Living in coffee-crazy Melbourne has helped me to develop a stronger appreciation for the brew, and I've begun to sort of miss having solid coffee options around every corner. I was hoping to find a café in Singapore to tide me over, until I returned to Australia, and asked around for recommendations.
My friend Alyna suggested we try The Providore, a new establishment that sits comfortably in Mandarin Gallery, for an afternoon of cakes and coffee. I wasn't expecting it to match up to Melbourne's standards, but found that the place was fairly decent, and worth re-visiting for its coffee.
My friend Alyna suggested we try The Providore, a new establishment that sits comfortably in Mandarin Gallery, for an afternoon of cakes and coffee. I wasn't expecting it to match up to Melbourne's standards, but found that the place was fairly decent, and worth re-visiting for its coffee.
We had the hazelnut sponge cake, as well as the strawberry and basil lemon cake. The hazelnut cake was unremarkable - I've had smoother and richer cakes elsewhere. The strawberry and basil lemon cake fared slightly better, but fell apart with one slice of the fork. While it was an interesting combination of flavours, the layer of jam failed to stay together with the rest of the moist, spongey layers, and what was left of the cake was a crumbly mess.
The coffee was (thankfully) better than the cakes, so I would definitely recommend skipping the sweet treats and going in for the caffeine-laced kill.
The coffee was (thankfully) better than the cakes, so I would definitely recommend skipping the sweet treats and going in for the caffeine-laced kill.
Ambiance-wise, it was a relaxed space with lots of natural light streaming in to complement its clean, minimalistic interiors. The café was surprisingly empty when we visited on a weekday afternoon, which makes it a great place to sit down with a book. Extra brownie points for being situated in a central location!
The Providore
333A Orchard Road
Mandarin Gallery #02-05
Singapore 238897
Follow me on Instagram: @paintingrachelred for more updates.
The Providore
333A Orchard Road
Mandarin Gallery #02-05
Singapore 238897
Follow me on Instagram: @paintingrachelred for more updates.