Food and drink with a twist: 5 new cafes in S’pore that stand out from the pack

SINGAPORE – Several new cafes have opened in recent months, and a handful of them – backed by seasoned food and beverage players – are upping the ante on food, drinks and design.

This includes the first international outlet of the popular family-run Mary Grace cafe chain from the Philippines, which opens in Tras Street on March 13. It will showcase its signature dishes and popular baked treats such as its ensaymada and cheese rolls. 

Another one, Park Side at the Singapore Botanic Gardens, is a new concept by home-grown group PS.Gourmet, which is known for its PS.Cafe chain. It opens on Feb 28.

This new brand will focus on brunch fare and desserts, but with a different menu from the PS.Cafe chain, which means there will be no truffle fries here. 

Over at Joo Chiat, another household name has gone down the cafe route for the first time. 

Dona Manis Cake Shop, best known for its banana pies, launched a dine-in cafe in East Coast Road in November 2025, a short walk away from its current store at Katong Shopping Centre.

Then there is local chef Pang Kok Keong, who has launched a dessert and tea-focused cafe called Error 404 at Capitol Singapore; and Merle & Co at the new mixed-use development Lentor Modern, drawing pawrents to dine on plant-based fare with their furkids.

Operators of these five cafes highlight the need to stay ahead of the game amid the challenging food and beverage climate, with its many casualties.

Kwaasong Bakehouse at IOI Boulevard winds down operations on Feb 28, while floral-themed Cafe Q Classified at Takashimaya Shopping Centre shuts on March 1.

Mr Michael Bovell, 40, PS.Gourmet’s chief executive, says: “You hear about the struggles in the F&B scene, and it is true. But brands are also growing, the industry is changing and customers’ tastes are evolving. We can’t keep doing the same things. If we don’t evolve, our brands will suffer.” 

Here are places to bookmark for the upcoming school holidays.

1. Cafe Mary Grace Singapore 

Where: 52 Tras Street; opens from March 13, 9am to 6pm (Tuesdays to Sundays), closed on Mondays 
Info: @cafemarygrace.sg on Instagram

The warm wood and brick tones, the wall of family photos and the little notes of encouragement from customers at its Manila outlets speak of “The Goodness of Home” – the tagline of the cosy Mary Grace bakery and cafe chain.  

And it is the crowd favourite Mary Grace Ensaymada ($5.50), a buttery brioche bun crowned with premium aged Edam cheese, that has made the brand a household name in the Philippines since 1994.

“The cafe is an extension of our home, from the look and ambience to service and food,” says the cafe’s executive director Chiara Dimacali-Hugo, 46, the eldest daughter of the chain’s founder Mary Grace Dimacali, 70. 

Mrs Chiara Dimacali-Hugo and her husband Victor Hugo Jr, 45, and their two children made Singapore their home eight years ago, and are permanent residents here. She and her husband were formerly marketing executives at consumer goods company Unilever.

They manage the business here, while Mrs Dimacali-Hugo’s four siblings, brother-in-law and father are part of the business back in the Philippines. Mary Grace’s first kiosk was established in 2002, followed by its first cafe in 2006. It has grown into an empire of 83 cafes and 62 kiosks. 

Prior to this opening, they ran a series of online-only pop-ups in Singapore over the festive period to test the public’s response to the ensaymada, as well as Cheese Rolls ($4.30), light brioche shaped into a roll with a block of mild cheddar cheese baked into the centre. 

For a start, the cafe in Singapore will offer the brand’s famous buns, alongside Singapore-exclusive creations – Salted Egg Ensaymada ($6.50), with a creamy salted egg centre; and a Kaya Pandan Cheese Roll ($5.30), with housemade kaya. 

A selection of cakes includes the signature Mango Bene ($14.50, petite) with layers of meringue, custard cream and fresh mangoes. 

Highlights from the savoury menu include Cassava Chips with Onion Dip ($12); Angus Beef Tapa ($25.50), sliced Angus beef with a choice of rosemary fried rice or garlic rice, and sunny-side-up or scrambled eggs; and Grilled Chicken Inasal Focaccia ($19.50). 

The crab cake brioche ($27) – also exclusive to Singapore – features a hefty crab cake nestled in soft ensaymada brioche. 

Minor tweaks have been made to the food, such as making the bakes less sweet, and serving the chicken inasal with focaccia instead of rice, says Mrs Dimacali-Hugo, who has a culinary diploma from the Le Cordon Bleu cooking school in London. 

She supervises the baking of bread, buns and cakes, which are made off-premises in Cafe Mary Grace Singapore’s central kitchen. She hopes to expand the menu by May, with pasta dishes, more Singapore-exclusive items and hand-piped cakes for Mother’s Day.

Every element in the cafe has been “mum-approved”, says Mrs Dimacali-Hugo, adding that her mother will be in town for the official launch. 

2. Park Side 

Where: Singapore Botanic Gardens, 1 Cluny Road, Nassim Gate (near the Visitor Centre), open: 8am to 7pm (Mondays to Thursdays), 8am to 9pm (Fridays to Sundays)
Info: www.parkside.sg 

Park Side may be by the group behind PS.Cafe, but PS.Gourmet group’s Singapore-based Australian chief executive Michael Bovell, 40, is quick to emphasise that this is not another PS.Cafe and no truffle fries will be served here.

The 3,800 sq ft Park Side at the Singapore Botanic Gardens is a new all-day dining concept nestled in the flora and fauna of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

Mr Bovell won the tender with the National Parks Board, beating 11 others to snag the spot that formerly housed Prive. 

Asian fruit, herbs and spices are showcased in dishes such as Tikka Paneer Toast ($22), scrambled eggs, garam masala brown butter, mango yogurt, fried paneer cubes and chickpeas on sourdough; Tamarind Hot Honey Chicken Burger ($26), with mango slaw and tamarind tomato jam; and Spiced Fish & Chips ($28), featuring curry beer-battered fish and amchoor (dried green mango powder) fries. 

Vegetarian offerings include the Botanical Bowl ($24), with turmeric cashew golden rice, tempeh and mushrooms; “Rojak” Salad ($22), which includes caramelised pineapple, apple, crispy youtiao, tempeh and rojak dressing; and Woodland Pesto ($24), a pasta dish with maitake mushrooms and olive pesto.

The traditional kaya toast is taken to another level with Kaya, Bacon & Eggs ($22), comprising kaya French toast, fried egg, crispy bacon and Okinawa black sugar caramel. 

If you wish to picnic, its takeaway packaging is designed to be torn open and laid out for easy eating. 

Grab a soft serve cone ($5.50) from the ice-cream kiosk or go for sundaes such as Mud Pie ($14), with brownies, chocolate sauce and cookie crumbs; and Swan Lake ($14), with vanilla cake, mixed berries and flaked almonds.

A full range of coffee, tea, slushies and cocktails are also available. 

Spot Instagram-worthy details around the space – hand-sketched illustrations of animals such as pigeons with top hats, an otter in a coffee cup and toads on lilypads. 

This is the first brand created by Mr Bovell, who joined the group in September 2024. He has been refining menus across the chain since. 

PS.Cafe at I12 Katong will shut in March when its lease is up, and the group will focus on renovating its Harding Road outlet in the later half of 2026. 

The group will continue to refresh the offerings at its two contemporary Japanese Jypsy outlets at One Fullerton and East Coast Park, Chopsuey Cafe in Dempsey and Decker Barbecue at Robertson Quay, which it acquired in July 2025. 

There are plans to open two Decker Barbecue outlets with an expanded menu. 

3. Error 404 

Where: B2-29/30 Capitol Singapore, 13 Stamford Road, open: 10am to 9pm daily
Info: @error_404sg on Instagram 

It may be called Error 404, but this cafe is no mistake. It is a tongue-in-cheek “intentional error” by local chef Pang Kok Keong, 50, to present traditional Chinese desserts in a stripped-back, minimalist setting instead of the ornate decorations typically associated with Chinese dessert houses.

A sculptural indoor tree takes centre stage in the 41-seat space illuminated by crisp, cool lights.

A warm dessert section honours the classics with Yam ($7.80), orh nee with ginkgo nuts with fried shallot oil and lard; Red Bean ($4.50), with Mandarin peel; Longan Snow Fungus Soup ($4.50), with candied lotus seeds; and Candied Taro in Coconut Milk ($5), with sago. 

For an added layer of glutinous rice flavour, sticky rice green tea is added as a base for the matcha beverages (from $5.80) and lime tea ($4.80).  

There are also Duck Poop Nice single origin oolong tea and Golden Peony black tea options.  

The warm desserts and drinks were launched on Jan 31 for the cafe’s opening, while the rest of the menu items rolled out on Feb 23. 

Three plated desserts show the pastry-trained side of chef Pang, who previously ran the now-defunct Antoinette patisserie. He is also the executive chef of Surrey Hills Holdings and founder of Pang’s Hakka Yong Tau Foo at Hawkers’ Street foodcourts. 

For example, the Mango Whatever ($9.80) layers mango sorbet with pomelo, coconut panna cotta, sago, coconut creme Chantilly, mango coconut sauce and fresh mangoes; while the Fake Waffle ($12.80) transforms mochi into a waffle topped with matcha ice cream, ube mont blanc, candied red bean, black sugar syrup, brown sugar crumble, creme Chantilly and kinako powder. 

Hot food items comprise Braised Pork Rice (from $8.80) and Poached Chicken Rice (from $8.80) topped with bonito flakes. 

The $12.80 versions of both dishes are elevated with the addition of chawanmushi resting on top of the rice. 

4. Dona Manis Heritage Bakehouse 

Where: 95 East Coast Road, open: 10am to 7pm (Mondays to Thursdays), 10am to 8pm (Fridays to Sundays) 
Info: donamanis.com

Setting up Dona Manis Heritage Bakehouse 34 years after the establishment of the Dona Manis Cake Shop brand was a strategic move. 

Multiple attempts at a collective sale of Katong Shopping Centre, where the cake store is located, left the business with an uncertain future, so its chief heritage officer Claire Ariela Shen, 42, decided that it was time to branch out. 

The 20-seat dine-in cafe, which opened in November 2025, is in a two-storey shophouse – a short walk from Katong Shopping Centre. 

Ms Shen, who manages business and menu development, runs the company with her younger brother Jon Sim, 40, and her mother Esther Sim, 72, the second-generation owner.

The brand’s iconic banana pie (from $4.50 a slice) remains on the menu, alongside the chocolate banana pie (from $4.50 a slice), apple crumble ($8) and heritage chicken pie ($6). 

It also showcases snacks made with different varieties of bananas: banana ribbons ($12) from Thailand; smoked pisang boyan ($12) and banana chips ($7.50) made from Pisang Tanduk (a plantain); Pisang Nipah (a heritage cooking banana) or Pisang Berangan – the same creamy “dessert” banana used for the pie.

Pair the treats with coffee from home-grown brand PPP Coffee, starting at $9 for a banana pie and espresso or long black set. 

Ms Shen and her family, who are champions of heritage and the craft of local pastries, use the second floor for events, private functions and workshops.

Madam Sim, who opened and taught in a professional culinary school in the 1980s, does not rule out offering baking classes in the future. 

By mid-March, Dona Manis will launch a permanent kiosk space at Takashimaya Department Store’s basement two food hall selling the brand’s signatures, as well as chocolate tarts and banana pudding. There will also be store-exclusive osmanthus yuzu pineapple domes.

On the biggest lessons learnt from setting up a cafe, Ms Shen says: “Heritage needs a lot of discipline. A shophouse cafe may look nostalgic, and a family business, romantic, but sustaining it requires clarity – knowing what to focus on, what to remove, what we stand for, translating the menu and experience, and building systems that protect quality and service. 

“If we want our heritage to last for generations, it has to be intentional, not sentimental.”

5. Merle & Co

Where: 01-36 Lentor Modern, 1 Lentor Central, open: 9.30am to 9pm (Mondays to Thursdays), 9.30am to 10pm (Fridays), 8.30am to 10pm (Saturdays), 8.30am to 9pm (Sundays) 
Info: @merleandcosg on Instagram 

This is one for the plant-based pawrents, with pet-friendly indoor and outdoor seating, at the recently launched mixed-use development Lentor Modern. 

Merle & Co is the latest venture by co-founders Ashlyn Wang, 36, and Rose Tan, 37. Both are behind Korean vegetarian restaurants The Boneless Kitchen in Tai Seng and Daehwa in one-north. 

Ms Tan recalls it was challenging to find a place to dine with her dog when it was still alive. “We tried many places but were often turned away, despite regulations allowing pets in outdoor dining areas. That experience made me realise how limited the options were, especially for vegetarian and vegan dining,” she adds. 

The cafe’s menu is primarily ovo-lacto vegetarian, with dairy- and egg-free options. Highlights include the Brown Butter Butternut ($22) with fettuccine or rigatoni and Roasted Cauliflower Slab ($26), with chickpea and butter bean sauce. 

Brunch items include French Brioche Toast with fruits ($21) and Truffle Mushroom Tartine ($22). 

For the furkids, there is a goat milk puppuccino ($2), icy goat milk treats ($5.50) with banana and peanut butter or baked apples; and a Pawsome Harvest Medley ($12) of roasted vegetables.