The uncertainties caused by the pandemic, coupled with months of work-from-home arrangements, can impact your team’s morale, adversely.
The good news is, for some, we can now meet each other as we return to our offices. An informal meeting to find out how your team is doing can be big for morale.
Indulge in meaningful conversations over fabulous food and drinks at one of these quaint cafes with your team. It will bring a smile to their faces. But, remember to keep the huddle to the legal limit, and observe safe distancing from other groups.
Cafe Amazon (Republic Plaza)
Is working in this urban Amazon, we call our CBD, making you question your existence?
With the right balance of greenery, wood-panelled walls and gold accents, Café Amazon delivers on what it promises – a taste of nature in this concrete jungle.
Indulge in your favourite Thai meal or sip on their speciality Thai milk tea as you discuss team goals bigger than you.
Image credit: Café Amazon SG Instagram
Address:
9 Raffles Place,
Republic Plaza #02-03,
Singapore 048619
+65 6694 7028
Hours:
Monday to Friday 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Closed on Saturday and Sunday
Website: https://cafeamazon.sg
Facebook: facebook.com/CafeAmazonSG
Instagram: instagram.com/cafeamazonsg
Dimbulah (Republic Plaza)
Image credit: Dimbulah Coffee Facebook
This Australian name is synonymous with quality roasts, especially within the CBD.
Intimately tucked away behind escalators, this outlet exudes a minimalist, esoteric vibe. The furnishings are cleverly designed to make the most out of the little corridor of space. It almost feels like you have stepped into a cabin on the Orient Express.
Have a comfortable huddle with your team here but be careful not to lose track of time.
Image credit: Dimbulah Coffee Facebook
Address:
Republic Plaza
9 Raffles Place #01-16/17,
Singapore 048619
+65 6410 9307
Hours:
Monday to Friday 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Closed on Saturday and Sunday
Website: https://dimbulahcoffee.com
Facebook: facebook.com/Dimbulah
Instagram: instagram.com/dimbulahcoffee
Y Café (One Raffles Place)
Image credit: Y Café Facebook
When your colleague suggests grabbing a coffee at Y Café, there is only one acceptable answer: Y not?
Filled with functional, unadorned furniture and a crown jewel in the form of an espresso machine, Y Café is an exceptional cafe.
Inject fun into your workday by kickstarting your morning meeting with a round of mochas and green lattes. You will marvel at how productive your team can be.
Image credit: Y Café Facebook
Address:
One Raffles Place
1 Raffles Place #02-28,
Singapore 048616
+65 8613 9788
Hours:
Monday to Friday 8:00 AM to 6:30 PM
Saturday 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Closed on Sunday
Website: https://y-cafe-cafe.business.site
Facebook: facebook.com/YcafeSg
Haakon (One Raffles Place)
Image credit: Haakon Superfoods & Juice Instagram
Sitting for extended hours in the office does not do us much good. Switching up our environment helps, but there is a limit to how much lattes we can imbibe. Must our mental wellbeing come at the expense of beauty sleep?
A fusion of hyggelig Scandinavian living and nourishing superfoods, Haakon’s extensive menu is inclusive for all diets, be it high protein, low carbs, vegan, and of course, caffeine-free.
You cannot deny that there is something cool about eating superfood, it makes you feel that little bit more superhuman. Go ahead, take on your day head on at Haakon.
Image credit: Haakon Superfoods & Juice Instagram
Address:
One Raffles Place
1 Raffles Place, #01-11/12,
Singapore 048616
+65 6260 0319
Hours:
Monday to Friday 9:00 AM to 8:30 PM
Saturday 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Closed on Sunday
Website: https://www.haakon.com.sg
Facebook: facebook.com/haakoncafe
Instagram: instagram.com/haakon.sg
Da Paolo Gastronomia Raffles Place (Six Battery Road)
Image credit: Da Paolo Gastronomia Facebook
Located at the lobby of Six Battery Road, Da Paolo Gastronomia offers a great view of the ‘rainforest rhapsody’, the first and largest indoor vertical garden in the CBD.
The fresh lobby air and the cafe’s warm lighting creates an air of tranquillity that will be helpful should you want a place to discuss serious business with the team.
If that is not enough, the café serves authentic Italian pizzas and cocktails. Now, we all know that solves 99.9% of all life’s problems.
Image credit: Da Paolo Gastronomia Facebook
Address:
Six Battery Road
6 Battery Road #01-K1,
Singapore 049909
+65 6535 4339
Hours:
Monday to Friday 7:30 AM to 6:30 PM
Closed on Saturday and Sunday
Website: https://www.dapaolo.com.sg/gastronomia
Facebook: facebook.com/DaPaoloGastronomia
Instagram: instagram.com/dapaolosg
6oz Espresso Bar (CapitaGreen)
Image credit: 6oz Espresso Bar Facebook
Physically in a meeting but mentally lazing on a high chair, with the wind in your hair and sipping on a 177ml cup of espresso? That is probably what the founders of 6oz Espresso Bar had in mind when they were coming up with the name for this establishment.
As the only café on this list with an alfresco setting, this joint lives up to its name and is the place to go for a breath of fresh air.
Besides quality coffee, they serve a variety of pastries, sandwiches and desserts here as well – talk about exceeding expectations!
Image credit: 6oz Espresso Bar Facebook
Address:
CapitaGreen
138 Market Street #01-04,
Singapore 048946
+65 6962 6602
Hours:
Monday to Friday 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM
Closed on Saturday and Sunday
Website: https://www.6oz.com.sg
Facebook: facebook.com/6oz-Espresso-Bar-175635612495448
PAUL (Ocean Financial Centre)
Image credit: PAUL Singapore Instagram
We all have a favourite buddy at work. If you do not, it is time you get acquainted with PAUL.
With more than 130 years under their belt, you know PAUL will not disappoint. Walk through their iconic black shopfront and bite into one of their famous French bakes to momentarily transport yourself to Paris.
If sweets are not quite your thing, PAUL also specialises in artisanal breads made from sustainably produced winter wheat.
The café on the ground floor has been renovated with a fresh new look to welcome the new year! Head over to level 1 where your nose will help lead the way to a smaller, cosier branch.
Image credit: PAUL Singapore Instagram
Address:
Ocean Financial Centre
10 Collyer Quay #01-01,
Singapore 049315
+65 6634 9930 / +65 6634 3093
Hours:
Monday to Friday 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Closed on Saturday and Sunday
Website: https://www.paulsgcatering.com
Facebook: facebook.com/PAUL1889.singapore
Instagram: instagram.com/paulbakerysg
Jewel Coffee (Income@Raffles)
Image credit: Jewel Coffee Instagram
Feel like a lump of coal at work; dull, unappreciated and buried under?
Get out of the rut with a visit to this gem of a café. Paying homage to their Singaporean roots, it has a homely, local vibe that you will feel right at home in. The retro tiled interior literally screams ‘coffee’, and boy, does it smell like a homage to a good cup of joe, too.
Jewel Coffee roasts their single origin blends in-house and rotates them daily. Their blend of international and local flavours is sure to trigger new and diverse ideas. Think Ethiopian coffee and ondeh ondeh cake after a satisfying spaghetti carbonara.
If that combination does not work, try their yuzu pearl tea?
Image credit: Jewel Coffee Instagram
Address:
Income@Raffles
16 Collyer Quay #01-13,
Singapore 049318
+65 6536 2091
Hours:
Monday to Friday 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM
Closed on Saturday and Sunday
Website: https://jewelcoffee.com
Facebook: facebook.com/Jewelcoffee
Instagram: instagram.com/jewelcoffee
Krispy Kreme (Income@Raffles)
Image credit: Krispy Kreme Instagram
D’oh! Stressed out at work? You need a little doughnut to perk yourself up. Feel invigorated as the sugar surges through you, taking you on a sweet little high.
We are all familiar with Krispy Kreme’s iconic 70s American diner aesthetic. It is pretty much ageless.
That, with the fact that sharing a box of a dozen doughnuts is, oddly more fun, than eating one alone, this is the place to go for team meetings. And why not? We all need to treat ourselves now and then – it is called self-care and we deserve it.
Image credit: Krispy Kreme Instagram
Address:
Income@Raffles
16 Collyer Quay #01-11/12,
Singapore 049318
+65 6534 3004
Hours:
Monday to Friday 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Closed on Saturday and Sunday
Website: http://krispykreme.sg
Facebook: facebook.com/SingaporeKrispyKreme
Instagram: instagram.com/krispykremesingapore
Wai Cafe (Clifford Centre)
Image credit: Wai Cafe Facebook
It is all the rage to #supportlocal. So look no further than Wai Cafe – a homely and unassuming joint that checks all the boxes of a small local business.
With beans sourced from Common Man Coffee Roasters and a dedication to delivering quality, Wai Cafe is a book that we should not judge by its humble cover.
Perfect for an intimate, heartfelt chat with a team-mate over a good old flat white – you will both leave feeling chummier than when you entered.
Image credit: Wai Cafe Facebook
Address:
Clifford Centre
24 Raffles Place #01-08,
Singapore 048621
+65 9610 0272
Hours:
Monday to Friday 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM
Closed on Saturday and Sunday
Facebook: facebook.com/waicafe
Instagram: instagram.com/wai_cafe
This article was published on 14 January 2021.
