Note: this venue is now closed.
Artisanal coffee is still very much craved for in the Jalan Besar neighbourhood, and 20F Specialty Coffeehouse displaces a 60-year-old clinic to quench that thirst.
The shadowy shophouse café brews Liberty Coffee roasts to order on its La Marzocco machine ($3.50-$6.50) and its many iced drinks are a point of distinction. Dark chocolate sorbet with salted caramel ice cream and cold milk ($7.50) is a lush option, while a hot day might call for a coconut and lychee ice cream shake ($7.50), mixed berries with chia seeds and mint ($7), or iced matcha latte ($6). After dark, cocktails like vodka, Kahlua and Frangelico espresso martinis ($16), and gin-addled Tea for 2 ($18) can be ordered.
Plates like duck confit, mixed berries sorbet and fresh strawberries on waffles ($22), and pulled pork Benedicts on house-baked brioche ($18) depart from regular café fare – but the rest of 20F's brunch and dinner menus feature the usual suspects: smashed avocado on toast ($14), ribeye burgers ($24), as well as pastas with shredded pork ($16) and prawn and poached egg ($17).