Do you need a nice cafe where you can work for a few hours in Singapore? I’ve got just the list for you.
Unbeknownst to many, blogging is not my full-time gig. I’ve been busy during the week with my full-time job and haven’t had much time to work on my blog. Thus, I’ve been spending my Saturday cafe-hopping around Singapore as a conscious effort to keep the blog up-to-date. (The things I do for your dear readers…)
On top of that, I’ve been living in Singapore for the past decade. So I can’t think of a better person to make this list, and keep it updated, than me 😉
Are you visiting Singapore? I’ve been living in Singapore for over a decade, so if you’re visiting, be sure to check out my Singapore itinerary post where I dish out all my Singapore travel tips!
Anyways, here are some cafes I’ve visited and deemed work-friendly so far, even on a Saturday! This is a running list, so I will be updating it periodically and reporting back.
Tips for working from a cafe in Singapore
Rentals are sky high in Singapore, and that includes retail rental. So many F&B are struggling in Singapore, so let’s try to be mindful and support them when we can.
Here are some things I personally do when I am working from a cafe:
- Expect to spend some money – Singapore is not a cheap place to live. A cup of latte will cost about S$6-8 at these cafes. Food costs about S$20-30. Smaller plates might be available for about S$15-18.
- Always buy something from the cafe – And make sure the amount justifies how long you plan to stay there too. My personal rule of thumb is I buy a drink (less than $8 usually) if I know I’m going to be there for less than two hours. Anything longer, I would buy something from the food menu and maybe more drinks.
- Avoid peak hours – Usually, lunch hours are busy. If I sense the cafe is getting full, I would excuse myself and come back later, or buy food to justify me occupying the space.
- Go for single occupancy seats – I’m assuming you’ll be working by yourself. Most cafe has designated seats that are meant for single occupancy – seats at the bar, window seats, high chair seats, etc. Usually, these seats are not in demand because people come to a cafe to chill.
- Get familiar with Wireless@SG – As back up, you can try connecting to Wireless@SG, free WiFi connection in Singapore. Here is how you can set it up.
- Come with fully charged battery – Most cafes don’t have so many power plugs readily available, and not having to rely on them gives you so much flexibility.
And without further ado, here’s a list of cafes in Singapore you can work from:
Monk’s Brew Club @ East Coast Rd
About Monk’s Brew Club
- Address: 57 E Coast Rd, Singapore 428773 (map)
- Nearest MRT: TE26Marine Parade
- Hours: Mon – Tue: 8 to 5PM / Wed – Sun: 8AM to 10:30PM
- WiFi: Password is provided when you ask. Pretty fast speed, but it may lag a little if there are a lot of people.
- Weekend Crowd: Not much crowd in the morning. Starting around 11AM it can get crowded, but there is usually still a space at the high chair table towards the back.
- Menu: $6.30+ for a hot latte (Full Menu)
- Power Plug: One of the high chair table towards the back near the restroom has a power plug.
Monk’s Brew Club’s bright green exterior has caught my eyes while walking down East Coast Rd, but I didn’t get the chance to check them out until I started looking for cafes to work from on Saturdays.
Doubling up as a co-working space on the second floor on weekdays, they’re very much work-friendly. The staff, bless their heart, will not chase you out even when the cafe is busy. But of course, I try to be mindful and give them business by ordering lunch and another drink if I intend to stay through lunch hours.
Their food menu is quite extensive. It’s pricey, but nothing too crazy by Singapore standard. I think the food is just ok though. I was definitely not here to eat.
My personal tip about this area: On your way out, make time to bring home a loaf of what I personally think is the best sourdough bread in Singapore from the bakery next door, the Micro Bakery at the Red House. They’re my favorite!
The Social Space @ Kreta Ayer
About The Social Space
- Address: 333 Kreta Ayer Rd, #01-14, Singapore 080333 (map)
- Nearest MRT: EW16Outram Park
- Hours: Everyday 9AM – 5PM
- WiFi: Password is provided on the table. Speed is fast – 335Mbps when I tested.
- Weekend Crowd: There is always several patrons in the cafe, but it’s not very crowded. Especially if you choose the window seat!
- Menu: $8.10 for an iced Matcha latte (Full Menu)
- Power Plug: Limited seats with plugs.
Located within minutes walk of Exit 4 of Outram Park MRT, the location of this cafe is perfect if you need to hang around the Singapore CBD (By the way, CBD is the term for Central Business District). It’s a beautifully decorated cafe with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating.
On each table, along with the Wi-Fi password, it’s clearly stated that there is a 120 minutes time limit on weekdays and 90 minutes on weekends and public holidays. However, as long as the cafe is not too busy it doesn’t seem that they will enforce this.
The Social Space at Kreta Ayer doubles up as a retail space for local small business, selling goods like soy candle, beeswax wrap and zero-waste utensils.
To be mindful of taking up space, I sat on the high chair seats by the window facing the road. It’s comfortable enough for a few hours, but I found the table a little too high for me and I’m quite average sized (I’m about 163cm tall).
I didn’t try their food menu since I was only here for a short time, but my matcha latte was great! They use honey as a sweetener, and you can request for less honey if you don’t like it sweet. Most other patrons were having some food and they looked good.
One last thing, when I was here it seems their air conditioner was not working too well. But they do have temporary air conditioner blowing towards the middle of the room to compensate for it. Not sure if this is a common occurrence.
My personal tip about this area: Right across the road from the cafe is Queic by Olivia, a cheesecake shop. The story is that the cheesecake used to be only served at Olivia restaurant at Keong Saik Rd down the road. It was so good that it started gaining cult following, and now they have a store dedicated for the cheesecakes! The signature cheesecake is made with blue cheese and unlike any other cheesecake I’ve had.
Baristart Coffee @ Wisma Atria
About Baristart Coffee
- Address: 435 Orchard Rd, #04-01, Singapore 238877 (map)
- Nearest MRT: NS22TE14Orchard
- Hours: Everyday 11AM – 9:30PM
- WiFi: Fast speed via OCBC wifi
- Weekend Crowd: Not super crowded.
- Menu: Full Menu Here
- Power Plug: No plug. They lock the power sockets on the high chairs. 😓
Baristart Coffee is quite famous for serving good coffee. At Wisma Atria, they share space with OCBC. Their Wi-Fi is served by OCBC too.
They have signs saying that there is a seat limit of 60 minutes during peak time, so if the cafe ever gets busy you might get kicked out. I was there at 1PM on a Saturday and there were plenty of seats though!
Cafe Kreams @ Maxwell Chambers
About Cafe Kreams
- Address: 32 Maxwell Rd, #01-07, Singapore 069115 (map)
- Nearest MRT: EW15Tanjong Pagar
- Hours: Everyday 9AM – 11PM, except they open 11AM on Sundays.
- WiFi: Fast speed.
- Weekend Crowd: Not crowded in the morning.
- Menu: Full Menu Here
- Power Plug: Only at the seats by the window.
Cafe Kreams has been around for a long time. They’re located within minutes walk of Exit J of Tanjong Pagar MRT station, at the Maxwell Chambers building. They stand out due to their special decorations – when you see it you’ll know what I mean.
Honestly, I find their coffee quite average, but they do have window seats with plug and they’re not too fussed about you staying for awhile at those tables.
The Book Cafe @ River Valley Road
About The Book Cafe
- Address: 20 Martin Rd, #01-02, Singapore 239070 (map)
- Nearest MRT: DT20Fort Canning or TE16Havelock or TE17Great World
- Hours: Everyday 8:30AM – 9:30PM
- WiFi: Fast speed.
- Weekend Crowd: It can get pretty crowded around brunch time.
- Menu: Full Menu Here
- Power Plug: Some seats with power sockets.
The Book Cafe is yet another permanent fixture in Singapore’s F&B scene. I used to live in River Valley for 6 years back in the 2010s, and The Book Cafe was already there. Turns out, they’ve been around long before I moved to the neighborhood – since year 2000.
What I like about The Book Cafe, other than being super laptop-friendly, is that their food is decent. Not gonna lie, it’s pretty expensive, but not overly outrageous in relative to other cafes in the neighborhood. You are in River Valley after all. They serve all-day breakfast too!
Visiting Singapore? I’ve been living in Singapore for over a decade, so if you’re visiting, be sure to check out my Singapore itinerary post where I dish out all my Singapore travel tips!