New Bahru just got 15 new tenants – we went early to check them out

Stepping inside New Bahru’s Factory Block, everything’s in the final stretch – vinyl stickers are going up, and counters are getting one last wipe, and there's a quiet hum of a space almost ready to open its doors. 

Once everything is complete, it might just be impossible to say there’s nothing new to check out in Singapore – New Bahru, one of the city’s most exciting lifestyle destinations in recent years, is expanding with 15 new tenants across F&B and retail, all slated to open by end-May. 

Even in its current form, the space is home to a strong lineup of names like Rye, Beyond The Vines, Dearborn, Artichoke, The Coconut Club, and Studio Yono. With this next wave of additions spread across both its Factory Block and School Block, New Bahru is set to get even bigger and better, with a sharper local focus. You can expect a coming together of Singaporean-led F&B stores from across the island and homegrown brands carving out their own spaces. And a huge bonus? Level one of the refreshed Factory Block will also be pet-friendly.

Before the official launch, we got early access to walk through both blocks and speak with the founders. Here's what's coming.

The new food court: five kiosks and 14 beer taps

There’s no denying that a huge part of hanging out in Singapore revolves around food – so it’s safe to say New Bahru’s new F&B lineup is doing a lot of the heavy lifting here, and it leans strongly local, with a few international names in the mix too. The five new F&B tenants are housed in New Bahru’s all-new food court on level two of the Factory Block. There are seats for approximately 150 diners, with the stalls arranged in a kiosk setup similar to our local food courts. Right in the middle sits Orh Gao Peh Gao, a local craft beer and Asian comfort food bar with 14 shiny beer taps that are hard to miss. 

After spending the past six to seven years at Serene Centre, this new outpost signals a reset. “This is a step up for us – it allows us to explore new demographics and connect with a different crowd,” manager Darien shares. They’re using the move to New Bahru as an opportunity to evolve. “You can expect 14 craft beer taps – and in line with New Bahru’s support for local brands, we’re featuring beers from local breweries.” Grab a seat at the counter and settle in with local craft beer and Asian comfort snacks like its kaya toast set (from $5.50) and crab fried rice ($16). 

Then there’s Rumah Makan Minang, a 40-year-old Indonesian heritage brand entering the heart of New Bahru. With roots dating back to the 1940s, Minang is now adopting a modern kiosk format to make nasi padang more appealing to a new generation. 

“This is an express version of nasi padang,” says Ariff, Head Chef at Rumah Makan Minang. The menu includes comforting, well-loved dishes like the nasi padang set ($12) and beef rendang ($12), as well as signatures such as ayam bakar ($12), ikan pepes ($12), tahu telur ($10), and oxtail soup ($12). One new menu item was dreamed up for an increasingly health-conscious clientele: “Our Padang wrap ($12) is a healthier take with less oil and rice.” 

But beyond the menu, the intention runs deeper. “As a 40-year-old heritage brand, we want to reach a new generation,” they explain, adding that nasi padang is often associated with an older crowd, and they hope to shift that perception and bring it to a younger audience at New Bahru.

Following the theme of Indonesian cuisine, we have Kulon just next door, a longtime favourite on Bali Lane, best known for its contemporary take on Indonesian noodles (from $8.90). At New Bahru, the experience is designed to be more social than their main store. “We’re introducing more small plates and sharing platters that you can enjoy with family and friends, alongside our classic take on bakmi,” says Haris, founder of Kulon.

That sense of reinvention continues with Laifaba, known for its modern take on wood-fired roast meats (sio bak), which are a typical hawker staple. Don’t expect simple sio bak on rice here – founder Royce has created a menu featuring hearty rice bowls (from $12.80) and artisanal noodles (from $12.80). The focus here is unapologetically flavour-forward. “Guests can expect bold, flavour-driven signatures like barbecue pork jowl, crispy pork belly, and dry-aged duck,” says Royce.

The food court sits somewhere between hawker pricing and casual dining. Minang’s $12 Padang wrap costs less than The Coconut Club’s $20 nasi lemak in the Main Block, but more than a $5 to $6 hawker plate. And speaking to the vendors, we can already sense the community spirit. It’s the kind of place where you show up, and it feels like your friends are the ones serving you food – a plus point in itself, with familiar faces, warm chats, and a real neighbourhood feel that goes beyond just the food.

One level down, Dumpling Darlings goes izakaya

That’s not all for the F&B additions – head downstairs, and you’ll find Dumpling Darlings, Singapore’s cult-favourite dumpling spot, with its own entrance. In this space of its own, Dumpling Darlings is exploring a new izakaya-style direction. “This will be our third store, where we’re rolling out an extended menu with small plates in collaboration with Mustard Seed, alongside more drinks and alcohol for a fun, izakaya-style vibe,” June shares. Think agedashi prawn tofu ($10) and nasi ulam ($11).

For them, the appeal of New Bahru goes beyond just opening another outlet. “We’re excited to be here because we love that we’re surrounded by other creative Singaporean brands that we personally patronise – it’s great to be part of this community.”

Retail: Japan’s Beams arrives, local brands test new formats

Once you’ve eaten your way through, there’s still plenty more to explore. If anything, the retail and fashion lineup is what really seals the deal – starting with the addition of the big-name Japanese label Beams.  

This is the select shop’s first store in Southeast Asia. Open on the Factory Block’s ground level, the space features the brand’s recognisable aesthetic: lit-up Beams logos line the storefront, with its signature orange mark stamped across the wall; inside, streamlined shelves keep things very Beams-esque, while pops of colour add just enough vibrancy without losing the brand’s polished sensibility.  

Beam’s representative Gen explains the curation: “Our store concept brings together a mix of brands curated for the Singapore market, spanning menswear, womenswear, kids, and lifestyle goods." For its standalone store debut, you can expect a tightly edited lineup from its in-house labels, including Beams and Demi-Luxe Beams. Think elevated staples that sit somewhere between polished and off-duty.

Across from Beams is Stacked Store, known for quirky home goods, including merchandise from artist Jean Julien and Danish brand Hay. Having lived online since December 2022, it recently opened its first physical store at IMBA Theatre, which has more of the flavour of a museum shop. The New Bahru space was still very much a work in progress when we visited, but experiential manager Haikal shared at IMBA that this flagship will fully embody Stacked Store's designer-led DNA. “We’re reimagining home shopping through our first flagship retail store – a living room-style, curated concept,” says Haikal. 

School Block: rotating pop-ups and sound healing

Moving across to the School Block, there's Store Store – New Bahru’s rotating pop-up platform designed to spotlight independent brands and fresh creative concepts through a constantly evolving retail experience. The first edition brings together local brands Atlas Kind and Source.

Over at Atlas Kind, a contemporary fashion brand focused on responsible practices, a sense of discovery is playing out. “We see a brilliant mix of locals and tourists at New Bahru – with locals even acting like tourists discovering the space,” co-founder Hannah notes. And it shows – their racks, filled with delightful colours and expressive patterns, pull us in before we even realise it. 

For its neighbours, Source, this pop-up is its first physical outing. The brand focuses on modular, enduring apparel designed to work effortlessly together. Until now, that idea lived largely online – at New Bahru, however, it became something tangible. “Customers have been asking to try things on. People can fully experience the brand now – feel the fabrics, understand the construction, and see how the pieces come together,” says Vincent, founder of Source. 

Rounding out the School Block is Future Resonance, a wellness space dedicated to light, sound and vibration therapy. Visitors move through two distinct environments: the Solar space is warm, analogue and rooted in traditional sound healing practices, while the Lunar space takes a more future-facing approach, exploring Light Sound Vibration (LSV) through immersive, technology-led experiences. 

Their signature offerings – Sound Healing journeys and LSV immersions – are designed to be accessible for both first-timers and those already familiar with the practice, with the intention that “people leave feeling different to how they arrived – clearer, calmer, more connected.” The brand evolved from eight years of work at Pyramids of Chi in Ubud, Bali, and this marks their first urban Singapore outpost.

What this new expansion signals 

Walking through both blocks, a pattern emerges: almost every tenant is either reimagining a heritage format (Minang's express nasi padang), evolving from a previous location (Orh Gao's step up from Serene Centre), or opening their first physical space (Sourced, Beams' first SEA store). Very few are static transplants.

All in all, New Bahru’s refresh feels like a testing ground for local brands to get creative and experiment in a vibrant, creative-led space. It’s a heartening model of what Singapore’s destination lifestyle complexes could look like, where young and heritage local brands come together in one place, without the usual lineup of international names filling most of the gaps. Walking into the complex feels like entering a world where Singapore spotlights its own – where we’re fully backing homegrown names and giving them the attention they deserve.

Where to find them:

Factory Block (Level 1 standalone):

• Dumpling Darlings – #01-07
• Parlour Gelato – #01-01
• BEAMS – #01-03
• Stacked Store – #01-06
• VEJA (Pop-up) – #01-02
• YETI (Pop-up) – #01-05

Factory Block (Level 2 Food Court):

• Fico (Pop-up) – #02-04
• Kios Minang – #02-05
• Kulon – #02-06
• Laifaba – #02-03
• Sushiro – #02-01
• Orh Gao Peh Gao – #02-02

School Block:

• Store Store (Atlas Kind / Source Pop-ups) – #02-06
• future resonance – #04-03

All 15 tenants open by end-May 2026. 

Follow New Bahru on Instagram for updates.

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