We love Coffee! Having visited many countries, we know our love for coffee is well-shared with people around the world too!

Singapore's coffee culture is a captivating blend of tradition and modernity, offering a unique experience that is as diverse as the city-state itself. At its heart lies the iconic "kopi" culture, typically enjoyed in Coffee Shops or “kopitiams”.

“Kopitiam” is derived from “kopi,” which is the Malay word for coffee, and “tiam,” which is a local Hokkien/Hakka term for shops.

Local kopi uses primarily Robusta beans that are roasted for a longer time to blanket its off-flavours. Each kopi roaster creates their unique kopi flavours using their special blend of coffee beans and spices during the roasting process.

We curated a list of 8 specialty and local coffee places, put them in a map, which are convenient for you to experience our unique coffee culture and get your caffeine fix any time of the day.

Specialty Coffee

#1 Alchemist

Plan on doing some shopping at Orchard Road? You won’t miss one of Alchemist’s coffee stores at The Heeren (Somerset MRT). Started in 2016, and now at 7 locations, Alchemist quickly became one of Singapore’s popular specialty coffee chains.

Their street level, open-seat, airy store at The Heeren opened in 2023 and serves shoppers crafted coffee daily till 830pm. The openness of the store contrasts against the Orchard Road indoor shopping experience. If you enjoy pourover coffee or are in need of an iced mocha, be sure to drop by Alchemist for your coffee break.

#2 % ΔRΔBICΔ

% Arabica hails from Kyoto, Japan, and opened their first Singapore store in 2019 at Arab Street (arab-ica, get it? 😂). Their minimalist, beautifully designed stores could be easily mistaken as a cafe opened by Apple.

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Their coffee is strong and well-balanced. We love their iced latte and highly recommend it. They have 6 stores in Singapore and are all strategically located for tourists to visit - Jewel Changi Airport, Arab Street (Bugis MRT), 313 Somerset (Somerset MRT), CapitaSpring (Raffles Place MRT), Marina Bay Sands (Bayfront MRT), and Holland Village.

#3 Miracle Coffee

JJ Lin. Nuff said 😂

If you are a 林俊杰 fan, you probably plan to visit Miracle. Located at ArtScience Museum (Bayfront MRT), Miracle Coffee is a limited-time coffee experience. The pop-up café features specialty drinks inspired by JJ Lin's music and his travels. Savour your coffee while admiring waterfront views of Marina Bay.

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Check out their Singapore exclusive, Kaya Cloud - An Americano-style coffee crowned with a fresh cream kaya-flavoured cap, finished with shaved gula melaka (coconut palm sugar).

#4 Common Man Coffee Roasters

Most specialty coffee places only serve coffee and quick bites. For a full cafe experience with brunch food to go with your coffee, Common Man Coffee Roasters (CMCR) is our go to. CMCR made news recently with Jollibee Food’s indirect investments to their parent company and will be expanding to the Philippines soon.

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CMCR Stanley Street cafe (Telok Ayer MRT) is popular and opens at 730am daily. Start your day with your favourite coffee and their vegan Umami Mushroom Avocado Toast or their crowd favourite Eggs Benedict.

Local Kopi

Traditionally, Robusta beans are roasted with margarine or butter and sugar to enhance Maillard reactions and caramelization. This creates a distinctive, stronger flavour compared to espresso. You can expect your cup of kopi to taste strong, robust, and nutty.

Brewing kopi is an art by itself, and showcases the fusion of Chinese, Malay, and Indian influences. Kopi is brewed using a sock-like cloth strainer, this traditional brewing method is preferred over modern methods for its simplicity and maintenance ease. Some Indian-Muslim stalls serve pulled milk tea or “Teh Tarik”, a rich, frothy, delicious drink.

Singaporeans customize their kopi and “teh” (tea) orders using a specific sequence of simple descriptive terms. Ordering kopi may feel overwhelming for the uninitiated, but fear not! There are 5 ways to customize your local caffeine beverage - drink, milk, coffee intensity, sweetness, temperature (in this specific sequence).

🍬Fun Fact: Feeling adventurous? Give Yuan Yang a try - a combination of kopi and teh. Or Gula Melaka Kopi - kopi with coconut palm sugar. Some places also offer exotic concoctions like Teh Halia - Ginger milk tea, and Kopi Gu You - kopi with a slice of butter, bulletproof coffee Singapore-style.

#1 Toast Box and Ya Kun

They are like our local versions of Starbucks and Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, they can be found everywhere. Ya Kun’s famous Kaya Butter Toast and Eggs is the classic local breakfast and a must try. However, when it comes to specifically kopi and other local delights like curry chicken and laksa, we prefer Toast Box. The coffee beans are freshly grinded at each Toast Box outlet. See if you can spot their “old school” coffee grinder at work!

🍬Fun fact: Toast Box is owned by BreadTalk Group. You will probably find a BreadTalk near or next to a Toast Box outlet. Don’t miss BreadTalk’s famous Flosss bun!

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#2 Local Coffee People and Old Tea Hut

Our Central Business District (CBD) needs lots of caffeine to function. Local Coffee People and Old Tea Hut powers our CBD workers with their quick-service, cheap, takeaway-only, local kopi and beverage. A kopi costs only $1.50.

Found in obscure nooks and peppered along Raffles Place MRT to Tanjong Pagar MRT, look out for long lines during morning and lunch times to find them. Else, ask any white-collar worker on the street and they can point you to the nearest outlet. They have an extensive list of non-coffee, local beverages you should try too.

#3 Coffee Break @ Amoy Street Food Centre

Coffee Break combines artisanal coffee options and affordable hawker prices at 3 CBD Hawker Centres - Amoy, Hong Lim, and Market Street. Coffee Break serves not only local kopi, but also handcrafted drinks like Pumpkin Spice Latte, Toffee Nut Mocha, and have soy and oat milk options too.

Don’t miss their toast. We had their crowd favourite Taro toast, with homemade filling of taro, smashed with butter between thinly sliced toasted wholemeal bread, it almost melts in your mouth!

#4 Any Coffee Shop

Many tourists confuse Hawker Centres (Food Centres) with our Coffee Shops. Both places provide great local food options, but there are differences. Local coffee shops have less food stalls (10+ compared to over 30) and are typically nestled in residential areas. Coffee Shops also open till late with some stalls serving food and drinks 24/7.

The most distinct difference is the perpetual presence of uncles and aunties in Coffee Shops debating local politics and gossiping about everything under the sky. Residents congregate every morning with their coffee, or buckets of beer when in the evening. This is the quintessential local coffee culture experience - a space where people meet and just chat.

All Coffee Shops offer non-caffeine drinks like Milo (a malty, chocolatey drink) or Lime Juice. Our map includes Coffee Shops in central areas worth a visit.

Worthy Mention

Most specialty coffee can easily cost between $6 to $12. If all you want is a quick, convenient, cheap caffeine fix, head over to any 7-11 stores. Their 24/7 self-service 7Cafe provide all day convenience for hot or iced coffee. They have a 50% discount on their hot Americano every Monday. That’s less than S$1.50 to jumpstart your week!

There are waaaaay more coffee and kopi places that we couldn’t share here, consider following our Instagram for more food and drinks ideas!

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