[Things to do in Singapore] Haji lane/North Bridge Road cafe hopping
You know the area bounding North Bridge Road, and Ophir Road lies the hippy Haji Lane, with many other cafes in nearby lanes such as Arab Street, Muscat Street, Kandahar Street etc. right?
Hazel and I went jalan jalan (which means strolling, sightseeing in Malay language) in Haji Lane while exploring the cafes one hot hot afternoon.... :) Enjoy the photos~~
ARTISTRY - CLOSED ( updated: Jan 2020)
1st stop: A combined cafe and art gallery concept, this cafe curates art exhibits from artists local and abroad. Besides being a venue for solo exhibits, talks, events and performances are also conducted on certain nights. Head to their facebook for the latest upcoming events.
Address: 17 Jalan Pinang, Facebook
Current exhibition going on is "Homo-cans", put up by Singapore-based, French photographer Clotide Richalet. This exhibit will run till 29th June and sees superimposed photos of dogs and their owners, creating interesting, amazing images.
( ** Pictures in this post are not reflective of the current exhibit on going as I visited the cafe in back in May- The exhibit back then was "Fragments... Plus" by Kristin Man).
Back to the food... there are many sweets like pies, cakes, cupcakes for one's selection...
Here's our order: the mighty Artistry Crab Burger $20.
Really love the thick-cut crab burger patty with herbs and real crab meat stuffings. The slight-crisp Squid Ink Buns are fragrant and a perfect match. Definitely worth the price and makes a good order for sharing; might be too overwhelming for ladies to eat a full set each.
Fries come in 2 choices: Cajun or Truffles. Thick and crispily finger-licking good!
Hazel with me for the day~~ :)
To Heaven or Hell?
Artistry is a lovely place to appreciate the arts and have a hearty meal with your loved ones at the same time... would love to try their other selections again.
Let's walk on....
Hello from me!
Hello from me!
As we continue walking after our first meal~~
Passed by Rockafella
A FOR ARBITE - CLOSED ( updated: Jan 2020)
And as we went exploring, we happened to pass by 'A for Arbite'! First time we ever heard for dine into, but no regrets.
28 Aliwal St #01-01, Singapore 199918. Facebook
This is an absolutely lovely place to be with it's cheerful, fun displays, injecting a jovial mood for the diners. In fact I must compliment their servers for providing excellent services despite the hectic weekend crowd. We were served by 2 to 3 different servers throughout and they were all very professional, offering bright smiles and great patience. Thumbs up!
Super crowded~~
Fun Classroom style theme for the cafe, simply awesome! 'A' shelves~
Different flavors of tea on display
This cafe is a Lego-advocate. Lego decorations can be found and kids are entertained with lego sets which they can play with! Awesome service for kids.
'Edith's Mess': Rock Melon Ice Cream, Passionfruit Jelly, fresh berries and pomelo segments. $8
Had wanted to order 'My Wife's Chocolate Cake' but it was OOS.
We were so surprised when this sweet thing was served! Absoutely pretty no?
Can't resist taking multiple photos of this cherry dessert.....
Flower petals adorned the ice- cream ♥
2nd order: ' Duck Confit'. $24.
This Duck Jar comes pack with: Mesclun Salad, Moroccan spices, roasted pumpkin, grapes, balsamic and prune puree.
Savory spread for the biscuits crisps~
Yummy Yumm~~ Pity the jar was too small, but it was flavourful and big on taste~
Cheers to a great afternoon tea! We definitely would return for their mains one day~~ :P
Bye Arbite! And so we strolled on~~
Just nearby, we headed to the much hyped Dong Po Colonial Cafe... Was anticipating to try their snacks.
56 Kandahar Street. Facebook
Here are the old-school snacks they sell.
This cafe is apparently listed in many of the travel guidebooks judging from the many tourists who came in, holding on to their guidebooks no less...
Here's our order: 3 Hole Cookie- $1.90 right; Roly Poly Chocolate Almond- $2.20; Long cupcake ( I forgot how much, should be less than $2)
I was carrying high expectations but on the first bite I did not find the snacks as enticing as I hope they would be. Hazel agreed. These pastries were 'normal' and nothing to shout about. The cupcake was too dry for our liking and the rest were really normal pastries, on the overpriced range. Well, that's our verdict at least.
Save for it's somewhat nostalgic environment, there's nothing worth a re-visit soon, in our opinion.
Bye to Dong Po Colonial Cafe as we headed on to Haji Lane, we passed by the Sultan Mosque.
Just nearby is the Children Little Museum Singapore?! Have never heard of this place before.Played tourist and took photos :) Apparently foreigners know about this place... hmmm and me- a local don't...
( Sheepish*_*)
It looks likes Mint Museum of Toys at Bugis right? Paid admissions if you want to view the exhibits, but we didn't pay to go in.
Moving on, here we were finally at the quaint, charming streets of Haji Lane.
Now occupied by cafes and distinctive shops of different flavors, this street is buzzing with activity and patronised by locals and tourists alike.
For all interested in quirky fashion and vintage finds, try your luck at Haji Lane.
Many cafes also line the streets, such as Shop Wonderland, with it's whimsical wonderland feel. However be prepare for a full-house seatings on weekends~
LA MARELLE - CLOSED ( Updated Jan 2020)
Wanted to go La Marelle but it was fully occupied as well.
ELFFIN & ELIFFIN - CLOSED ( Updated: Jan 2020)
Our last stop was to Elffin & Elffin, which also happens to be an art gallery cum cafe, displaying works of blooming Singapore artists. It's known that the owner of the cafe picks artists personally on how the visuals compliments the space of the gallery. Upcoming exhibits will be by students from the School of the Arts, comprising illustrations and mixed media works, starting from 27th June.
Here's the 2nd level seating.
29 Haji Lane. Facebook
Here's our order: carrot cake $6.9
caramel latte $5.5
The food is nothing to shout about, however if you are here to study, this is a quiet place away from the buzz of Haji Lane outside.
Hope you enjoy my little tour of Haji Lane and it's surrounding areas. Enjoy this up and rising hipster area, though I wish it's original 'flavors' will be preserved. We shall see in coming years.
( Editor's note in Jan 2020: Sadly, I realized many of the cafes mentioned in this article some 6 years ago had already shut down. Guess Singapore's F&B industry is fickle as such. Only the fittest who captures the heart of the diners survive.)
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