Mapping out your café hopping itinerary for the upcoming weekend? We’ve done some of the work for you and listed 5 hotspots with at least five cafés in its neighbourhood, so you can look forward to an entire day of coffee and cakes alongside a good book or catch up with that one friend who’s finally back in town.

1. Bedok

Badoque As one of Singapore’s best halal cafes, Badoque has earned a steady flow of regular diners who return time and again for its hefty dish portions and excellent service. Their signature beef ribs come highly recommended alongside other meaty endeavours like lamb shank and spicy kepak bing bing wings. Wash it all down with an indulgent salted caramel milkshake! 246 Bedok Road, Singapore 574370 BLACK&INK Whether you’re dropping by for breakfast, lunch, tea or just dessert, this traditional espresso bar in the East feeds well with its diversity of options. Order a latte and take your pick from their tempting selection of cakes, or go for one of the croissants filled with sweet or savoury options like dark chocolate or salted egg yolk. Finally, end off with a scoop of mao shan wang (durian) or dark chocolate gelato in a cookie cup and you’re set. 168 Changi Road #01-01/02, Singapore 419730 Refuel Located under a block of HDB flats in Bedok, this petrol station-themed café remains loved for fueling the neighbourhood with tasty and reasonably-priced brunch fare. Expect scrambled eggs with toast, waffles or pancakes and aromatic coffee prepared with locally roasted beans. Blk 744 Bedok Reservoir Road #01-3029, Singapore 470744 Percolate The folks at heartland hipster café Percolate are pretty adventurous when it comes to sourcing for beans. They’ve had guest roasters and guest filter coffees from cafes in Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Melbourne and Paris alongside local names like Nylon Coffee Roasters. Definitely, one to check out for the coffee aficionados. Blk 136 Bedok North Avenue 3 #01-152B, Singapore 460136 To-Gather Expect nothing but good vibes in this homely heartland café, whose walls are cloaked in beautiful quotes, doodles and murals. It’s mostly western grub here, with the occasional fusion twist. Make sure you give their matcha lava cake a go! Blk 84 Bedok North Street 4 #01-25/27, Singapore 460084 (Images: BLACK&INK Facebook Page, OpenRice user shirlynnyang, To-Gather Café Facebook Page)

2. Bukit Timah

Atlas Coffeehouse If you’re feeling peckish on a lazy afternoon, escape to Atlas Coffeehouse near Botanic Gardens MRT station and ask for their butterscotch banana pancake or a velvety scrambled eggs on sourdough toast pairing. We love the dark blue shades and white marble tiles of its visually-appealing interior, as well all that natural light pouring in through its large window panels from the front. 6 Duke's Road, Singapore 268886 Carpenter & Cook Say hello to vintage wonderland! One of the quaintest cafes in Singapore, Carpenter and Cook is a treasure trove of old knick knacks – from antique typewriters, chairs and tableware – which you can purchase and they do desserts really well too. Our favourites include Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel Tart, Passionfruit Meringue Tart and Lemon Cream Tart. 19 Lorong Kilat #01-06, Singapore 598120 Choupinette Compared to most other cafés on this list, Choupinette isn’t quite your typical hipster haunt with a minimalistic interior. Instead, you’ll feel like you’ve stepped into a cosy home – one with the aroma of freshly baked bread. What you should know about this French bakery/café/restaurant , is that it has been said to serve the best eggs benedict in town, which comes with a price tag to match its godliness. 607 Bukit Timah Road #01-01, Singapore 269708 Crown Bakery & Café Modeled after chic Parisian coffee shops, Crown Bakery & Café is a heaven for bread lovers. Not only does it boast a range of 45 different breads that includes Hainanese Chicken Rice bread completed with a chilli dip, but full mains such as their Crown breakfast platter laden with a portion of oxtail braised in stew as well. Crown Centre, 557 Bukit Timah Road #01-03, Singapore 269694 Lynn’s Cakes & Coffee The rainbow cake from Lynn’s Cakes & Coffee has won the hearts of many, including us, for its perfect balance of sweetness. But aside from that, the gleaming cake display at this husband-and-wife-owned café holds other tantalizing layered cakes in flavours like raspberry lavender, match and peanut butter and jelly! 11 Eng Kong Terrace, Singapore 598983 Rise & Grind Coffee Co. Located outside Bukit Timah Plaza, Rise & Grind Coffee Co. prides itself in using the freshest ingredients in its cooking and serving good coffee and customers wholeheartedly. The Ocean’s Thirteen is a sure-win for anyone who loves a good smoked salmon and poached eggs on toast combo. (Theirs come with apple cider hollandaise and beetroot yoghurt on the side.) Bukit Timah Plaza, 1 Jalan Anak Bukit #L1-CA1, Singapore 588996 (Images: Atlas Coffeehouse Facebook Page, OpenRice Singapore, Lynn’s Cakes Facebook Page)

3. Farrer Park

Jewel Café and Bar An extension of Jewel Coffee in Shenton Way, this café and bar spans two storeys at Rangoon Road and is far more spacious than most contenders on this list. Industrial and laid back vibes run throughout, from the alfresco area and main dining hall on level one, to the cosier and couched-filled space on level two. Food wise, we say go straight for the pasta section. Just who can say no to umamni prawn capellini or chilli crab pasta? 129 Rangoon Road, Singapore 218407 Non-Entrée Desserts Taking over the premises of now defunct Woodshed café next to Ng Ah Sio Bak Kut Teh, this dessert-centric joint brings to you modern takes on European plated desserts at fairly affordable prices. The most bizarre item on their menu, Rubber Ducky, looks as if it has just been taken out of a bathtub, while their most popular item, Matcha Avalanche is quite a sight to behold so get those cameras ready! 204 Rangoon Road, Singapore 218451 Old Hen Coffee Bar Unlike most cafés around, Old Hen Coffee Bar starts their day only at noon on weekdays. The interior is simple and the menu is limited to waffles, sandwiches and cakes. But as no-frills as it is, we definitely wouldn’t mind whiling our afternoon away in this intimate space – just as long as the fridge is stocked with bottles of their rave-worthy cold brew coffee. 88 Rangoon Road #01-03, Singapore 218374 More cafés in the area to check out: L'etoile Cafe, Brunches Café (Images: L'etoile Cafe Facebook Page, Jewel Cafe and Bar Facebook Page, Non Entrée Desserts Facebook Page)

4. Outram/ Everton Park

Just Want Coffee Opposite the hipster Duxton hood lies a quieter residential area, Everton Park, where several cafés like Just Want Coffee can be found at the foot of HDB blocks.The origins of this minimalist Taiwanese-style café lies across the causeway in Johor Bahru, where its flagship store is based. It’s the perfect place to hit up whether you’re an espresso nerd, a latte art enthusiast or an advocate for drip style coffee. 1 Everton Park #01-27, Singapore 081001 The LoKal Sitting on the fringes of Duxton Hill, this Aussie-inspired café evokes a casual and homely ambience with food that’s equally comforting – and using homemade ingredients too. Whether you swing by for brunch or dinner, these star desserts for each respective menu are ones you really shouldn’t miss out on: Toasted banana bread and sticky date pudding. 136 Neil Road, Singapore 088865 Nylon Coffee Roasters Opened four years ago by individuals with a passion to source, roast and brew coffees from around the world, this micro-roastery is no stranger to coffee buffs in Singapore. Due to the limited outdoor seats and space inside around the communal standing bar, it’s definitely more of a café to swing by for takeout coffee (available in 3 sizes), rather than a place to spend your hours at. 4 Everton Park #01-40, Singapore 080004 The Populus Coffee & Food Co. This industrial chic gastro-café at Neil Road (just a few doors away from The LoKal) is a collaboration between folks behind the now defunct Department of Caffeine, as well as local roastery Two Degrees North Coffee Co. Great coffee aside, The Populus Coffee & Food Co. is quite the “grain master” with their delicious line of colourfully plated donburi rice and grain bowls – perfect for anyone craving for a wholesome and balanced meal. 146 Neil Road, Singapore 088875 More cafés in the area to check out: The Provision Shop, Roosevelt's, Sing HK Café and Stranger’s Reunion (Images: The Populus Coffee & Food Co. Facebook Page, Sing HK Café Facebook Page, Stranger’s Reunion Faceboom Page)

5. Thomson/ Upper Thomson

Pacamara Boutique Coffee Roasters After rebranding, Oz Specialty Coffee returned to the coffee scene as the naturally brightly lit Pacamara Boutique Coffee Roasters with a white-washed interior, complete with wall-mounted shelves of coffee-related merchandise. Before heading to the counter to order your coffee, which comes in three sizes (3oz, 5oz and 7oz), scour their refrigerator for sodas, ciders, juices and beers – and if you’re lucky, cold brewed tea and coffee. For food, we recommend going for Truffle Fries, Ocean Mac and Cheese and Spanish Eggs. 185 Upper Thomson Road, Singapore 574333 Habitat Coffee Five-year-old Habitat Coffee is another long-time player in Singapore’s café scene inspired by those in Melbourne. It serves the usual brunch suspects such as eggs benedict and pancakes alongside pastas like chilli crab linguine and one of the best churros around. Top Deck, its event space on level 2 is a great venue for hosting launch parties, exhibitions, workshops or even corporate meetings! 223 Upper Thomson Road, Singapore 574355 More cafés in the area to check out: One Man Coffee, Yahava KoffeeWorks, The Clueless Goat (Images: Pacamara Boutique Coffee Roasters Singapore Facebook Page, Habitat Coffee Facebook page, The Clueless Goat Facebook Page)

Written by Peh Yi Wen