More than food and drink: 5 new cafes on a mission to build connections and community

Straits Times

26-04-2025

More than food and drink: 5 new cafes on a mission to build connections and community
SINGAPORE – Over the past few months, a slew of new cafes have been dishing out a range of kakigori (Japanese shaved ice) and Chinese-style desserts alongside quintessential brunch fare, lattes and matcha.
Then there is a growing crop that stand out for their full food and drink menus offering the likes of pesto gnocchi and pet-friendly 'cai fan'.
Others are striking for their quest to further causes and build community in a welcoming environment.
The 10-day-old pet-friendly Bailey & Patch cafe at integrated community space Enabling Village in Redhill works with persons with disabilities and their caregivers, while Bettr Coffee's five-month-old cafe in Prinsep Link has set out to make ethically sourced coffee more accessible.
Yet others have gained traction for homely spaces that invite diners to slow down. These include To:You cafe in Kembangan, Madam Flod Singapore in South Bridge Road and Tina's Cafe in Everton Park.
As Bailey & Patch founder Kevin Chee, 50, puts it: 'Singapore's cafe scene is thriving for sure, but we believe people are seeking more than just good food. They are looking for places with purpose, connection and a sense of community.'
Such places also give rise to fresh ideas and make the cafe scene more exciting, says To:You co-owner Laura Lau, 28.
She says: 'When you do something different from other cafes, there's no competition. Instead, we are all part of a larger cafe community. Customers will frequent a cafe for its food and service – it works as an extension of their home.'
Looking to wind down with a cuppa over the weekends? Here are five new cafes to check out.
Bailey & Patch
Founder Kevin Chee named the cafe Bailey & Patch after his dogs.
PHOTO: BAILEY & PATCH
Where: 01-17 Enabling Village Academy Block, 20 Lengkok Bahru, open: 10am to 10pm daily
Info: @baileyandpatchcafe on Instagram
A chance to open a cafe at the integrated community space Enabling Village in Redhill has blossomed into an inviting 100-seat eatery with an on-site bakery and pet-grooming services.
Opened on April 18, Bailey & Patch is run by founder Kevin Chee, 50, whose background is in the events and meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions industry. The cafe is named after his two dogs, a goldendoodle (golden retriever and poodle crossbreed) and a mini bernedoodle (Bernese mountain dog and mini poodle crossbreed).
In the pet-friendly environment, persons with disabilities work alongside their caregivers and other staff in the kitchen and as service crew.
The Asian-inflected menu features mains from $7.80 and appetisers from $3.80. Highlights include tornado egg rice with chicken curry ($9.80), golden seafood rice noodle soup ($11.80), ayam berempah nasi lemak ($10.80) and braised pork rib noodles ($10.80).
Helming the baked goods is 'Baker Ben' Benedict Tein, 20, who is on the autism spectrum, flanked by his mum Elvina Lee, 55, a former executive secretary who became a stay-home mum when he was born.
"Baker Ben" Benedict Tein and mum Elvina Lee run the baking section at Bailey & Patch.
ST PHOTO: EUNICE QUEK
He started baking from age six, after picking it up from his mum, and started a home-based business called Bakes by Ben in 2021.
At Bailey & Patch, he sells brownies (from $3 a piece), cookies ($10 for a 100g pack ) and cheesecake ($7.80).
Besides food for humans, there are options for the fur kids too.
Pets can savour a pet-friendly 'cai fan' ($11.80 for a 200g meal) with 'orange rice' – a blend of cauliflower and pumpkin – and a choice of protein, vegetable side and garnish. Options include beef, kangaroo, broccoli and goji berries. Dessert is a fruit platter ($8.80) with apple, blueberries, banana and dragonfruit.
Bailey & Patch's pet-friendly "cai fan" with a choice of protein, vegetable side and garnish.
PHOTO: BAILEY & PATCH
From May 1, Bailey & Patch will launch grooming services – by a team of professional groomers assisted by persons with disabilities and special needs – for dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs and birds. Basic grooming services start at $45 for dogs, rabbits and guinea pigs, and $80 for cats.
Mr Chee's long-term goal is to partner job coaches and professional trainers to build a more structured training framework for his staff.
He does not rule out opening more outlets by establishing a dedicated training facility or running a central kitchen.
'But for now, we are focused on progress over perfection – supporting one person, one pet, at a time,' he says.
'We are still learning and growing, particularly in areas like staff training, safety protocols, and integrating caregivers and their children into the daily rhythm of cafe operations.
'We are not perfect. There may be times when our service is slower or a detail gets missed. We are doing our best to build a space that's meaningful, inclusive and full of heart.'
To:You
To:You co-owner Laura Lau, 28, welcomes diners to sit as long as they wish at the cafe.
ST PHOTO: TARYN NG
Where: 90 Jalan Senang, open: 8am to 8pm (Tuesdays to Saturdays), 8am to 6pm (Sundays), closed on Mondays
Info: @toyousingapore on Instagram
Consider the two-month-old To:You cafe, located in the aptly named Jalan Senang – which means relaxed or easy in Malay – as an extension of your home.
Sit as long as you wish, invites its co-owner Laura Lau, 28, whose 50-seat cafe has quickly become the lounge pad of residents of the quiet Kembangan estate, as well as weekend cafe hoppers.
Accented with green and brown tones, the cosy interior features mismatched sofas and metal bar seats and tables, while the outdoor seating space offers respite for those with pets.
The menu – with no GST and service charge – offers hearty portions of Japanese-inspired food and in-house bakes.
There is no basic brunch fare here. The bestseller is ochazuke ($22) with grilled salmon, tamago and onigiri-shaped torched short-grain rice drenched in a savoury matcha dashi. There is also ume shakshuka ($18), with fermented spicy Japanese plum and 64-degree eggs paired with house-baked furikake-topped focaccia.
Pair the dishes with lava cakes (from $12), madeleines ($3.50 each) and cocktail-esque drinks such as Give Me Guava ($8) – guava puree, guava juice, soda and espresso; and earl grey matcha ($8) topped with earl grey foam.
To:You's ochazuke with grilled salmon, tamago, torched short-grain rice and matcha dashi.
ST PHOTO: TARYN NG
Ask for the off-menu items – cheesy mentaiko prawn puffs ($18), a spin-off from its popular Yuzu Rocket Benny ($20), where the traditional muffin base is replaced by house-baked puff pastry; as well as refreshing soda water-infused matcha yuzu and matcha peach drinks ($8 each).
With her experience doing pastry and front-of-house gigs at the likes of now-defunct cafes Antoinette and Non-Entree Desserts, Ms Lau encourages her young team – all aged under 28 – to showcase their creativity as much as possible.
This means there might be extra cookies for sale in the bakes display 'based on chef's mood', packed in paper bags with handwritten words of encouragement from the staff.
Ms Lau has already picked names for two more potential cafes – For:You and With:You – likely to feature different food concepts. For now, her focus is on stabilising operations and rolling out more 'secret' fare to keep regulars coming.
Tina's Cafe
Tina's Cafe co-founder Shaun Ong named the cafe after his late mother.
PHOTO: TINA'S CAFE
Where: 01-22, 5 Everton Park, open: 7.30am to 4pm (weekdays), 8am to 4pm (weekends)
Info: @tinascafe.sg on Instagram
You may be familiar with Edith Patisserie, founded in 2013 as an online business which has evolved into five cake stores. Now, head to its sister brand Tina's Cafe – opened in February – at the indie food enclave in Everton Park.
Both home-grown businesses were co-founded by married couple Shaun Ong, 36, and Ethel Tan, 33.
Edith Patisserie is named after Ms Tan's mother, while Tina's Cafe is in honour of Mr Ong's mother, who died of breast cancer in 2024.
He says: 'The idea of Tina's Cafe came about very naturally and felt like a new and interesting yet meaningful offshoot that we could explore and have fun with.
'We wanted people to feel at home , just like how my mum would go out of her way to make people feel welcome and cared for.'
While eating was a challenge during her cancer treatment, Mr Ong says his mum found comfort in simple fare like kaya toast, kopi and nasi lemak. Hence the pink-hued cafe's focus on familiar local staples with its housemade kaya butter toast set with soft-boiled eggs ($6), nasi lemak (from $5) and pandan waffles (from $2.50).
Tina's Cafe offers local staples such as kaya butter toast, nasi lemak and Tina's Breakfast Platter.
PHOTO: TINA'S CAFE
Most dishes are priced under $10 , except the eggs with sausage ($10.20) and Tina's Breakfast Platter ($14.80), which includes eggs, bacon, ham and a hash brown.
Of course, Edith Patisserie's cakes feature on the menu, with favourites such as lychee rose ($8.90 a slice) and chocolate fudge ($8.90 a slice). New additions for Tina's Cafe include egg tarts ($2.80 for one) and pandan chiffon cake ($2.80 a slice).
An SG60 menu will be rolled out in the lead up to National Day.
Mr Ong has plans to turn Tina's Cafe into a social enterprise with a focus on supporting cancer patients and to raise more awareness about regular cancer screenings.
Madam Flod
Madam Flod Singapore's Swedish founders Eniko Pongracz and Nathan Nuzzo.
PHOTO: MADAM FLOD SINGAPORE
Where: 47 South Bridge Road, open: 11.30am to 9.30pm (Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays), 11.30am to 3pm (Wednesdays), 11.30am to 10pm (Fridays), 9.30am to 10pm (Saturdays), 9.30am to 9pm (Sundays)
Info: madamflodsingapore.com
What started in 2018 as a small Swedish-built canal boat, selling crepes and galettes along the Stockholm Archipelago, has wended its way to Singapore – in the form of a cafe.
Madam Flod is run by its Singapore-based Swedish founders – France-born Nathan Nuzzo and his Hungary-born wife Eniko Pongracz, both 34.
The couple first came here in 2019, when Ms Pongracz worked as a data specialist for tech company Apple in Singapore. She resigned in 2020 and they left to focus on their food business in Sweden. They returned to Singapore in 2025 to launch the creperie and chose South Bridge Road for its proximity to the Singapore River.
In Sweden, the couple own a Madam Flod 'food boat', which operates only during the summer and that they return to every year to run. They also own two pizza businesses there .
While it is not a creperie boat concept here, Madam Flod in Singapore has been charming crepe lovers with its food offerings. The menu is similar to what they serve in Madam Flod in Sweden.
Madam Flod's Complete galette with egg, ham and Emmental cheese.
PHOTO: MADAM FLOD SINGAPORE
Savoury galettes are made from gluten-free buckwheat flour flown in from Brittany, France. Flavours include the popular ham and cheese ($21); smoked salmon ($25.50) with asparagus and cream cheese sauce with dill ; and Complete galette ($18) with egg, ham and Emmental cheese.
For traditional French sweet crepes, options include salted caramel ($11.50), chocolate ganache ($11.50) and the Singapore-exclusive pandan kaya ($14).
There are drinks such as elderflower sourplum soda ($7); Kir Breton cocktail ($12), French apple cider with blackcurrant liqueur; coffee (from $4 for an espresso) and wine (from $14 for a glass).
Bettr Coffee
Bettr Coffee's pet-friendly outdoor space at The Foundry.
PHOTO: BETTR COFFEE
Where: The Foundry, 11 Prinsep Link, open: 9am to 5pm (Mondays and Saturdays), 9am to 9pm (Tuesdays to Fridays), closed on Sundays
Info: str.sg/8BHq
Bettr Coffee, a prominent establishment driving change through coffee since 2011, has opened its first sit-down cafe at social impact hub The Foundry.
It is the retail arm of Bettr Group – a certified B Corp since 2015 – which supplies speciality- grade coffee and equipment, as well as runs Bettr Academy, which has trained more than 15,000 people from marginalised backgrounds in professional coffee skills. They include at-risk youth, single mothers, former offenders and persons with mental health conditions.
With its five-month-old 50-seat cafe, the group comes full circle in its mission, turning its training, sourcing and sustainability commitments into a tangible guest experience, says its founder and chief executive Pamela Chng, 49.
Ethically sourced coffee from Ethiopia and Nicaragua, priced from $4.50 for an espresso, remains the star draw .
Other standouts are the Foundry specials – Black & Cola ($8), organic Madagascan cola with Bettr's Eureka bean blend; and Coconut Russian ($8), a full-bodied iced white with brown sugar syrup and coconut milk topped with cream.
Alongside traditional espresso blends, there is home-grow n coffee alternative Prefer – made from upcycled bread, soya beans and barley – in iced Spanish latte ($8) and iced Strawberry Blast ($8) .
Coffee seeps into its cocktail programme as well.
The Bettr Old Fashioned ($22), for example, uses fat-washed, spent coffee grounds that have been steeped overnight with blended malt whisky stored in ecoSpirits' low-waste, closed-loop packaging that is said to significantly reduce carbon emissions.
Bettr Coffee's roasted squash grain bowl.
PHOTO: BETTR COFFEE
Ms Chng says: 'These drinks have been conversation starters, as they challenge conventional ideas of what bar programmes can be and spark curiosity around how we repurpose ingredients creatively and responsibly.'
The menu also offers other cocktails, mocktails, wine and tea.
For food, menu highlights include Garden Gnocchi ($18) with housemade pesto, smashed beef patty melt ($20) and chilli crisp eggs ($11).
The cafe also features a Boozy Brunch on weekends, when you can top up $55++ for free-flow drinks alongside your choice of food from the a la carte menu; and Wine & Whine evenings on Wednesdays (5 to 8pm), when free-flow natural wines are featured for $58++.
The group will expand 'with intention', says Ms Chng, who is exploring smaller cafe formats and has a new location slated for the second half of 2025.
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