer of spread — not overly thick or heavy — that is certainly worth considering.

No traditional breakfast here is complete without the soft-boiled eggs (S$1.40 for two). Crack them open and the yolks run soft and golden. As always, you’ll opt to have them with a dash of dark soy sauce and a sprinkle of pepper — and both of which already sit ready on every table.

For the full experience, go for the set meal (S$3.60), which comes with two breads, two eggs, and a drink of your choice.

Don’t leave without getting a dose of what this place is most known for, its kopi butter, or kopi gu you (S$1.40). 

A slice of butter goes into the cup and melts into the coffee, giving it a savoury-bitter combination that makes for a really comforting cup — no matter what time you’re having it.

There are the other classic kopis and teh options, too, if coffee or butter isn’t your thing. But we say: Give it a try — it goes especially well with the charcoal-grilled toast.

Curry puff stall

Near the entrance, you might have also noticed a curry puff stall, where some makciks are busy at work. If you have space, you’ll want to grab a puff or two, too. 

The people behind the stall work with clockwork precision, churning out puff after puff effortlessly — the dough is shaped and filled, folded closed, then lowered into hot oil until golden.

Here, you can expect to find two kinds of curry puff: curry potato and sardine, both at S$1.30 each.

The crust is thin and crispy, while the filling is thick, savoury, well-seasoned, and mildly spicy. When eaten warm, these curry puffs are so satisfying that you might end up devouring more than you would have planned to. 

Go early, as the curry puffs tend to sell out soon after each batch is fried!

It’s rare to find places like Heap Seng Leong in Singapore nowadays, and such venues are becoming harder to find. 

Beyond its comforting kaya toast and indulgent butter kopi, it’s the unchanging interior that seems frozen in time, and the regulars who have frequented the coffeeshop for decades and are more than happy to trade a story or two of the past, that make Heap Seng Leong such an institution in Singapore. 

Spaces like these, which capture the everyday Singaporean experience, matter, even five decades on — it is our hope that it stays that way for as long as possible.

For more ideas on old-school eats, read on the hidden Boon Kee Kway Teow Noodle at Kembangan and the retro Star Western coffeeshop for its old-school charm.