Apartment Coffee

Was in the area and decided to give Apartment a go. There was a queue of 12-15 people in front of me and ended up waiting for half an hour. Expectation was tempered as I have been disappointed at Michelin-recommended places before and didn’t want to hype myself up too much in case I experience disappointment. After the first sip, i knew even if my expectation was stratospheric, Apartment would have rocketed beyond. I’m no addict to caffeine and definitely no connoisseur. Even had to pull out Chat to help me figure out how to taste/appreciate coffee. Every sip drew me in further, and compelled me to savour each drop as slowly as permissible. Incredibly fragrant yet the clean finish left no trace that the coffee had passed my tongue. The barista was so kind to give us a small sample of the last hand drip coffee that we did not order and we were immediately hooked. Ordered that on the spot and I added a hot chocolate too. Really lovely experience and the back of the cards will reveal more information of the beans if you are, as I was, moved to find out more. Deserving of its global ranking, Apartment is what happens when the owners clearly poured their hearts and souls into each cup. Can’t recommend it enough!

Queued >30 mins (Friday afternoon) Waited >20 mins for pour over >10mins espresso Order: hot filter + hot white Must ask for a double shot for hot white (free of charge) From a customer experience POV, considering my wait time, I wished there were clearer indicators of brew options [on the menu] - like a single or double shot. I only found out that an extra shot was free after I paid. My assumption was that a specialty cafe focusing on clarity and origin, brew recipes would be more transparent. Although I’m not inferring that they are deliberately less transparent. Maybe it was my mistake for assuming double shots are the standard. Service: Great! Staff were very patient and intentional especially considering the high volume of turnover. They clarified my order to make sure they get it right. Conclusion: Worth the wait for the first visit if you’re curious, yes. Subsequent visits - maybe go during non-peak. But if your palette can’t tell the difference between taste notes of the filter brews, you’re not missing out on much.

One of the two places in Singapore that was ranked best 50 coffee place in the world. Well I think they do deserve it. The coffee here is interesting and something you’d never tasted in other places before even those speciality coffee shops. Had a white coffee and also the classic drip coffee. Both were good! It’s not that difficult to get a seat as there will be a staff there helping and guiding you.

Odd that this place ranked 6th on the world’s 100 best coffee shops list. The interior feels generically minimal (which I assume is the appeal to most in this current day and age), but the coffee felt underwhelming. For reference, we ordered the Peru Juan Herrera Gesha pour over and the Shizuoka Benifuuki tea. While the tasting notes in the tea were apparent and accurate, the pour over felt muted and over-extracted. Ultimately, it is your call whether the 1 hour wait for a middling $9 coffee is worth it, but in my opinion, there are coffee shops in Singapore that offer better experiences and better selections of coffee than Apartment.

It's hard to believe that this minimalist little shop, with its simple decor and even more minimalist menu, ranked sixth on the Madrid Coffee Festival's list of the world's 100 best coffee shops!??… The shop uses a Lagom 01 (and a Ditting 807?) grinder for pour-over coffee, a Victoria Arduiro grinder for espresso, and a rather old-fashioned Synesso Sabre espresso machine and filling machine. The equipment is good, but relatively simple. I ordered a Costa Rican light roast pour-over coffee, and it did indeed have the distinct tropical fruit and honey sweetness described, along with a very light lychee flavor, and a not bad range of textures with a slightly “astringent taste”! Overall, Aparment can be a distinctive and decent coffee shop in Singapore, but whether it could be considered the sixth best coffee shop in the world is a matter of opinion!! PS: 1. The methods and criteria for selecting so-called "famous shops" are always quite debatable. 2. The store is often full, and the echoes in the spacious interior are quite noticeable, making the environment noisy and uncomfortable.

Apartment Coffee at Selegie Road, proudly recognised among the World’s 50 Best Cafés, is a destination that every coffee lover should experience while in Singapore. The café offers a calm and tranquil atmosphere, allowing you to slow down and fully immerse yourself in the craft of coffee. What truly captures attention is the quiet composure of the coffee artisans. Their focus and precision are almost meditative, turning each brew into a performance. From the moment you step in, you’re welcomed by the rich aroma of freshly roasted coffee beans, accompanied by the gentle sights and sounds of hario brewers and an impressive array of specialised coffee equipment. More than just a café, Apartment Coffee is an experience… one that celebrates patience, craftsmanship, and purity of flavour. Definitely a place to mark on your itinerary when visiting Singapore, and a memorable stop for anyone who appreciates coffee at its finest.

Visited Apartment Coffee as heard quite a bit about it. The coffee itself is great and you can tell the team takes their craft seriously. We did not mind the queue on a lazy Sunday with nothing much to do. Unfortunately, the service left quite a bit to be desired. After being sat at the large table, we asked if we could move to the counter seats because we enjoy watching the brewing process (we are coffee enthusiasts and love seeing baristas do their magic). The staff initially said the seats were already assigned to people waiting outside. However, seating is clearly not pre-assigned as staff simply leads guests to take the next available seats when they enter. We suggested that we could move to the counter and the next guests could just take our seats, but the response then changed to “we don’t swap seats.” This explanation did not really make sense and felt unnecessarily inflexible. What made it even more confusing is that the café has a one-hour seating policy literally printed on the menu, yet it did not appear to be enforced at all. Several people were already enjoying their coffees when we started queuing about an hour earlier and were still there long after we were halfway through ours. Some people were even working on laptops despite the long queue outside. If the one-hour seating rule exists, it would help to apply it consistently during busy periods, together with this “no swapping seats” rule that is not even apparent. Otherwise it gives the impression of double standards. Great coffee but the service management could definitely be improved to match the quality of the brew.

Apartment Coffee truly lived up to its name as The Top 6 of World’s Top 100 Coffee Shop. Been there twice, once in November and once in December, and I can tell certainty that their coffee quality is consistent, even during busy hours, by brewing up to 6-8 filtered coffee at the same time. Their coffee is balanced, bright & well rounded, sweet, and brings out all the essential notes of that Origin Beans without any sort of bitterness. Kudos to how that roast the beans and definitely how they brew them. I love to take my time to truly appreciate a good cup of coffee, and Apartment is one of my go to coffee shops.

Apartment Coffee inhabits a renovated shophouse interior of a historical streamline moderne building along Selegie Road across from NAFA. With full height glass storefront , the space exudes a calm gallery vibe where the coffee service bar is located right at the entry door. We were greeted warmly upon entry and shown to our seat of choice at the large communal table located in the center. Austere interior finishes of polished concrete floor and a muted palette is balanced with a curated collection of artwork on the wall. Drinks: I ordered a flat white which has been my go-to at all the cafes I visit as it's been a good barometer of both coffee quality and barista's skills. While the foam art was well executed- I can't say it's the best flat white I've had hence the 4 stars. But Service and ambience was definitely lovely.

Selection of coffee and tea varietals for a high end experience. Glad to have stopped by.