Jalan Besar. Singapore’s newest hipster hood

When I arrived in Singapore in 2009, Haji Lane was The Place To Be for Hipsters like myself.

“Hah…hipster? You?”. Yeah, you heard me; one can be ‘older’ yet still cool and hip, if I may say so myself. I guess I better say so myself, since not many others may speak on my behalf. Although there are… OK, wandering off topic here.

Hipster neighborhoods in Singapore

Hipster neighborhoods in Singapore. Right. So first there was Haji Lane. Then we discovered Joo Chiatt, with it’s lovely combination of heritage (Peranakan shophouses), numerous cupcake places and other hipster spots. After that Tiong Bahru gentrified and became -and still is today- probably the largest hipster enclave. This neighborhood too combines heritage (beautiful, unique and coherent architecture) with lots of indie shops (bookshops, fashion, design) and cool eateries. I love eclectic neighborhoods, where old and new go hand in hand. Then we found out that Kampong Glam was on trend: murals, art and lots of bars and restaurants. Cool!

Jalan Besar, Singapore’s newest hipster hood

Now it’s time to meet the newest kid on the block: Jalan Besar. Singapore’s newest hipster hood. An area that combines a lot of heritage with a blossoming cafe culture, boutique hotels and art spaces.

Just a few of the many cafes that have popped up in Jalan Besar recently.

Where is Jalan Besar?

What area are we talking about exactly?

Jalan Besar lies between Little India and Lavender. It can be reached from Farrer Park MRT.

Here you can see where about this neighborhood is. With some points of reference like Mustafa centre to give us a better idea.

The furthest, pink circle indicates a wider definition of Jalan Besar. The inner, purple circle tells us where 90% of the new and hip places are to be found. The underlined, moss green streets have the highest density of cafes, restaurants and hotels.

This map gives us a closer look.

The most known hipster places are:

Tyrwhitt Road:

• Chye Seng Huat Hardware Coffee, in short: cshhcoffee.
• The Tiramisu Hero Cafe
• Anythingz Cafe

Horne Road:

• Windowsill Pies
• The Bravery

Somme Road:

• The Little Prince Cafe
• The Sweet Movement

Jalan Besar:

• Butter Studio
• Suprette, which is part of the Kam Leng Hotel
• Kam Leng Hotel

Lavender Street

• At Ease Gallery
• The Coffee Shot

Owen Road:

• Cakes Literally
• L’Etoile Cafe

And then there is :

• French restaurant and patisserie Antoinette, on Pentias Road
• The Artists Village, on Hindoo Road

This list is by no means complete. I also urge you to check this information before you head out to Jalan Besar. As everywhere in Singapore, new cafes and galleries pop up, but disappear equally fast.

Recent visit in search for the new cool

I went to Jalan Besar recently, to have lunch at Chye Seng Huat Hardware (cshhcoffee), stroll through some streets around Tyrwhitt Road, finishing my walk with a rose latte at The Little Prince Cafe. Since it was lunchtime, it was hot. Very, very hot. After that short stroll we were sweating and overheated. So we kept it short, that time. But with enough photo-opportunities;-).

Let me give you an impression of this trending neighborhood:

One of the things this area is known for is it’s hardware and machinery shops. There is still a lot of that around. But there’s more. Ofcourse there are temples, there is Lavender Food Square and there is a lot of heritage shophouse architecture still standing, in this neighborhood.

Thekchen Choling Temple, a Tibethan Buddhist Temple.

Gorgeous decoration outside the Tibethan Temple.

Isn’t this row of heritage houses charming?

Now that you have an impression of the traditional feel and look of Jalan Besar, let’s have a look at the new vibe that hangs in this hood.

To begin with Chye Seng Huat Hardware, where we had our lunch. This is a great place for artisinal coffee, for cakes and lunch, or to just hang out.

Chye Seng Huat Hardware coffee bar is not easy to spot. The entrance is through an industrial sliding door. Going inside, you arrive on a patio with outdoor seating.

The different function areas of cshhcoffee are located around the patio or courtyard. They grind and roast their own coffee, run a cafe/restaurant and give courses.

Inside the decor is industrial yet cosy.

They even have a small selection of merchandise, like the totes on the wall.

On the second floor they have workshops:

The teeny tiny cafe where we ended our walk, The Little Prince Cafe, is super cute.

The window of The little Prince Cafe, named after the famous book.

The neighboring cafe was closed, but luckily The Little Prince Cafe was open!

The drawings on the wall make the place look bigger than it is! So smart!

My friend Sabine in the little Prince Cafe, waiting for our lattes.

They advised us to have the rose latte, which was indeed very tasty.

Two random places where you can sleep in Jalan Besar.

This time I only spent a couple of hours in this trending area. I have set my mind on returning soon though. Then I intend to start early morning, and combine a heritage walk with stops at hip places along the way, like The Little Prince Cafe for a latte or cshh coffee bar for lunch.

Heritage Trails

The National Heritage Board Singapore is doing a great job in setting out Heritage Trails for tourists and interested locals alike. The maps are downloadable (for free) online. (Click on ‘heritage walk’ in the previous paragraph and you will land on that map.)

How fantastic is that?!

Discover Singapore on Foot

Another source that I like to use for city walks is “Discover Singapore on Foot”, written by Dominique Grele & Lydie Raimbault. I wrote about this book here. It is a feast for the eyes and gives detailed information, insider tips and couleur locale. So if you can get your hands on it, I highly recommend it.

Want to read more?

Here are some other articles that have been written about Jalan Besar’s cool factor:

• 13 cafes in and around Jalan Besar that scream this is more hipster than Tiong Bahru
• Jalan Besar goes cafe crazy
• Five of Singapore’s up and coming neighborhoods
• A guide to Singapore’s emerging Jalan Besar neighborhood

Have you visited Jalan Besar recently? What is your favorite hangout there?

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