Neil Road near Maxwell MRT station has been seeing quite a number of new café openings of late.
Other than the more familiar names of Apiary and Acoustic Coffee Bar; new kids on the block include FiftyFive Coffee Bar, The Glasshouse, Fieldnotes by Zee & Elle, Arc-en-ciel Pâtisserie (Neil Road) and soon Parallel Coffee Roasters.
So many.
With so many cafes around Chinatown cafes, perhaps you are always on a lookout for coffee spots with interesting character.
Named after its postal address, 55A Neil Road, you might miss the entrance of FiftyFive Coffee Bar if you blink for just a second too long.
It opens at 8:55am during weekdays (except Mondays), and 9:55am for weekends (one day I should just go to check).
The café can be found under a shophouse and where the walls are painted baby blue. There is a sign that will instruct you to go upstairs through a narrow pathway.
It opens up into a spacious area and a corridor, where the coffee counter is always busy.
Designed to incorporate the elements of an outdoor garden, the earth-toned livery is matched with a number of tall potted plants and ample space between each table.
Under a spiral staircase, there is even an area adorned with soil and ferns.
Quite a comfortable setting, though I found the air a little ‘still’ and could do with some circulation of sorts.
FiftyFive Coffee Bar serves specialty coffee and tea drinks in the day, while it transforms into a cocktail bar by night.
The owner and team used to work at Pinhole Coffee Bar and Narrative Coffee Stand.
Drinks will change every couple of months.
There are some interesting specials spotted, such as Manuka Honey Miso Latte ($7.50), Strawberry Pipagao Latte ($7.50, $8.50), Dirty Spiced Lemonade ($7.50), and Sticky Chai ($8).
What? No drinks at $5.50. (Okay, the Iced Black is.)
Out of its repertoire of drinks, the one that immediately caught my eye was the Manuka Honey Miso Latte.
The quirky drink was really a pulled shot with milk, a touch of miso and a drizzle of honey.
Its saltiness came through in an interesting contrast to the richness of the coffee.
I would say good to try if you are curious, but I would probably go for the more regular drinks in time to come.
The other unique-tasting drink was the Strawberry Pipagao Latte ($7.50, $8.50).
I actually thought they got the balance there quite well, without one over-powering the others – especially when you have such distinctive components.
Towards the end, you get more of that cooling cough syrup taste, which made it fairly pleasant to have.
Not up for a try? Go for the filter coffee instead, brewed from single-origin beans. They include the Kirinyaga Kabingara AB and Guji Uraga Layo Terega, both from Japan, and the Colombian Narino Aponte.
The usual Espresso, Black, White, and Mocha are available.
For the non-coffee side, the special is the Dirty Spiced Lemonade ($7.50), made from a house-blend spice mixed with lemon juice.
Food wise, there are two bakes of Homemade Apple Tart ($7.50) and Chocolate Babka ($7) – fairly standard stuff, and the things that stand out more here are the drinks.
While you sip on your drink, keep a lookout for the surrounding decorations – FiftyFive is also a space for creative collaborations, featuring art pieces from local artists in the premises.
FiftyFive Coffee Bar
55A Neil Road, Singapore 088892
Opening Hours: 9:55am – 5pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon
Other Related Entries
10 Maxwell Cafes
Acoustic Coffee Bar (Neil Road)
The Glasshouse (Neil Road)
Fieldnotes by Zee & Elle (Neil Road)
Arc-en-ciel Pâtisserie (Neil Road)
* Written by Daniel Ang and Dean Ang. Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.
