As our family prepares to move on to another neighbourhood (not because we don't like Tiong Bahru, we love Tiong Bahru!) in the next phase of our lives (i.e. primary school registration *booo*), I've put together a series of posts to celebrate the things that I love about this beautiful neighbourhood that I had called my home the last 14 years.
Starting with something that Tiong Bahru is only recently known for; the many quaint cafes/restaurants. There are a lot more (trust me) but here's 10 of the cafes I think you might wanna consider visiting if you're in the area =)
10 Cafes to Visit in Tiong Bahru:
[1] FORTY HANDS
 |
| Forty Hands |
 |
| Cafe Latte |
 |
| Super addictive truffle fries |
Nestled in the quaint Yong Siak Street and famous for its aromatic coffee, Forty Hands is often patronised by the young coffee lovers looking for their coffee fix. As I'm not a coffee drinker, I prefer the addictive truffle fries.
40 Hands
- (Add) 78 Yong Siak Street #01-12, Singapore 163078
( (Tel) +65 6225 8545
¿ (Hrs) 8am - 7pm (Closed on Monday)
[2] OPEN DOOR POLICY
 |
| Open Door Policy |
If you prefer something more filling for lunch or dinner, head on to Open Door Policy, located opposite Forty Hands. The quaint restaurant offers 3-5 course meals with alcohol as well as a menu curated by celebrity chef Ryan Clift. Be prepared to spend though as the food can be pricey (I suppose you've got to pay for quality).
Open Door Policy
- (Add) 19 Yong Siak Street, Singapore 163078
( (Tel) +65 6221 9307
¿ (Hrs) Details here
[3] PLAIN VANILLA BAKERY
 |
| Plain Vanilla Bakery |
 |
| Left: An old school wood swing hung outside the shop; Right: A small crafting station and a rocking horse at the front of the bakery |
Also found on Yong Siak Street, Plain Vanilla Bakery serves their famous cupcakes in a really nicely decorated shop that is whimsical and playful. I was particularly intrigued by the crafting corner, though I didn't get to go in and check it out. Maybe one day I will =)
Plain Vanilla Bakery
- (Add) 1D Yong Siak Street, Singapore 168641
( (Tel) +65 8363 7614
¿ (Hrs) 11am - 8pm (Monday to Friday), 9am - 8pm (Saturday), 9am - 6pm (Sunday)
[4] THE TIONG BAHRU CLUB
 |
| The Tiong Bahru Club Singapura |
 |
| Super old school chairs and tables! |
Located diagonally opposite Tiong Bahru Market, The Tiong Bahru Club is often crowded every weekend night (at least, that was the case whenever we passed by). I haven't had a chance to try the food yet but the ambiance and feel of the place looks great. Definitely a nice place to sit with a glass of beer and chill (not that I drink beer but I'm sure a lot of you do hehe).
The Tiong Bahru Club Singapura
- (Add) 57 Eng Hoon Street #01-88, Singapore 267208
( (Tel) +65 6438 0168
¿ (Hrs) 8.30am – 11pm (Monday to Thursday), 8.30am – 11.30pm (Friday to Sunday)
[5] TIONG BAHRU BAKERY
 |
| Tiong Bahru Bakery |
 |
| Wide range of freshly baked French pastries and bread |
 |
| With my cute Baby Boy at the bakery, when he was only about 8 months old |
Opened by French baker Gontran Cherrier, Tiong Bahru Bakery is famous for authentic French pastries and bread right here in Singapore. I have very high standards for bread (especially French bread) so I visited with high expectations, having heard very good reviews from other people. People also warned me that the standard is not as good as when they opened but well, I felt the food was still alright. I liked the almond croissant, cinnamon croissant and quiche lorraine that I ordered. Reminded me of PAUL in London.
Tiong Bahru Bakery
- (Add) 56 Eng Hoon Street #01-70, Singapore 160056
( (Tel) +65 6220 3430
¿ (Hrs) 8am - 8pm (Sunday to Thursday), 8am to 10pm (Friday to Saturday)
[6] ORANGE THIMBLE
 |
| The Orange Thimble |
 |
| Where art meets cafe |
 |
| With Baby Girl having dinner with a friend |
I liked the look of Orange Thimble so I arranged to meet a friend there after work one day when my girl was still about 20 months old. The decor was really conducive for catching up with friends, although I preferred the dessert to the food. You can buy the art too if you like what you see.
Orange Thimble
- (Add) 56 Eng Hoon Street #01-68, Singapore 160056
( (Tel) +65 6223 8068
¿ (Hrs) 11am – 9pm (Closed on Monday)
[7] DAY & NIGHT
 |
| Day & Night |
 |
| Blackboards set up to cover the hawker stalls that open in the day, thereby turning the place into a nice little restaurant |
This kopitiam is only opened in the day till 3pm so some smart business owners thought it would be economical to open an eatery in the night (I thought that was really smart). The restaurant used to be called Two Faced, which has changed owners and is now called Day & Night Bistro. The hubby tried Two Faced once and didn't really like the food. Not sure about the food now but the decor is really interesting. Maybe I'll try it one day.
Day & Night Bistro
- (Add) 56 Eng Hoon Street #01-46, Singapore 160056
( (Tel) +65 6536 0024
¿ (Hrs) 5.30pm - 11pm (Tuesday to Thursday), 5.30pm - 12am (Friday to Saturday), 10am - 10pm (Sunday)
[8] DRIPS BAKERY CAFE
 |
| Drips Bakery Cafe |
 |
| Left: Pretty corner selling little knick knacks; Right: A cute coffee-making corner under the stairs |
 |
| Cute tables and chairs |
 |
| All day breakfast |
 |
| Lovely tart and chocolate cake |
Located diagonally opposite Day & Night Bistro, Drips Bakery & Cafe serves up wholesome sandwiches and tasty desserts. This is a great place to hang out and chill over sweet treats and coffee or tea. And if you like the furniture or painting that you see, you can even buy them on their website!
Drips Bakery & Cafe
- (Add) 82 Tiong Poh Road #01-05, Singapore 160082
( (Tel) +65 6222 0400
¿ (Hrs) 11am - 9.30pm (Sunday to Thursday), 11am - 11pm (Friday to Saturday)
[9] CAFFE PRALET
 |
| Caffe Pralet by Creative Culinaire |
 |
| Hanging out with the bffs and our kids |
The BFFs and I love to hang out at Caffe Pralet. From the days when we were single and preparing to get married to when we had our first kids, we met here, the "usual place". Recently they also added a nice kids corner for young kids to play while the parents ate. The highlight of the cafe? Their cakes. They not only teach you how to bake in their school next door, they also make customised tiered cakes for your special occasions. However, if you've only got room in your stomach for one slice, try my favourite cake flavour: Irish Bailey.
Caffe Pralet
- (Add) 17, Eng Hoon Street, #01-04, Eng Hoon Mansions, Singapore 169767
( (Tel) +65 6223 5595
¿ (Hrs) 11am - 9pm (Monday to Thursday), 11am - 9.30pm (Friday), 9.30am - 9.30pm (Saturday), Closed (Sunday)
[10] CHAPTER 55
 |
| Chapter 55 |
 |
| Each table is labelled with a Chapter number |
 |
| Delicious and crispy pizza |
 |
| Homemade gelato with all kinds of interesting flavours! |
If you're into Italian food then you'll like this restaurant, which is almost always packed whenever I walk pass. They offer 1-for-1 on certain main courses during lunchtime, very worthwhile if you're ready to wait because the queues during lunchtime can be really crazy. I really love their crispy pizza and the gelato is one of the best ice-creams in Tiong Bahru. They serve fresh coffee too, for those of you who can't live without coffee.
Chapter 55
- (Add) 55 Tiong Bahru Road #01-37, Singapore 160055
( (Tel) +65 6221 2219
¿ (Hrs) 11.30am – 11pm (Monday to Sunday)
~~~~~~~
If you are a visual like me, here's a map of the location of the cafes/restaurants for your reference:
 |
| Screenshot from Google Maps |
Happy cafe-hopping! =)
This post is part of I Love My Tiong Bahru series, which is my way of bidding farewell to my favourite neighbourhood that I had called my home for the last 14 years. As I move to another neighbourhood, join me in celebrating Tiong Bahru! =)
