Farrer Park cafe guide: 12 spots for your next hangout
Surprised to hear that there are actually a good amount of Farrer Park cafes? When you think of cafe-hopping in Singapore, the neighbourhoods that first come to mind are probably Joo Chiat, Tanjong Pagar, and Tiong Bahru.
I don’t know about you, but I constantly find myself yearning for a different neighbourhood to explore after having returned to those old haunts time after time.
Nestled right between Little India and Jalan Besar, the Farrer Park area is a rather under-patronised one that frankly could fight the aforementioned neighbourhoods when it comes to cafes.
We’ve rounded up 12 Farrer Park cafes, so if you’re looking to have a hangout or cuppa joe in a different neighbourhood from your usual haunts, you’ll have a ready list of go-tos!
1. Hey Slow Joe
Why visit? Hey Slow Joe is a small, quaint cafe that’s perfect for seeking out some respite from the hustle and bustle of life. For a small cafe, the menu is quite extensive, with a wide range of coffee and non-coffee drinks, fresh cold-pressed juices, fresh bakes, and all-day breakfast menu items.
Crowd favourites: Grab a cuppa joe (S$9), an iced cappuccino topped with cold foam that makes for a creamy smooth finish.
If you’re more of a matcha person, the Biscoff banana matcha (S$9.80) here has attracted its own swarm of fans. With ceremonial grade matcha for the matcha latte and a heaping scoop of banana pudding topped off with Biscoff biscuit crumbles, this drink is definitely one for the treat-yourself kind of days.
2. Romme
Why visit? If you’re big on cafes with hearty mains and sandwiches, this spot’s the one for you. Located at Flanders Square and a short walk from City Square Mall, Romme is a cosy cafe whose menu hinges mainly on focaccia. The housemade focaccia is baked from scratch and fermented for 48 hours.
Romme’s location away from the main streets makes it feel like a tucked-away spot, great for a calm cafe stop.
Crowd favourites: For a sweet and savoury main, get the steak and Rose (S$24), a tomato cream pasta dish with medium-rare Wagyu ribeye steak slices.
If you love a good focaccia sandwich, the You’ve Got Beef (S$18) is a great pick. This focaccia sandwich features a combination of beef bulgogi, housemade kimchi jam, mozzarella, and arugula.
3. SYIP — Farrer Park outlet
Why visit? From its early days as a tiramisu-focused home-based bakery, SYIP has come a long way and established itself as a favourite amongst local cafe lovers. With a solid offering of brunch plates and mains, SYIP is a great choice in the area be it for a catchup session with friends over a meal, or just a quick coffee break.
The industrial aesthetic coupled with floor-to-ceiling windows that let in a glorious amount of natural light make for some amazing Insta-worthy pictures, too!
SYIP’s Farrer Park outlet also has a pet-friendly outdoor area, so pet owners can enjoy their coffee break with their furry companions by their side.
Crowd favourites: SYIP boasts an extensive selection of brunch plates and mains, the most popular of which is the Kani crab sando (S$22), a shokupan sandwich starring a kani crab mix, pickled cucumber, mentaiko mayo, bonito flakes, and ikura.
If you’d prefer a more hearty meal, go for the Wagyu slider egg benedict (S$24), featuring an English muffin, Wagyu beef patty, smoked cheddar, guacamole, onion jam, gherkin, poached eggs, and hollandaise sauce.
4. Antea Social
Why visit? As the name suggests, Antea Social features a tea-centric menu, and invites customers to wind down in its space with a cup of tea in hand.
The calming, minimalistic Japandi-style interior coupled with Antea Social’s wide range of curated teas make for the perfect spot to unlock your inner zen, with tea snacks and handmade onigiri to fuel you along the way.
Crowd favourites: Antea Social’s cake collection changes up daily, but one cake that stays memorable for most customers is the honey earl grey hazelnut (S$9.80), an earl grey-infused vanilla sponge cake that’s layered with honey earl grey cream cheese and chopped roasted hazelnut.
Looking for a snack to pair with your tea? Get the oriental red tea jelly (S$6.80), jelly made with Taiwanese black tea topped with malty biscuits and served with a side of kuromitsu (Japanese black sugar syrup).
5. Yeast Side — Farrer Park
Why visit? Be it on Instagram or TikTok, you’ve most likely scrolled past a post raving about Yeast Side’s focaccia sandwiches and pizzas. Yeast Side takes its bakes seriously, using house-made slow-fermented dough for both focaccias and pizzas.
Yeast Side also serves up beers and cocktails on tap, making it a you’ll probably enjoy if you’ve ever found yourself craving an alcoholic drink whilst munching on cafe food.
Crowd favourites: Cheek as the name sounds, the foursome with honey (S$21) pizza is a cheesy, decadent pizza cheese-lovers should definitely go for. The foursome with honey features fior di latte (fresh cow’s milk mozzarella), cheddar, parmesan, blue cheese, and honey.
If you manage to swing by Yeast Side in the morning, get the smashed beef (S$19) focaccia sandwich, which includes double-layered black angus beef patties, smoked cheddar, romaine lettuce, plum tomato, onion marmalade, and gherkin. The focaccia sandwich selection only runs till 2pm, so head down early if you’re hoping to get the sammies.
6. Average Service
Why visit? You’ve probably seen countless reels and stories on social media of Average Service, be it for the beautifully presented food or the aesthetic cafe interior.
Despite the name, the drinks selection at Average Service doesn’t really resemble that of your average cafe. Average Service puts a twist on common cafe drinks, such as the Baby Blu matcha latte, which adds lavender to a regular matcha latte.
Crowd favourites: Indulge yourself in Average Service’s thick slab bacon (S$26), which features, well, a thick slab of bacon that’s maple-glazed set atop Australian spiral folded eggs and a sourdough toast.
While pasta dishes in cafes are a dime a dozen, it’s not common to see handkerchief pasta served. Average Service does a mentai handkerchief pasta (S$24), which includes large, thin sheets of pasta doused in mentaiko sauce made in-house and served with bacon.
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7. Moonchild
Why visit? A brainchild of Atlas Coffeehouse group, Moonchild went viral on social media when it first opened for its gorgeous decor, pet-friendliness, and overall laid-back vibes. If you haven’t been since it opened at the end of 2023, it’s about time you should.
Moonchild’s brunch menu starts at 9am, and from 11am there’s an extensive midday menu that includes pastas, rice bowls, and everything in between.
Crowd favourites: If you’re a fan of rose pasta, or tomato cream pasta, you’ll be in for a treat with Moonchild’s scallop rose malfadine (S$24.50) — malfadine pasta tossed in pink sauce, basil oil, and gochugaru pepper.
The pork dan-dan scallion noodles (S$21.90) is another popular option here. The dish is a milder, cafe-friendly take on the real deal, featuring mala crisp pork, braised shiitake, grilled mushrooms, long beans, and cucumbers, topped off with an onsen egg and a scallion ginger sauce that brings the dish together.
Read what we thought of Moonchild when it first opened here!
8. Marymount Bakehouse — Race Course Road
Why visit? Best known for its superb sourdough loaves and bakes during its stint as a home-based business, Marymount Bakehouse was probably one of the most anticipated brick-and-mortar cafe openings of 2024. Nearly two years on, Marymount Bakehouse has made an impressionable mark with its creative pies, brunch platters, and mains made from scratch daily.
Seats are limited and there’s usually a queue to dine-in, but the drool-worthy dishes here are most definitely worth a little wait.
PS: It opened a second outlet as of September, too!
Crowd favourites: The sourdough gnocchi with Swedish meatballs (S$30) is a hot favourite here, and it’s easy to see why. The dish stars hand-rolled beef and pork meatballs in brown butter beef jus with cream and dijon, served over sourdough gnocchi made from russet potatoes, finished off with a lingonberry port wine reduction. If Ikea meatballs got a massive upgrade, this would be it.
The Turkish eggs with sourdough pişi (S$24) is also another popular menu item here. The dish features sourdough pişi, which is a light and airy Turkish fried bread, accompanied by strained yoghurt, confit tomatoes, poached eggs, house-pickled red onions and cucumber, all brought together by a saffron sumac sauce.
Here’s our full review of Marymount Bakehouse at Race Course Road.
9. Old Hen Coffee
Why visit? Since opening its doors in 2014, Old Hen Coffee has been a mainstay in Farrer Park, serving up a wide range of simple, yet hearty brunch platters and mains.
Old Hen Coffee also brews some solid coffee, with a good selection of coffee, Japanese tea, and house-bottled beverages such as chai soy latte and cold oat coffee.
Crowd favourites: Nothing hits the spot better than a good old plate of fish and chips (S$19.50) done right. Beer-battered hake fish set atop a bed of straight cut fries, dished up with magno chutney and a sweet relish tartar — pretty clear why this dish keeps loyal customers coming back for more. Switch up the plain fries for truffle fries (extra S$2) or furikake fries (extra S$3) for some extra pizzazz.
More of a pasta fan? The portobello and bacon aglio olio (S$18) features spaghetti cooked in white wine and finished off with a garnish of toasted almonds, chilli, and a soft-boiled egg.
10. Acoustics Coffee Bar — Owen Road
Why visit? Acoustics Coffee Bar is no stranger to cafe lovers — most will be familiar with the iconic acoustic panels Acoustics has in each outlet to reduce echo and absorb noise, allowing for a more serene cafe experience.
Acoustics at Owen Road features outlet-exclusive dishes that pay homage to the location’s rich heritage, alongside the regular menu offerings such as toasties, brunch plates, and pasta bowls.
Crowd favourites: Acoustics’ assam kicap pulled pork toastie (S$20) brings the familiar aromatic sweetness of asam kicap and deftly incorporates it with a simple and comforting cheesy toastie.
If you’ve got more of a sweet tooth, don’t skip the pandan tiramisu (S$9) — Acoustics’ take on the classic Italian dessert, but with a local spin to it.
11. Space 23
Why visit? Space 23 is an under-the-radar cafe serving up coffee, desserts, and a small selection of Japanese-inspired mains.
Step into Space 23 and you’ll find the place minimally furnished with wood furniture against concrete grey walls and tiles, all of which makes for a vibey, tranquil environment to take it slow and chill.
Crowd favourites: The blueberry pancakes (S$21) are Space 23’s biggest crowd pleasers, made thick and served with lemon chantilly, organic maple syrup, and butter. This made-to-order dessert comes with a 30 minute wait time, but your patience will be rewarded with some indulgently sweet pancakes.
If you’re looking for a more protein-packed option, the salmon soba (S$21) stars a strip of miso salmon, pickled shimeji, pickled cucumber, and nori.
12. Meiri Cafe and Bar
Why visit? Meiri Cafe and Bar is the newest kid on the block at Farrer Park, taking over the now-closed Main Street Commissary’s unit. With a seasonal food and drink menu, Meiri serves up a fusion of Singaporean food with other cultures, and the menu currently features a Singaporean-Japanese fusion theme.
Crowd favourites: Ever imagined what mee soto would taste like with udon instead of yellow noodles, and cold instead of hot? Meiri’s cold udon soto with shredded chicken (S$22) brings that thought experiment to life, featuring udon noodles in a soto broth, garnished with shredded chicken, shredded cucumbers, and beansprouts.
If you’d like something to share, get the sambal salmon tartare (S$30) sharing plate, starring a sambal ikan mayo tartare with diced salmon, paired with fried wanton chips.
For more lists to use for your weekend foodie adventures, how about checking out our New Bahru guide, or sipping nourshing bowl of Korean ginseng chicken soup?
Hannah is constantly on a hunt for good food and vibey cafes, with the occasional mild lactose intolerance being the only thing that interrupts her endeavours.
Read more stories from this writer.
