If you are looking for a chill spot after a visit to the Singapore Botanic Gardens, you are in luck as food options along the Bukit Timah end of the park have never been better. A popular option is Atlas Coffeehouse, a chic joint less than a 5 minute walk from Botanic Gardens MRT.
About Atlas Coffeehouse
The café is tastefully designed with a mix of industrial chic and soothing colors, making for a lovely ambience. The indoor seating capacity is limited, but worth it to be out of the heat.
On weekends, do make a reservation beforehand. If not, be prepared for queues anywhere from 30 min (~2pax) – 45 min (large groups). Atlas has an outdoor waiting area and it can get hot, so do keep this in mind if you are intending to bring a date there. 🙂
Coffee & Drinks
We got started with Atlas’ coffee selections – a regular latte & cappuccino ($5.40 each). The coffee was fairly standard, smooth & on the lighter side. Pricing was also average, about $5 for a hot coffee and $6-7 for an iced coffee.
For non-coffee drinkers, Atlas also serves up UK-imported bottled Botanically Brewed Sodas with flavors like Victorian Lemonade & Rose Lemonade which we tried. These were not bad flavor-wise – refreshing, and not too sweet but pricey at $7.50 for less than a full glass (<300ml).
Brunch & Mains
A great thing about Atlas is how vegetarian-friendly they are – it’s not always easy to find a café with decent vegetarian options. There are multiple tempting brunch choices such as Hotcakes & Lemon Curd ($15.50), Smashed Avo & Watermelon ($20.90) and Scrambled White & Greens ($23.50) – the list goes on.
The Scrambled White & Greens ($23.50) was a unique combination of guacamole, sauteed kale, edamame and egg whites generously topped with parmesan. The whites were rich & savory and portion size was quite large. At $23.50 it was on the pricier end of the menu though.
As I’m a waffle person – I couldn’t resist trying the Candied Bacon Waffle ($15.50). This was definitely a cheat-day meal, consisting of a freshly made buttermilk waffle topped with 4 large strips of candied bacon, maple syrup & powdered sugar.
The waffle itself was fantastic, with a crisp exterior & a moist, fluffy interior. The combination of bacon, syrup & sugar was way too sweet after a while. The original dish actually comes with vanilla ice cream on top which I thankfully asked them serve without.
The Verdict
The food was pretty good (but pricey) and coffee was decent. A stronger pull factor will probably be the beautiful design & aesthetic of the café which is worth experiencing.
That aside, one small drawback is that crowds and noise are an unavoidable part of the Atlas experience now that they are well-known. You can try to visit during off-peak hours to have a more laid-back experience! 🙂
Rach Recommends: Loved Atlas Coffeehouse? Try their sister cafes Apollo Coffee Bar & Colombus Coffee Co.
Atlas Coffeehouse
Address: 6 Duke’s Road, Singapore 268886
Opening Hours: Tues – Sun 8am – 7pm (Closed on Mondays)
Note that there seems to be a dining-time limit as we were reminded to finish up after about 1.5 hours.
