Tiong Bahru Bakery

The bakery in Tiong Bahru is almost always packed with people and I would say it is for a good reason. They have an excellent selection of different pastries to satisfy your sweet tooth. My clear favorite is their Almond Croissant. It is a bit different than most other croissants as it is bigger, heavier and has a slightly more dense feel to it. The generous filling of almond does however make it really nice.
Most of the other pasties I have tried have also been very good as well as some of the savory croissants as well. They do also sell ‘regular’ bread but actually never tried any of it but it does look nice.
They serve pretty good coffee as well (from 40 hands) and the teas are also nice. I also like that they manage to keep things moving smoothly despite the place being full and the service is with a smile.

Tried their baguette. I’d have to say it was really good. Nice and chewy, not too crunchy. Dense, but not too dense. Good flavor. It made for a good snack throughout the day. Definitely popular with the western crowds. It’s very busy in the morning, especially on weekends.

After a disappointing chai, we stopped by Tbb thinking we could at least rely on an oldie. The crumble seemed to have dropped in standard. The filling of fruit was barely there and the layer of crumble was so hard.

Recently tried their new savoury croissants.
Speaking of the «Rolling Dumpling», I would not have guess that it was inspired from Xiao Long Bao if not for the menu description as it lacked the distinctive traits of this classic chinese dumpling such as the slurpy pork broth. Yes, there were pickled ginger and succulent minced meat but the black vinegar dressing could not lift up the dish.
Nonetheless, the sparkling chemistry between the subtly spiced chorizos and the sweet caramelized onion jam in the «Flying Pig» left me clamouring for more. Its miso dressing did not overpower the dish and I wouldn’t even mind if the sausage was spammed with even more of the tasty onion relish on top.
As a person with a soft spot for fish, I thought I would love the «Jumping Fish» the most but it turned out otherwise. A bite into this voluptuous croissant revealed an oasis of minced spinach and salmon filling. The smoked salmon was not too salty but the filling, which reminded me of the classic Greek Pie Spanakopita, needed a shake of herbs to bring it to life.
Another calorie-​worthy croissant is the «Running Egg» that was garnished with non-​heady Japanese spicy flakes. While ramen egg gurus might insist that the «molten» egg yolk could be more gooey, I thought the current consistency worked well with the bonito flakes and mayonnaise sauce, which contributed to the tasty umami flavours.
Prepared fresh in batches and kept warm in hotboxes to retain the temperature, all the croissants, except for the Ramen egg, are baked together with the ingredients. This results in a croissant dough that are more moist and chewy while the external layer retains a delightful crunch.
Each croissant is retailing at $ 4.50 each or you can select any two flavours to go with the tangy salad with yuzu dressing, dried cranberry and mixed seeds for $ 12. My suggestion is to enjoy these savoury croissants at the outlets where they are served piping hot and fresh from the oven.
It’s alright if your stomach acknowledged the aroma of caramelized butter by making some embarrassing growls in public.
Mine did but so did everyone.

Got a few desserts and breads, and have to say the breads are awesome, and some of the desserts look better than they taste (lemon tarte is tooooo sour and slippery too bitter).

Ordered a chocolate and almond croissant as well as ice chocolate.
The ice chocolate is very chocolate. Which is great. This is by far the best ice chocolates I’ve ever had, beside la galate de Paris. Which is just awesome to have something so close to perfection.
They do use real melted chocolate instead of chocolate syrup. Which JC quite rare to find in just any café around Singapore.
As for the croissant. It’s buttery, melt in your mouth buttery. It came very close to what I have had by a professional pastry chef.
All in all, because it’s too damn close, but as I said… It’s close but not quite… Therefore, it might be the best for Sunday times, but not really for me. I’ve had better… Sad enough I’ve had better.

Two words. Chocolate slipper. Two more words. Almond croissant. Honestly, this place is just across the street from my work and I find it hard to not want to devour everything. It’s a Singapore institution and I can see why. Everything is freshly baked, the staff is super friendly, and they really know what they are doing! Big kudos to the team at TBB!

This is a tough review to write — service here is erratically inconsistent, and TBB frequently runs out of my favorite items like the kouign amman and Savoyard.
I live very close by (just across the street) and love hopping by for some breads, sandwiches (categorically), or pastries every now and then. I can be very warmly greeted, to sometimes even being snubbed. I realize that some of the guys especially tend to quite temperamental, they can be very friendly and warm, but sometimes pull a long face and ignore all the customers that walk through.
Product knowledge is also lacking sometimes, and pretty often the cashier does not know about the discount that Club 21 members are entitled to and the procedures are not standardized. Sometimes I’m asked to fill up my details, sometimes not.
One of my favorites is the squid ink bun that comes with prosciutto, smoked salmon, arugula, and pesto, but the quality fluctuates quite a bit. At times the meats are generous, at times I can’t even taste them.
I believe consistency is key in any F&B and service related industry, and it’s quite tiresome for us patrons to change our impression of TBB each time I step in and out of its doors.

COOL OFF
They make 1 of the best coffees in Singapore and great pastry and cake. Their savoury not so good, no real selection of cold drinks. only 2 to select from so that was a bit strange. On the upside, this place is freezing inside. it’s the first proper air conditioned establishment I have found here. so go in an cool off.
I love the neighbourhood, very hip n happening. My mate lives upstairs so I like to visit and hang out here, great for people watching.
Because of their cold drink «situation» I usually go to the market that you can see from the door, take the escalator up and on your left you will see the fresh juice lady. I grab a large watermellon juice (1.20) then go for coffee and cake.

Had the squid ink buns stuffed w ham+cheese and croissants (plain+almond paste) and everything tasted good although pricey. Extra star was for the fact that we could walk there from our apt.

Ok, on mange super bien à Singapour. Mais avouons quand-​même que niveau croissants, la qualité laisse à désirer.
Je décerne donc la médaille d’or à Gontran, sa baguette croustillante à l’extérieur, moelleuse à l’intérieur, ses croissants avec ou sans amandes et ses galettes des rois à tomber par terre.
Certes l’endroit est très fréquenté par les expats et le quartier est un brin hipster. Pas vraiment un inconvénient quand on préfère regarder dans son assiette.
Enjoy!

Best bakery in Singapore! Croissants, bread, sandwiches, pastries and drinks: real quality! Plus I enjoy the local scene in Tiong Bahru. To return many times…

Described as the Tartine Bakery of Singapore, I went here a few times. I gotta say, I never liked the coffee but the sweet pastries were good (if you’re into that kinda thing) but I did just enjoy the plain croissant. Enjoy the funky center hinge door when you go.

Can here for the first time today as I’ve heard so much about this place. Could only try one thing as it was post-​lunch dessert. The VANILLA MILLEFEUILLE was definitely the right choice. It was difficult to cut so we had to resort to using our hands, but it was heaven in every mouthful. The sweetness was just right. The vanilla cream just melts in your mouth and the the biscuity puffs sandwiching it were a perfect complement.
My latte was alright — have had better coffee elsewhere. Ambiance is so-​so. Would be nicer if the staff made sure all the tabletops were clean after customers leave. But if you’re just grabbing and going, nothing to concern you about.
I also bought some kouign amanns to go. Will update again if I end up being the one eating them!

This place was right next yo my hotel. Lucky me!!. Ofcourse I got the croissant. Yummy. They are really soft and chewy. Not like typical croissants.
I got the plain one with hot chocolate with soy milk. I got these 2 days back to back. I will likely go back for the hot chocolate but I had to say to myself «Self, you can’t eat croissants every day while you are in Singapore!»
So today I will go elsewhere.
The store itself it’s moderately sized. I really like the door.
Staff there are pleasant.

I have such a nostalgic attachment to Tiong Bahru Bakery — it was one of the first cafes I visited when I was rediscovering the new old Tiong Bahru and I dare anyone to resist their drool inducing displays!
The coffee infographic menu is the eye-​catching centre piece of the entire bakery and true enough, it was very well made (might have something to do with the guys from forty hands!) Unfortunately, the both Pandan Flan didn’t impress — most of their baked goods are priced above $ 6 and I was just hoping for that little bit more. It’s a beautiful space with such a vibrant atmosphere; I’d be happy to come back and give TBB another go! Apparently — the croissants are legendary!

This place has managed to take all of my money since I’ve started working here, as it’s a 2 minute walk from the office.
This original location has been around for some time, and it’s still as busy as ever. I am amazed at the amount of people who chill here around 10 AM on weekdays, both locals and expats. I almost want to yell, «Does anyone do any work around here?!”*
There’s a lot of baked goods to choose from, but I normally aim to satisfy my sweet tooth by ordering their chocolate croissants. Their plain croissants are also worth a try, as they’re super soft, flaky, and buttery. There’s also a savoury that I love, but it has a French name that I can’t remember… all I know is that it smells like pizza and it’s delicious!
I’m not sure if they do this all the time, but the coffee that they offer is from Forty Hands (as they’re related.) So if you’re a fan of the brand, you can easily get your fix here.
The only criticism I have is that the furniture is starting to show some wear and tear. If they could just repurpose the chairs and tables, perhaps it will give it a less tired look.
*You know I would never do such a thing. I’m obviously just jealous!

Like that ex you can never cut ties with, I have a love hate relationship with Tiong Bahru Bakery.
Let’s get this clear. Tiong Bahru Bakery is expensive. Whether you think it’s worth it is of course, up to you, but I generally don’t think it is.
The sandwiches are good, but cost more than two plates of chicken rice at the market down the street… and isn’t more filling.
What’s worth going for? The Kouign-​amann. Buttery caramel-​y goodness, this is absolutely delicious and the one thing I go back for again and again despite my verbal insistence that I actually boycott the place. After a few weeks of having it regularly though, I’m proud to say that I’m finally so-​over it and managed to stay away for a good 3 months.
That all came crashing to an end today after I popped in for a coffee. If you didn’t know, TBB is owned by the same company that owns Forty Hands, meaning you know you’re going to get a good cup of coffee here. It’s a little pricey, for a ‘small’ cappuccino, meaning that coffee here is actually a touch more expensive that most places in the CBD. But it’s good, robust coffee, and if you’re already overpaying for bread and pastries, well you might as well overpay for drinks too right?
Why is it still receiving 3 stars then? Why do I go back? Because it’s across the street from my office, and it has the best coffee in the area. Because the quality of what it offers is undeniable, they do good shizz. But the prices. Oh the prices.

I was quite curious after reading all the great reviews. Normally i don’t like places that have such a hype about them.
But to be honest the croissants are indeed delicious. Coming from Vienna believe me when I say I had my share of great pastries. And Tiong Bahru Bakeries croissants and tarts are one of them. Serving gryphon tea is a let down though.

I knew this was going to be a interesting meal when I saw the fun front door. The line was terribly long on the Saturday afternoon we first visited. I think everything is pretty tasty but the choice, while seemingly extensive, is kind of just variations on a theme. I would like more diversity in bread products than pastry and sandwiches. My iced latte was delicious. The guacamole sandwich was tasty but not filling. The pear tart should have had more pear. The food was only two thirds of the experience because the café was so lighthearted and bustling. We couldn’t help but have fun.
I’ve been back since and enjoy the food but I’m still looking for my favorite.

Decided to check out the place with the hype among Singaporeans.
I was pretty excited the moment I stepped into the little store.
Got served by this awesome waiter who tries very hard to ensure customers don’t wait for too long for their seats. *thumbs up!*
Queued, and order a chocolate croissant, pandan croissant and kouign aman.
The overwhelming buttery taste of the croissants were SO GOOD. I had this infusion of butter in my blood kinda feeling after my breakfast. (if you know what I mean).
The chocolate croissant has a really thin layer of chocolate in appearance, but the taste of chocolate was really strong! pretty delighted with that!
Pandan, to me it’s a very localized flavour, and I like the idea of it! It gave croissant a different punch in fragrance, worth a try!
Kouign Aman was my companion’s favourite, as it’s salted caramel flavoured! (bread infused with salted butter and caramelized sugar!)
Overall taste of the breads were really good!
Had a latte and received a fantastic latte art. The sight of it makes me love the cup of latte I was holding on to. Taste awesome!
The bad side: over priced. Totally over priced.
Even the coffee is over priced.
My first bite into the cold breads in the morning was a huge disappointment. I was expecting the bread to be at least warm. All my 3 breads that I ordered were served cold. :(
All in all, it was only A-​OK for me.
too much a hype.
=/​

The Pastry:
I had the Kouign Aman. Think of a light croissant — crispy, buttery layers topped with salt and caramel. More tasty than their plain croissant and not too sweet, which I liked. They also provided an assortment of fruity jams at the side (self-​service). I picked a dark, pump colored one which I suspected was a mixture of fig and blueberries.
The Sandwich:
KH had «The Speciality Bun with Bacon» and not being a big fan of bacon, I only took a small bite out of it. It consisted of bacon as its name suggests, onions, rocket salad and sun-​dried tomatoes. The bacon strip was neither deep fried nor salty but still tasted good. A much healthier way of consuming bacon has been invented (hurray!). The bun was really soft and not heated. Personally, I prefer my carbs hot and crusty but this was ok too.
The Beverage:
The coffee was divine (probably the best part of my meal). I had a simple latte. Later, I learnt that the coffee was provided by Forty Hands (also part of the Food Collective owned by Spa Esprit Group.) Fun Fact: This is the same group behind the concept of House @Dempsey and Skinny Pizza, both of which I enjoy. Definitely looking forward to checking out their other food joints that I haven’t tried, like Open Door Policy and Forty Hands.
Overall: 3.5÷5 (but I can’t seem to do a 0.5 on Unilocal.oh wellz… 4 then :))
Overall, I think it’s a pretty decent place for an afternoon tea or a light snack if you are around the area (Tiong Bahru can be pretty far and there’s not much to do around there except eat *again* at other places, which we almost did at Rachel’s outrageous suggestion if our bellies weren’t at the brink of exploding).
Pictures of the café and its food can be found on my website, pandarcakes :)