Jewel Cafe + Bar

This is one of two Jewel outlets in Singapore and at least in my opinion the better and more charming one. Coffee is the main reason to visit as they serve some really good filter coffee and I must say that my view is that they actually improved. If I would have written this review longer back it would probably have ended up being three stars instead of four. This is one of several nice looking cafes that have appeared on Rangoon Road as the area seems to really be going through its gentrification process.
Besides the coffee they serve some nice brunch dishes and actually for me the highlight has been the pastas. They are an especially good deal on Thursdays when they have buy one get one free. Made with fresh ingredients and they make sure to actually make the pasta perfectly al dente.
The space is nice and there is a lot of seats indoors and a few outside as well. Service has always been friendly here, the baristas know their stuff and food comes fast and they are on top of things so all together a good place to go for some simple food and coffee.

Came here for brunch since it’s near to my house. There are quite a few such «boutique» cafes around the area and this one is quite similar to the rest with a nice décor and friendly staff. I ordered egg Benedict ($ 15) and it was pretty okay. This café have quite a long selection of food from brunch to burgers etc. Overall I think the place is a little overpriced but I guess it’s the same across other cafes as well. Will come back to try other food on the menu.

Good coffee in a cosy environment. By default a double shot, the latte was creamy, and coffee notes were roasted and chocolatey. Food is pretty decent too. Satisfying and generous with the sides. Friends who had the Praise the Lard and OmG burgers were very satisfied. Large portion of thick cut generic fries were pleasing but returned with more than half remaining because with the burger, the fries were too much. Beef stew was wiped out quickly as well. A little more toast would be great to mop out all the sauces :)

My wife and I came here on a slow Wednesday with few patrons. We asked to sit in the empty couch area, but received a snobby no from the waitress because it was only two of us. Instead they crammed us in the corner. After eating for an hour, several couches still remained completely empty.
The food is a bit expensive, but okay. My wife’s crab pasta was good but my hamburger was a frozen pattie and they wouldn’t let us substitute the french fries. The coffee was great.
Customer service really needs to improve.

pretty darn good brunch food, which is not something to scoff at in this new wave of coffee joints. it’s rather hipsterly located in the cooler part of little india, with a beautiful porch and a rather pretty interior full of whites and wood and metal.
it’s a decent menu by any standard, large for a coffee joint, reasonably priced, and the flavors are more than decent. definitely worth a visit.
there was a pretty large group of us that day, and we managed quite a few dishes on the menu. the breakfast one is filled with classics like french toast and pancakes — both served with lots of syrup and ripe berries, which made it more than delicious. the pancakes in particular I can judge — both because I had them and also because I love them greatly — fluffy, american-​style, and not dense at all.
the eggs went down pretty well (by which I meant they seemed to be eaten quickly and without complaint) — so you probably wouldn’t go wrong with a croque monsieur or poached-​egg-​do.
the lunch menu kicked in at noonish (or was it elevenish) — and I think that was pretty well-​done. fried pork bites came tender alongside a dip of kecap manis, and a mushroom soup was redolent with a lick of truffle oil and actual fungi bits.
the beef salad was topped with slices of pink, tender beef, and another was topped with moist, tender chicken breast slices (none of that dry stuff) and a poached egg.
if you’re in the mood for something heavier, the chilli crab and fish roe ones (separate dishes) were both good, though the first was heavily spiced with ginger (and might be rather disconcertingly so).
the food is delicious, prices are reasonable, service is prompt and obliging, and the café is plain lovely.

Came here for the Unilocal Brunch event organized by Nik!
I’d previously walked past the place while on my mission to Ng Ah Sio Bak Ku Teh and it’d caught my eye then, but we were there for BKT and so that was that.
Had the Caesar Salad and Rocket Salad (with beef) (I was feeling really healthy today) which were both not bad. My dining companion asked for sauce and bacon bits (for the Caesar) on the side and they came in these pretty large bowls (considering it was just caesar sauce)… felt my arteries clogging up as I looked at the amount of Caesar sauce. Ended up taking about half of it. So generous but I certainly hope they don’t actually dump in THAT much sauce into their salads. But apart from that it was pretty good!
Also tried the ricotta pancakes which Sonya liked but I thought it was just a tad bit too dense… was really full after just 1 pancake (we shared)! Another guy at the table couldn’t finish his either. Probably my second favourite in Singapore after Skyve’s (though distantly behind).
COFFEE IS A MUST HERE. Between the 7 of us we had ?4 cups of coffee of different types and they all came in these huge cups despite only being about $ 6. My mocha was really smooth too and didn’t have that terrible acidic taste that I hate.
TWO WORDS: GENEROUS SERVINGS. Will come again!

The décor was interesting enough for us to walk in. We chanced upon it after dinner and was looking for a place to grab a drink.
They are in the midst of renewing their liquid license. Thus, even though a wine fridge was spotted, they can’t serve it.
Among 8 of us, we ordered a variety of drinks: milkshake, iced chocolate, tea, coffee. All were not good. They tasted of too much sugar and of poor quality ingredients. And I asked if they serve liberty coffee since they are right next door, and our server said no. Why? Support local!
Worse, we were seated upstairs at the couch, and for some reasons, that area was buzzing with two million mosquitoes! Yes, we are in AC, but these bloodsuckers are relentless!
Much as I want to like the place, I doubt I will be back.

What is up with all these upscale, hipster cafés that are taking over Singapore? Between this place and Chye Seng Huat Hardware, I’m going to have to give my pair of fake prescription glasses a rest between each use!
The hubby and I decided to give this place a try; thanks to the trusty Unilocal app that suggested it. We came here on a lazy Sunday morning, and it wasn’t at all crowded. We were in the mood for something sweet, so I ordered the pancakes and he ordered the French Toast. Here, you have to choose between blueberries, strawberries, or bananas as your toppings– it doesn’t come with all of them (although I wish it did! But then it would probably cost over $ 20.) We both enjoyed our plates, and I really appreciated how they drenched my pancakes in maple syrup! There are too many places here that only provide a small container of maple syrup on the side, which is a total buzzkill!
If I heard correctly, this place sells Liberty Coffee, another popular roaster on the island. I don’t think Miguel and I are experts yet in determining the differences between roasters, but we can say that we loved our cappuccinos.
I guess I feel a connection with this place because it has these beautiful white tiled walls (which remind me of New York) and the natural lighting of course rocks my world. The fact that it’s a 5 minute drive from my place is also a plus. It looks like their lunch and dinner menu is legit as well. A definite place to check out for a coffee fix, and a great environment for relaxing and reading a novel.

first and foremost, i would like to thank liberty coffee, without whom this review might not have been possible.
you see, liberty coffee is the so called cult, open as they wish kinda coffee place.
but me, i’m the just too lazy, to check if any place is opened before popping by, kinda guy.
so one sunny afternoon, after lunching nearby, i took a stroll down rangoon road in search of liberty.
but as the story goes, liberty was not to be found on this given day.
instead what you see is jewel, shining bright like a diamond, next door.
hmmmmm my initial skeptical thoughts were that some opportunist is trying to catch liberty’s disappointed walk in traffic.
but this gem of a place has stood the test of time, thus far.
a choice of outdoor, indoor or alcove seating.
my choice is always alcove where they have more comfortable sofa seating.
in any case, their weakish wifi is better upstairs.
ever clean toilets are available, by the stairs.
their piped background music always get me singing.
the owner must be around my vintage, i guess?
and service here have always been fast, friendly and helpful.
at jewel, the quality of coffee is a given, do they use liberty?:)
their big ass cuppa akin to a 2 carat diamond.
at $ 6 a pop, it’s still definitely better than your average starbucks bob.
finally tried their breakfast and was again pleasantly surprised.
no, they do not come cheap but i think their cut, carat, clarity and colour do somewhat justify the price tag.
the yoghurt bowl was thin on granola but fresh fruits aplenty, bananas, strawberries and blueberries.
taste was well balanced and quite possibly the healthiest breakfast option.
the croque monsieur was a sandwich of lovely thick brioche toasts that complemented the savoury ham and cheese, moistened ever so slightly by the buttery bechamel sauce.
the ricotta pancakes was a fluffy island on a sea of maple with strawberries, bananas and lemon curd washed ashore.
that’s what i would love to see, if ever, i was stranded after a shipwreck.
the english breakfast was a typically hearty fry up of your choice of eggs, sauteed mushrooms, grilled cherry tomatoes, meaty british sausage, crispy bacon strips, smoky baked beans and crunchy baguette toasts.
and so, without liberty, might there be jewel?
if so, thank you, liberty!:)

Smooth latte. 16oz double shot for only 6 bucks? This caffeine addict says hell yea. The salt and pepper squid is pretty yummy too. Would consider coming back for brunch!

I just spent 45 minutes trying to log onto my hungrygowhere account and setting up a Unilocal account to write this review.
I’ve been a fan of jewel café at shenton way and was excited when this branch opened up. The excitement was short lived.
Second time here, this time decided to have breakfast, in addition to our usual Gibraltars which I would typically order at shenton way.
I ordered the yogurt with fresh fruits and granola at $ 9 and two Gibraltars. If the yogurt is anything to go by, this would be my last visit to jewel at Rangoon. The serving size of the yogurt did not justify its price tag. I’ve ordered yogurt at other cafes before and this was by far the most overpriced bowl (more accurately, shallow plate) of yogurt I’ve had. What was even more offensive was that the yogurt was not served with granola as described in the menu, but a few sprinklings of oats and a few sad slices of fresh fruit. I find it incredibly offensive when restaurants try to pull a fast one on their customers. I won’t even bother with my thoughts on the taste of the dish as I wasn’t even served what was described on the menu.
I don’t know what possessed me to finish that sad bowl of yogurt. Maybe I was too hungry to care at that point. But by no means was I happy with it.
I gave my feedback to the staff when paying up, and asked if that was granola or oats. Staff looks at menu and says it reads granola. Trust me, I can read. My point was, that was definitely not granola but oats. I also mentioned that I found the serving size too small.
I wondered if the said staff relayed my feedback to anyone.
I should also mention that I had asked if I could have two poached eggs, without the extra fluff (toast, hollandaise etc). I was informed that this could not be done. I had to go for the full works as listed in the menu; all or nothing, essentially. Well, no matter. I won’t be coming back.