The best brunch spots in Singapore

Maison Kitsuné's cult cafe isn't one that just looks pretty for the gram with its iconic fox-shaped sable cookies. The coffeehouse is well-loved for its robust cuppas and brunch-worthy sandos and quiches. Think chicken katsu sando ($15) layered with caramelised onion or the sundried tomato quiche ($13). Though we recommend sinking your teeth into the egg sando ($13) where satisfyingly jammy eggs and a flavourful egg mayo proved a winning combo. While you're at it, sip on single-origin coffees sourced from South America and roasted in Café Kitsuné's roastery in Okayama, Japan. No meal is complete without world-famous sweets treat – try the Singapore special chilli chocolate tart ($12).

There’s a brunch spot around every corner in the East, but here’s one that stands out: Awfully Chocolate Bakery & Café. Now, what’s special about this is that it’s a weekend brunch buffet – an all-you-can-eat spread featuring brunch staples like scrambled eggs and bacon rashers. Try an assortment of fresh sweet and savoury pastries with cocoa spread and dashi butter on the side, as well as different breakfast cereals. From $32 per person, you also get to choose a main, including the likes of eggs Benny topped with parma ham, prawn and crab meat aglio olio, or espresso-infused brioche French toast.

Kids under 10 years dine at half the price and get to enjoy free-flow chocolate milk, making this the perfect family-friendly brunch spot. Awfully Chocolate Bakery & Café’s brunch buffet is served every weekend, from 10am to 2pm.

Brunching over a hearty Italian feast under a preserved olive tree is an experience unlike any other. Summertime boasts robust flavours where starters are the likes of creamy burrata from Puglia with fresh tomatoes and a fig jam or a spicy Italian shakshouka ($29). Following the Scarpa family tradition, fresh handmade pasta is without question, a must. Go with the alluring Ravioli di Magro ($27) with sage-infused brown butter, the Gnocchi al Gorgonzola ($29) or the mouth-watering slipper lobster risotto ($37). There's also a Naples-style eight-cheese pizza ($37) with its melodious mix of cheesy savouriness, rich creaminess and a pleasant hint of funk. Complete your boozy afternoon affair with new Italian summer-inspired cocktails from the breezy Bridge Of Sighs ($24) with prosecco and blood orange or just a classic stiff Negroni in hand – live la dolce vita!

Café Natsu is on the ground floor of Crane Joo Chiat, a stunning 1920s Peranakan heritage building. One glass panel overlooks bustling Joo Chiat Road, while those lucky enough to clinch a table at the open-aired windowsill seats will get a glimpse of the pastel-coloured Koon Seng shophouses. 

Try the eggs Benedict here, either as a classic benny ($28) with glazed ham or done as a Florentine ($30) with spanner crab. Obvious Japanese influences come into play with wasabi spinach and miso hollandaise. We’re also huge fans of sandos, and the menu at Café Natsu doesn’t disappoint with options like egg mayo ($22) and chicken katsu ($29). The standout, true to form, is the wagyu sando ($30) – beef short rib sandwiched between soft, crustless bread.

Despite having the name “Jypsy”, which immediately offers an impression of a carefree, vagabond life, the menu reads fairly sophisticated. It’s a restaurant concept by P.S Cafe so no surprise that their food is equal parts photogenic and tasty. They're known for signature dishes like salmon tacos and a nest of fries, that’s artistically created to look like a Japanese kakiage dish of tempura. But it’s a mixture of small and big plates here, perfect for a larger group to try a little bit of everything. 

Punch appeals to your senses even before the food arrives. Its interiors of mostly white furniture with dashes of marble and wood are built for Instagram, while the open courtyard at the back of house offers a boost of Vitamin D, wooden benches, greenery and a glimpse into the kitchen. The café does a mean braised pork belly bowl ($13), fork-tender enough to rival any grandma’s rendition. The crown jewel, however, is the spicy tuna poké ($15): marinated maguro, shredded nori and cubes of avocado tumble atop furikake-seasoned sushi rice.

Melbourne-inspired café Bearded Bella serves brunch staples like avocado toast ($17) sprinkled with quinoa, feta and pomegranate as well as spiced scramble ($18), silky scrambled eggs topped with mushrooms and crispy kale. If it’s a cuppa you’re looking for, you’re at the right place. Co-owner Regina Tay is a National Barista Championship Winner and roasts the beans in-house in small batches.

The sandwiches here are all freshly breaded and prepared, with two thick slices of shokupan (Hokkaido milk bread) and packed with savoury fillings like teriyaki-glazed chicken and Australian wagyu striploin. Order the classic wagyu sando ($40) – the obvious crème de la crème with its generous slab of wagyu. There are only limited portions of this daily, so if this has caught your eye, make sure to head down either for brunch or an early lunch. As a special item on the Joo Chiat menu, you can also order a HCG sando ($16), featuring har cheong gai (shrimp paste chicken) that’s left to marinate for 48 hours.

While some restaurants bring the farm to the table, with freshly harvested herbs and organic produce, others set up dining spaces directly within an edible garden. Nestled among verdant green and plots of blooming herbs lies Open Farm Community. Grab a seat at the alfresco deck (one of the few places we actually don’t mind sitting outdoors). There's a special weekend brunch menu with the likes of a Red Dot Baked Eggs ($28), a unique dish featuring charcoal you tiao with bolognese baked eggs, and a soft shell crab sammy ($32). 

Inspired by the buzzy Australian café scene, the owners of Dewgather sought to recreate their own buzzy coffee spot back in Singapore. The roomy 120-seater space at The Star Vista serves up classic café grub tinged with Asian influences. Swordfish linguine ($27) comes perfumed with a herb-scented sauce, while waffle and chicken ($20) is finished with kimchi and pickled daikon.

Brunch With Friends available every Sunday from noon to 3pm

Casa Restaurant is smoking up the usual brunch menu with its weekend-only menu designed to be shared among friends. For $198, work your way through four courses, with a seasonal menu that switches up according to what is available. It might start with snacks, some vegetable-forward dishes, before moving on to large-format meats imbued with charred and flavour. Desserts and free-flow Champagne ensure that the meal ends on a sweet note. 

The charming waterfront diner, located along Robertson Quay, has a menu dedicated to Italy’s greatest hits. Brunch, naturally, gets an Italian spin, too. Early risers on weekends can sample hearty brunch plates from the La Mattina menu, with options of smashed avocado toast ($18), açai superfood bowl ($16), and more. Come Fridays and weekends, the brunch menu expands to include hearty plates of pasta and wood-fired pizza, complete with wine and cocktails to while the day away. 

Weekend brunch available every Saturday and Sunday, 11.30am to 2.30pm

This sexy steakhouse at Raffles Singapore is more than just a nighttime date spot. Come weekends, the swanky restaurant feels airy and bright, thanks to the sunlight streaming through the windows. Chow down smoked salmon eggs Benedict ($25) and salted caramel French toast ($23). Of course, it isn’t a trip to a steakhouse without some prime cuts; Butcher’s Block offers Australian tenderloin wagyu (85/100g), and the chef’s prime wagyu selection ($480) for sheer indulgence.

Don’t let the plain-looking interior fool you, the menu at Daizu Cafe is filled with colour and excitement. It fuses Japanese flavours and Western cooking techniques, resulting in unique brunch plates of chilli soft shell crab brioche ($16), tamago ikura sando ($16), the big breakfast Daizu brunch ($24), and more. Choose to grab a seat at its alfresco deck, or climb up to the cosy second-storey space – both offering prime picture-taking spots for that quintessential #flatlay shot.

Perhaps a signal of flagging café food standards of late, this hot Neil Road joint appoints itself a 'gastro-café' to highlight its flavour-forward leanings. And The Populus definitely lives up to its tag. The rice and grain bowls ($21-$26) – they’re topped with all manner of vegetables and meats like pulled pork, teriyaki salmon and truffle-scented seared wagyu – are Instagram favourites that taste as hearty as they photograph. As is the server-recommended seafood linguine ($27), with al dente spools of bisque-coated pasta next to nubs of crabmeat and scallops. 

Keong Saik Road may be synonymous with alcohol, but it’s sure able to cook up a fine cup of coffee. At Kafe Utu, African-inspired paintings and portraits are juxtaposed with rustic wood and leather furnishing that immediately reminds of the vibrance of Cape Town. The specialty house blend is called “Ubuntu” – a combination of coffee beans from Uganda, Mexico, and Brazil – whereby you could have it black ($4.50) or with some Hokkaido milk ($6). What’s a coffeehouse without any food? The ones here are really to impress. Try the Buttermilk Fried Chicken ($18), which is accompanied by homemade sauces of Congo Bongo, Fresh Mango Chilli Marmalade and House Chilli. 

Lush greens, elegant furnishings and magnificent views of Marina Bay greet you as you step into this magical new CBD escape that is PS.Cafe One Fullerton. It has something for everyone, be it coffee and cake, business lunches, relaxing dinners, or post-work cocktails. Unwind in the bright and airy indoor area, complete with floor-to-ceiling windows. Cosy up at the intimate bar lounge or head to the open-air terrace for some cool bay breeze.

Pop art posters, pre-loved trinkets, an indie music soundtrack, metal fixtures, and lots and lots of wood hang around this hipster space, bordered on one end by a built-as-vintage brick wall. Snack on special sides of zucchini fritters ($15) and lobster salad nachos ($16), best paired with plates of lamb shakshouka ($25), mushroom and bacon toastie, and other non-derivative brunch creations.  

Yes, it’s all about the beans at Dutch Colony Coffee Co. But you’ll want to balance out the caffeine with this quaint Siglap café’s breakfast and brunch menu. There are hearty platters with scrambled eggs, sausages and turkey bacon ($19), and a salted egg prawn pasta ($18). If the breakfast is enough to get you out of bed nice and early, the coffee will do an even better job. Dutch Colony expertly pours its brews (from $6) – you can choose either manual pour-over or by machine.