As much as we love all the chic new cafés popping up around town, we’re softies for tradition at the end of the day. And that means old restaurants or coffee shops that were around even before our parents were born.
Sadly, not too many of these places exist today, thanks to redevelopment on a large scale. But if you look carefully, there are a few hidden gems in the city that still serve up no-fuss, old school fare, just the way they’ve been served for years.
Here are 8 of our favourites:
Café Colbar
Visiting Café Colbar is akin to hopping on a time machine and setting the destination to British Colonial Singapore, because that’s exactly where this rustic restaurant looks like it belongs. Opened in 1953 as a canteen for the British military, Café Colbar serves up Hainanese-style Western fare, along with a refreshing list of beers and ciders. Oh, and it has no air conditioning too. Authenticity, on point.
Café Colbar, 9A Whitchurch Rd, Singapore 138839. Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 11.30am to 10pm. Closed on Mondays.
Heap Seng Leong
Heap Seng Leong is one of those places you probably won’t find even if you’ve walked past it a thousand times. Okay, we exaggerate. But it is located in a hard-to-spot area near Lavender MRT. Find it however, and you’ll be transported to a 50’s kind of setting where mostly old folk sit down and bore through newspapers. As for the grub, look forward to homemade kaya toast, char kuay teow, and good ol’ kopi.
Heap Seng Leong, 10 North Bridge Rd, #01-5109, 190010. Opening Hours: Open daily, 4am to 8pm.
No Name Teh Sarabat Stall
Located opposite the bustling Kampong Glam Café, No Name Teh Sarabat Stall is a charming coffee shop that’ll take you down memory lane. Chief teh-puller Zamir Ahmad has been whipping up deliciously frothy tek tarik cups for over 40 years, and with his wealth of experience, you’ll be getting the real deal over here. Food-wise, this quaint but crowded space dishes out nasi lemak, samosas, and curry puffs.
No Name Teh Sarabat Stall, 21 Baghdad Street, 199660. Opening Hours: Open daily, 6.30am to Midnight.
Chin Mee Chin Confectionery
Where did our parents paktor before hipster cafés started becoming the norm? Why, at old school confectioneries of course. And old school confectioneries don’t come any better than Chin Mee Chin, a bona fide dining institution that’s been around for more than 80 years. Please do yourself a favour and try out their egg tarts. They. Are. To. Die. For.
Chin Mee Chin Confectionery, 204 East Coast Rd, Singapore 428903. Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 8.30am to 3.30pm. Closed on Mondays.
Seng Hong Coffee Shop
Variety isn’t exactly Seng Hong Coffee Shop’s strong suit. There are only two stalls here after all – one of which serves noodles (kuey teow thng and fishball mee to be exact), while the other is a drink stall with a penchant for whipping up gorgeous plates of kaya toast. It is one of those rare places that you hardly see around anymore, so paying it a visit isn’t such a bad idea.
Seng Hong Coffee Shop, Blk 58 Lengkok Bahru, Singapore 150058. Opening Hours: Open daily, 6am – 6pm. Closed on alternate Sundays.
Tong Ah Eating House
Here’s another establishment that has expertly withstood the test of time. Having been around since 1937 (before freakin’ World War II, mind you), Tong Ah Eating House is a favourite haunt of CBD workers with its convenient location at Keong Saik Road. It may have had a few upgrades over the last few years – air conditioning for instance, but it still retains that vintage essence which made it so popular in the first place.
Tong Ah Eating House, 35 Keong Saik Road, Singapore 089142. Opening Hours: Open daily, 7am to 10pm.
Shashlik Restaurant
Shashlik, Singapore’s best-loved Russo-Hainanese restaurant, made headlines back in 2015 when it announced it would be closing down for good, much to the disappointment of foodies. After all, the restaurant was super popular in the 1980s and 90s for its borscht soup and meat on skewers. But thankfully, the shutters have opened up once again, and Shashlik is back in business at its old Far East Shopping centre location.
Shashlik Restaurant, 545 Orchard Rd, #06-19 Far East Shopping Centre. Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday; 12pm to 2.15pm, 6pm to 9.15pm. Closed on Mondays.
Hua Bee Mee Pok
Famed for being the setting of Eric Khoo’s film Mee Pok Man, Hua Bee Mee Pok is part of that dying breed of coffee shops that only sell one dish (it’s pretty obvious so we’re not going to say it). What’s even more unique about this place however is that it’s not just a vintage coffee shop. Hua Bee Mee Pok actually shares a space with chic Japanese restaurant Bincho, which only operates at night. Now how cool is that?
Hua Bee Mee Pok, 78 Moh Guan Terrace, Singapore 162078. Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 7am to 3pm. Closed on Mondays.
Cover image: The Integer Club
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