Brawn & Brains

Such a cute little café!! Great service and lovely drinks. I haven’t tried the food but I’d like to come back and eat some. Not enough seating though, could do with a few more spots and maybe some comfier chairs? Heheheh… Besides that it’s a sweet lil’ coffeeshop that is decorated nicely, there’s not that much to write home about. Nothing too amazing in my opinion. Although I haven’t tried the food yet so maybe the food is the hidden gem?

We visited on a Saturday afternoon for lunch. The variety is a little limited but I settled on what’s essentially poached eggs with smoked salmon and additional avocado. It was thoroughly delightful, sufficiently filling and I would recommend it.
The coffee was alright. Maybe I had hyped myself up too much but the beans just wasn’t up my alley.
In all, a nice place to hang out with friends though it gets crowded.

This is a good spot if you are into super-​thick coffee. The coffees are all served with a double shot and it may be an acquired taste before you enjoy your cuppa.
Two blends are usually available: one house blend, and the other single origin seasonal. There are fans for each blend and it is all a matter of personal preference. The coffees also tend to have a tannic aftertaste which some may not like, but I think it gives it a certain personality, not unlike a well-​balanced bottle of red wine.
Note: Coffees definitely taste better if it is the lady boss who pulled it for you!

This little café run by a husband and wife team & their friendly staff gives this place a very homely feel. You will see regulars dropping by for their usual fix. They have just expanded to a larger space which can accommodate more customers. But the place still gets filled up fairly quickly. Definitely a place to sit down, chill & enjoy the atmosphere.

Very friendly staff and a gd respite against the heart.
A big spacious place but the seats are not the least bit comfortable.
As the space is very bare sound really bounces off and it can get rather loud inside.
It was rather disappointing to see that the teas they serve is tea bag tea (a mention of that would have been good).

Run by two fantastic human beings and their polite and well trained crew, these guys churn out consistently great coffee. Having a plethora of choices is overrated, so simplicity is the key here. Two types of brew and that’s it! Oh and it’s not overpriced in this age of five buck coffees. Can you tell I’m a fan.

B&B has moved to a bigger unit just in front of the road. More spacious and seats but still insufficient to cater to the crowd that poured in just before lunch. Second day at the new location, no kitchen service is available so no food or cakes. Shame.
Coffee was good as usual. Double shots are default but if you want yours milder, tell the cashier !
Tea is served in a small cup and free refill of hot water once.
Don’t really like that you have to pay $ 0.30 each for extra refills and milk.
Free wifi can be tapped from the indoor climbing place just beside!

With all the rave reviews I don’t understand just a 4 * rating. For me, anyway, it’s 5 all the way.
Yes the spot is (was — expanded space opening soon) tiny, but that doesn’t detract from the quality or experience overall. You’re greeted upon entering, served with a smile, and thanked on your way out. Even if the coffee and food wasn’t that great it would still be a pleasant experience. But the coffee and food IS great. Limited food menu, but I prefer quality over quantity.
I get the chicken and mushroom wrap or roast beef sandwich with a coffee and am always pleasantly satisfied — good, reliable, quality. Add a pastry for dessert if you’re still hungry. And if there are no seats left, have your coffee to go and take a seat in the climbing gym next door to watch the action.
I have nothing but praise for this place!

Nice café tucked in the corner of a parking lot right next to the Onsight climbing gym. This place is super small. The café can fit ~ 12 people comfortably and there is also a small table for outdoor sitting. I went there at noon and had to wait for a bit to get a table.
I had the ice mocha, lemon tart and salted caramel tart. I am not a big coffee drinker but the coffee tastes pretty smooth. The lemon tart has a good mix of sweetness and citric taste. I thought the salted caramel tart is far too sweet.
All in all, good place to chill out and have coffee and desserts. 10 mins walk to the circle line.

This place is great, you can feel the passion behind the people who made it. Slightly quirky and unique and at the core a great product. The prices are reasonable too.
Flat white & an early grey croissant for me every time!

Quite good coffee located at the weirdest location you can imagine — the former Singapore Badminton Association. But it works. This cute little café is away from any competition (compared to the densely populated cafes in Tiong Bahru or Tanjung Pagar area) and just a stone throw away from my current office. You can easily missed this place if you’re here for the first time, so look out for their banner hung outside the association and just follow the sign. The café is located at the back of the building, btw.
We came here for lunch one weekday and love everything about this place. The owner, Gwen is friendly and always so welcoming with her warm smile. I ordered a latte and was asked which coffee blend I prefer. Since it was my first time, I asked for a recommendation and they recommended an African blend with a hint of chocolate and citrus. Very nice. Also, all coffee comes in double shot, which is slightly too strong for me. I had a slight «heart attack» the moment I finished my coffee and had to dilute the caffeine with a lot of plain water. Haha. It could be the main draw why people come for their coffee — for it is strong!
The food menu could be limited but I salute café that concentrates on a few items and do it right and B&B is one of them. I had a chicken and mushroom grilled Panini while my colleagues had curry chicken Panini. All food is prepared fresh upon order hence the waiting time of 15 – 20 mins. But that’s alright, nobody wants to eat frozen or food that has been sitting in the refrigerator for days. The chicken and mushroom as well as the curry chicken filling for the Panini were flavorful paired with a handful of fresh rockets. Portion wise, it was just right as it leave you with some space for dessert. We ordered a dark chocolate tart to share to finish off the meal nicely.
B&B together with a couple of cafes like DOC and Drury Lane will remain my favorite and foresee myself coming back again and again.

Excellent reasonably priced world-​class coffee.
Easily among the best in Singapore.
Croissant could be better, served cold, it was nice and crispy on the outside, but almost hollow inside.
The toasted wraps & sandwiches were tasty, meticulously prepared by seriously focused staff. Worth the longer than normal wait.
Seats could be more comfortable (got sore waiting for food to arrive), perhaps some cushions would help?
Recommended for take away coffee or lazy weekend brunch (byo cushions).

I had the Iced Caffe Latte, which is the more popular drink here. They had 2 type of coffee beans: organic fair trade and Sumatra Lintong (blend), which I had the former. This had a double shot of ristretto. One taste and I really enjoyed it. It doesn’t have a strong bitter taste while retaining the strong coffee taste. Possibly one of the nicest coffee I have taken to date.

Dozens of cafes and how many of them have any character? A very very low proportion. But Brawn & Brains is absolutely buzzing with it. The team behind this café obviously care a lot about the way it looks & feels.
The coffee was also excellent — easily one of the best cups I’ve had in Singapore. I neglected to ask exactly who roasted it but I will definitely be back to try some more. Unfortunately the location is a little out of the way but Guillemard Road is close enough to where I live to make it worth a trip out.
The star gets knocked off for the uncomfortable seating. I get that you’re a hole in the wall serving only drinks & pastries but that’s still no excuse for trying to force patrons out by way of uncomfortable seating.
Having said this, Brawn & Brains is the only place I’ve ever hesitated on before taking the one-​star backless-​seating demerit. And that says something.

Lovely little joint — the furniture, lights and even the shell for the espresso machine are custom made, and beauuuuutiful. Gwen handles the shop on her own, from baking to coffee-​making to cashiering and dish washing. SALUTE! And she’s got a smile on too… Very very impressive. Coffees were pretty good. I preferred the Sumatra Lintong + Colombia blend: fuller body and flavour. And that slice of lemon cream cheese bundt cake was just what I needed this afternoon. Will be looking to come back!

Dropped by after a huge downpour to find a really cosy setup manned by one half of the partners, Gwen. She was alone managing the café that has 5 people including us who just walked in. She set us down very nicely whilst continuing to prep a sandwich for the other customer. After serving that customer, she took our order of coffee and went about preparing our drink, using the Brazilian bean that we chose out of the 2 offerings (the other being a Sumatran). Not once did she showed any haste or panic to deliver and we were extremely impressed especially when a little 2 year old (there-​about) gal threatened to wreck the entire café apart with her wilful behaviour, with her dad being a slave to her actions. And not surprisingly, she spilled the dad’s entire cup of iced mocha all over the floor but Gwen simply went about to coax the little girl from crying, etc. Full thumbs up for her immaculate service. Extra brownie points for the not-​too-​sweet banana cake that she somehow managed to baked whilst all these drama was unfolding in the shop.
Hopefully they will start roasting in house soon and will drop by again for another cuppa.
Parking is easy but watch the clock ticking as it’s gantry-​cashcard based.

This is a sweet and cozy place where you can hangout with a really good cup of coffee. Everyone must try their cake selections. It’s not much, but you will drool for more. This is going to be one of my regular weekend hangout.