Affordable cafes in Singapore with no GST
There are 2 things Singaporeans love: cafe hopping and finding lobangs. Combine both and you’re set for a memorable day out with your friends. But eating in cafes isn’t a cheap affair – a simple main dish and coffee often comes with a hefty price.
From $13 Japanese rice bowls to $9.90 Western mains, check out these cafes with no GST and service charge where what you see is what you get without the heartache of additional taxes.
1. The Autobus Cafe – bicycle-themed cafe in the CBD
The cafe has mountain bikes mounted on walls – they’re also for sale!
Image credit: @fotog123
At The Autobus Cafe, you can make your own grain bowls from scratch – there are 3 sizes to choose from: Small ($12), Regular ($14), and Large ($16). Choose from proteins like Spicy Creamy Salmon and Teriyaki Grilled Squid, or carbs like Brown Rice and Quinoa.
Image credit: @downtowngallerysg
It’s a bicycle-themed joint in the CBD so feel free to cycle down – they’ve got bicycle racks for you to safely lock your bike at for the day. You can also pick up cycling accessories and gear from premium cycling brands like Specialized.
Address: 6A Shenton Way, #01-01 Downtown Gallery, Singapore 068815
Opening hours: Mon – Fri 8AM-9PM | Sat 8AM-3PM | Closed on Sun
Telephone: 6909 3406
Website
2. Summer Hill – casual French bistro
Dishes like Wagyu Tajima Striploin and Seared Kurobuta Pork Chop
Image credit: @oshengkai
Summer Hill allows you to enjoy simple French meals, alfresco style. It’s a relatively cosy space that’s decked out in colourful furniture and a wall of dangling ferns. For those looking for a hearty main, try their Seared Kurobuta Pork Chop ($42) – it comes with a pumpkin puree base that’s flavoured with brown butter and herbs.
Their Signature Roast Chicken (from $23) comes with a flavourful herb butter sauce
Image credit: @fionatingx
They also have a set lunch menu, where you can choose from appetisers like Pumpkin Soup or Roasted Baby Eggplants and mains like Roast Chicken or Snapper Fillet. Sets start from $26 for 2-courses. On Tuesdays, it’s free BYOB with no corkage fee.
Image credit: @summerhill.sg
Address: 106 Clementi Street 12, #01-62, Singapore 120106
Opening hours: Tue – Fri 12-3PM, 5PM-10PM | Sat – Sun 11.30AM-4PM, 5PM-10PM | Closed on Mon
Telephone: 6251 5337
Website
3. Strong Flour – handmade pasta and pizza
Image credit: @hellodearyou
Located in Katong V, Strong Flour specialises in handmade pasta and pizza. It’s a classy restaurant with white marble tables and minimalist decor all around. Portions here are huge and it’s best to head down as a group to try a range of dishes.
One crowd favourite is their Truffle Pizza ($22) that has a white cream base, a generous scattering of black truffle, and a runny egg right in the middle.
Beef Ragu – served al dente with tender beef chunks
Image credit: @veroy
If you head down on Thursday, all meat dishes are priced at $20 and you can also BYOB for free.
Image credit: @gtfoodandevents
Address: 30 East Coast Road, #01-01 Katong V, Singapore 428751
Opening hours: Tues-Fri: 11.30AM-3PM, 6PM-10PM | Sat: 11AM-10PM | Sun: 9AM-4PM
Telephone: 6440 0457
Website
4. Hustle Co – craft beer on tap at Tanjong Pagar
Image credit: @hellocoffeebreak
Those looking to kick back with an ice-cold beer will thoroughly enjoy Hustle Co for their 12 craft beers on tap. The range includes Red Apple Cider (from $8) and Flat White Stout (from $9). You can try a variety too with the Beer Sampling Set ($20) that comes with any 5 beers of your choice.
Image credit: @sybilbil
Besides drinks, they offer a solid selection of Western dishes. Start with the Mezza Board ($19), a sharing platter filled with fried feta cheese, marinated olives, and pita bread. Other savoury highlights include their Norwegian Salmon ($24) which is served with potato russet rosti and a generous topping of ikura (fish roe).
Address: 52 Craig Road, Singapore 089690
Opening hours: Mon – Sat 9AM-10PM | Closed On Sun
Website
5. Ninja Cut – healthy Japanese grain bowls
Image credit: @itstheben
Eating clean often comes with a hefty price tag and tiny portions, but that’s not the case at Ninja Cut where none of the mains go beyond $20. The place serves up Japanese grain bowls with healthy options like soba noodles and quinoa.
A popular dish is the Oceans of Mentaiko ($18) which features Hokkaido scallops, mussels, prawns and crusty toasted bread – all topped off with a thick mentaiko butter cream sauce.
Those with a sweet tooth can try the Marvellous Matcha ($16). Similar to a lava chocolate cake, it oozes out a warm matcha lava once you pierce through. It’s also sprinkled with crystallised yuzu peel for a fruity fragrance.
Read more about our experience here.
Address: 32 Seah Street, Singapore 188388
Opening hours: Mon-Fri: 9.30AM-9.30PM | Sat -Sun: 9AM-6PM
Telephone: 6264 7727
Website
6. Walking On Sunshine – garden-themed cafe with Korean beauty salon
The American Breakfast
Walking On Sunshine is both a cafe as well as a hair and nail salon, which is great for those looking for a full day of relaxation all under one roof. This garden-themed cafe serves up breakfast buffets at $15 nett from 9AM-12PM. We recommend trying their American Breakfast, which comes with sausage, golden-brown hash browns, salad and a side of crunchy mushrooms.
Check out their in-house nail salon for a quick mani-pedi fix
Their lunch menus are just as hearty with dishes like Chicken Burger ($18) and Pork Roll ($17) – a spicy dish that comes with BBQ pork and cucumber slices.
It’s also a great spot for photography lovers since it has several photo spots, with backdrops like a huge flower wall and a car bonnet filled with plants. Read more about our experience here.
Address: #03-07 Orchard Central, 181 Orchard Road, Singapore 238896
Opening hours: 10AM – 10PM, Daily
Telephone: 8877 8800
Website
7. Molten Diners – Western dishes with unique homemade sauces
All main dishes come with 2 sides- choose from 14 options including Mac & Cheese, Ratatouille and Soba Noodles
Image credit: Molten Diners
Molten Diners is an eatery that serves up mains like grass-fed Australian ribeye and Wagyu beef. Some of their star dishes include Black Pepper Chicken ($9.90) and “The Twist” Lava Golden Crispy Fish Fillet ($14.90), a fish-based dish that’s flavoured with powdered cheese Twisties.
Image credit: @jamiegems
You can also look forward to your dishes being paired with unique homemade sauces such as gorgonzola blue cheese, yuzu butter and pumpkin salted egg to give your dishes extra flavour. On Fridays and Saturdays, the place closes at 2AM so you now have another late night spot to hang with your kakis.
Address: 246 Upper Thomson Rd, Singapore 574370
Opening hours: Sun – Thur 11AM-11PM | Fri – Sat 11AM-2AM
Telephone: 6802 4082
Website
8. Umi Nami – Japanese rice bowls at Holland Village
Aburi Salmon Don
Umi Nami is a no-frills Japanese cafe that serves up rice bowls at pocket-friendly prices – we’re talking $15 and below. The place is brightly lit with paper lanterns dangling from the ceiling, and also offers alfresco-dining seating areas.
We recommend trying their Aburi Salmon Don ($13), which comes with cubed salmon, sliced cucumbers, shredded radish and tobiko. Another dish to check out is the Maguro Tataki Don ($15), which features 9 tuna slices that’ve been delicately cut and fanned out over fluffy rice.
The cafe only accepts cash so be sure to draw some money from the nearby ATMs before making your way here. There’s one just across the road when you head towards Cold Storage.
Read more about our experience here.
Address: 8 Lorong Mambong, Singapore 277674
Opening hours: 12PM-3PM, 6PM-11PM, Daily
Website
Cafes with nett prices in Singapore
Cafe hopping isn’t a cheap affair – we can’t help but be shocked by the steep bill when all we’ve ordered is a side of truffle fries and iced latte. But with these 8 cafes, there are no GST or service charges whatsoever and you can eat to your heart’s content without worrying about the steep bills.
Here are several other cafe guides to consider:
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