Chinatown SG: Satisfy Your Palate at These Cafés in Keong Saik, Bukit Pasoh

Taking a trip to the well-known Chinatown, which was formerly an enclave for Chinese immigrants, is one of the best ways to immerse oneself in Singaporean culture.

Seated along the Outram area in the central region of the city-state, Chinatown is now home to heritage buildings, museums, and street art, as well as to a slew of dining options.

As you make your way through the neighbourhoods of Keong Saik and Bukit Pasoh in Chinatown Singapore, be sure to stop at one of these cafés and bakeries for a satisfying culinary immersion.

Apiary

Apiary is one of the best go-to spots for sweet treats in Chinatown Singapore. This café specialises in ice cream and pastries that sweet junkies will surely love! 

Its dairy products are pasteurised on site, meaning its production process contains no artificial flavours and colourings. The café’s ice cream and sorbet flavours include blue milk, caramelised strawberry, Sicilian pistachio, 73% dark chocolate, black sesame, Ferrero Rocher, and more. Servings are available in single (S$4.2), double (S$8), triple (S$11), and premium flavour (+S$0.5). 

For takeaway pints, Apiary offers classic (S$15), premium (S$17), and Sicilian pistachio (S$21). Its menu, including the ice cream flavours, is subject to change depending on the season.

Apiary is open from Sunday to Thursday (12 PM-10 PM) and Friday to Saturday (12 PM-11 PM).

Location: Apiary, 84 Neil Road

Baker’s Bench Bakery (BBB)

For paniphiles out there, you should put Baker’s Bench Bakery on your list of must-visit cafés in Chinatown Singapore. It boasts of its handcrafted and yeast-free baked goods that exude simplicity and comfort like homemade pastries. 

The BBB menu includes sourdough loaves (S$5-S$12), sourdough croissants (S$2.5-S$7), sourdough bagels (S$3.5-S$4.5), sourdough small bakes (S$2.5-S$8.5), and counter sandwiches (S$8.5-S$10), to name a few. Other pastries it offers are cakes, brownies, and cookies. 

To complete your homey dining experience, we recommend trying its wide selection of coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and cold-pressed bottled juice. The bakery is open every Wednesday to Saturday (8:30 AM-5 PM) and Sunday (8:30 AM-4 PM).

Location: Baker’s Bench Bakery, 6 Bukit Pasoh Road

Bread & Hearth

A must-try for vegans in Chinatown Singapore are the artisan buns and loaves from Bread & Hearth. To ensure tasty products with high nutritional values, the bakery café uses French wheat imported from France that is unbleached and contains no preservatives.

In addition to loaves and buns, the bakery has an All Day Breakfast menu that includes The Big Breakfast, Avocatoast, Umami Unagi, Croque Madame, Crispy Chicken Wrap, Egg-cado Mentai, French Toast, and Legendary Croissant, among others. Prices range from S$10.90-S$29.

Bread & Hearth is open every Monday to Saturday (8 AM-6 PM) and Sunday (8 AM-5 PM).

Location: Bread & Hearth, 18 Keong Saik Road

Keong Saik Bakery

This bakery café in Chinatown in Singapore is home to Asian and nostalgic flavours of every Singaporean’s childhood, such as the Purple Milk (inspired by Pulut Hitam) and Gula Jawa Sticky Rice Cake, Chendol, Attap Chee Rose Cheesecake (inspired by Attap Chee Potong Ice Cream), Milo Cruffin, and Otak Otak Danish. 

Keong Saik Bakery’s menu is brimming with different kinds of delectable pastries and desserts to choose from, including crolls, cakes, tarts, cruffins, viennoiserie, sandwiches, loaves, banana cake and banana walnut cake, garlic cream bomb (bread), and cookies. 

You can buy your favourites at Keong Saik Bakery daily from 8 AM-8 PM.

Location: Keong Saik Bakery, 41 Keong Saik Road

Tong Ah Eating House 

Dubbed as the “Singapore’s choice” when it comes to brewed coffee and local Chinese signature dishes, Tong Ah Eating House has been one of the top picks for local delights since 1939.

Just like its local patrons, you’ll surely keep coming back for its toasts (Crispy Thin Toast Kaya, Traditional Kaya Toast, and French Toast with Kaya) served with half-boiled eggs and kopi. Tong Ah Eating House is open daily from 7 AM-10 PM and 7 AM-1:30 PM every Wednesday.

Location: Tong Ah Eating House 東亞餐室, 35 Keong Saik Road