Specialty coffee in Singapore

Specialty coffee in Singapore sits beside kopi, robusta roasted with sugar and margarine, with Tanjong Pagar the densest third-wave neighbourhood. Kopi, strong, sweet and caramelised, is the city's everyday coffee. The specialty scene has grown around it rather than replacing it. Nylon Coffee Roasters, in a heritage shophouse, sources directly from farms; Common Man Coffee Roasters runs several cafés; Apartment Coffee rotates single origins; and Tiong Hoe Specialty Coffee, a third-generation roastery, bridges traditional kopi and specialty beans.

The cafés listed here are spread across the city-state. Tanjong Pagar has the highest concentration of specialty cafés, while neighbourhoods such as Queenstown, Holland Village and Little India add their own mix, from modern espresso bars to Indian filter coffee.

Expect espresso-based drinks, pour-over and cold brew at the specialty cafés, including Common Man's long-extraction cold brew, with traditional kopi never far away.