Imagine this – it’s a beautiful Saturday afternoon and you’re lounging around your house enjoying the day, when you start to feel peckish. With the recent spate of cafes opening in heartland areas, it’s now possible to take a short stroll downstairs and be able to enjoy a delicious brunch/dessert/whatever takes your fancy within your very own neighbourhood. Here’s our list comprising some of the best heartland cafes in Singapore. Bon Appetit!

1. Brawn & Brains

Brawn & Brains is a cozy nook of a café, with seating to accommodate perhaps 15 people at the most. If you manage to get a seat, it’s a nice place to catch up with a friend over a cup of coffee, and some of their daily bakes. The Earl Grey Croissant with Toasted Pistachios has a mouth-watering fragrance to it, and the Dark Chocolate Tart is one that you can’t go wrong with as well either. Brawn & Brains, 100 Guillemard Rd, Singapore 399718

2. Fatcat Ice Cream Bar

We’ve all been bombarded with pictures of their signature charcoal waffles with salted egg yolk sauce on Instagram, but there’s more to Fatcat than that. This time, we tried the Coffee And Tea Set (one of their plated desserts), which consists of espresso ice cream topped with Bailey’s foam (deliciously refreshing!) and mango ice cream with a “trail mix” of sorts – a tantalising combination of blueberries, pomegranate bits, passion fruit bits, and breadcrumbs. It doesn’t get much more photogenic than this! Fatcat Ice Cream Bar, Blk 416 Bedok North Avenue 2 #01-25, Singapore 460416

3. Plain Vanilla Bakery

You can’t miss Plain Vanilla Bakery – they’ve got several pastel-coloured bikes complete with rattan baskets out front, and locals and tourists alike never fail to stop in their tracks to have a second look, or to snap a picture or two. The bakery only has al fresco seating, so we’d recommend going later in the evening, when temperatures are more forgiving. Try their Sticky Toffee Teacake, have a go on the rustic rope swing out front, and browse through the indie magazines at their reading corner. A lovely place to spend some time, if you’re looking for an evening of quiet leisure. Plain Vanilla Bakery, 1D Yong Siak Street, Singapore 168641

4. BuckTile St. Cafe

bucktile st cafe, oreomisu, ice cream sandwich

For those who don’t have access to a car, beware – Bucktile St Café is nestled in the heart of a private estate, and getting to it via public transport is certainly not for the faint of heart. Once you enter, you’ll be greeted by the sight of many colourful, cheery-looking cakes in the display case – trust us, it’s enough to make dessert lovers go shut up and just take my money! They have hot food as well, but of course we went straight for the desserts – both the Oreomisu in a Pot and the English Earl Ice Cream Sandwich hugely satisfied our sweet tooth. Bucktile St Café, 104 Faber Drive, Singapore 129412

5. The Coffee Daily

Located slightly off Serangoon Gardens, The Coffee Daily is a real charmer with its mismatched, eclectic furniture and its laidback vibe. Grab the comfy sofa seat if it’s available, and feel free to pick up the guitar in the corner if you’re one of those musically-inclined types. As for food, we went with the crowd-pleasing Somewhere Over The Rainbow – don’t visit too late in the day if you’re intending to order this, because it has a tendency to sell out early! The Coffee Daily, 75 Brighton Crescent, Singapore 559216

6. Creamier

Creamier is one of those places which is forever crowded – but for good reason. Yes, you have to wait 15 minutes (minimum, and more when it’s busy!) for your waffles to be made, and yes, the tables are tiny, which means that you’ll more likely than not bump elbows with your neighbour several times over the course of your stay, but we’ll be damned if these aren’t one of the lightest, crispiest waffles that we’ve had. Creamier, 128 Lorong 1 Toa Payoh, Singapore 310128

7. Sin Lee Foods

There are those places that people rave about, but turn out to be disappointing, then there are those places that are actually worth the hype – we’re glad to report that Sin Lee Foods belongs firmly in the second camp! Other than the Salted Egg Yolk Sweet Potato Fries that we’ve previously written about here, also try the Aburi Broccoli Salad, which has a deliciously torched flavour, and the Smoked Salmon Hash, which is brunch food at its best. Sin Lee Foods, 4 Jalan Bukit Ho Swee, Singapore 162004

8. Murphy's

Why do we wait till we’re overseas on holiday before we take the time to relax with a good book in a nice café? We’re committing to making time to doing just that in Singapore, starting off with Murphy's. The cafe has an entire bookcase’s worth of reading material for you to borrow, or you can even bring your own books to do a swap! While you’re at it, order the Murphy’s Fish And Chips, which is an English Batter Fried Arrowtooth Fish. The chips that come along are extra yummy with the bottled vinegar condiment! Murphy's, 532 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 #01-249, Singapore 106442

9. Hang Out Café

Hang Out Café is one of those places where you enter and immediately feel at home. It’s spacious, comfortable, and gives off a distinctly unpretentious WYSIWYG vibe. They have an extensive menu, and we’d recommend trying their brunch items, such as the Bombastic Eggs – this might look unassuming, but is actually delicious. Perfectly toasted edges, runny yolk and just the right amount of cheesiness? We’re sold! Hang Out Café, 603 Ang Mo Kio Ave 5, Singapore 560603

10. Ciel Patissierie

There’s many a dreamy-eyed twenty-something who is forever dreaming of conquering Paris, one café at a time – but the sad truth is that our meagre budgets are more suited to Char Kway Teow than Champs-Élysées. If you’re on the same page as us, check out Ciel Patissierie – they make lovely cakes and pastries that are surprisingly affordable. Special mention goes to the Sel, which is a decadent combination of dark chocolate ganache and butter shortbread with sea salt. Close your eyes, have a bite, and for a blissful two seconds, you’ll be transported to Paris. Ciel Patissierie, 124 Hougang Avenue 1, Singapore 530124 See also: Popular cafes in Singapore Best dessert cafes in Singapore

Written by Cherie Foo Images are writer's own